I have always had a passion for language learning and my first steps into the world of Spanish language and culture convinced me that Spanish was the language that I wanted to gain a more rounded knowledge of. Bilingualism is a major advantage for many roles in Europe and I am focused on being linguistically prepared for a potential career move into the European architecture and/or construction sectors. I was becoming increasingly aware that in order to take up such an opportunity I needed to increase my level of speaking fluency in order to engage fully both in day-to-day conversation and in the more technical dialogue required for professional interaction. It was for both these reasons that I chose the Spanish Homestay Immersion Programme (SHIP) in Barcelona with Mónica as it provided me with the opportunity to focus my learning into technical areas and immerse me into a completely Spanish speaking environment.

Spanish Express also has an excellent online program that complements the immersion program. For a year, Mónica provided me with a bespoke programme focused on the technical vocabulary required for construction professionals, as well as assistance with my CV and job interview preparation. We then met face-to-face in Spain, where I spent two weeks improving not only my Spanish but also the way to do business in Spain, culture, gastronomy, art, and much more. This programme is highly recommended for people who want to advance in their careers by learning Spanish.

I am also a very keen cyclist and Monica’s home in Dosrius is ideally located with plenty of gravel trails from the doorstep with access to explore the Natural Park of Montnegre y el Corredor.

To improve my Spanish has always been a goal in my life because I would like to live in a Spanish speaking country in the future. This trip to Barcelona helped me a lot. Mónica is an excellent teacher and also a great host. I felt very comfortable staying at her beautiful house. She has two lovely dogs which made my time there even more special because I love dogs. The people, the food, the architecture, everthing was amazing and I will gladly repeat this experience on my next vacation. I totally recommend this programme to all the people who wants to learn or improve their Spanish.

Over the two weeks, I stayed in Valencia. I learned a lot from my Spanish teacher Pilar Martinez. She made the lessons interesting and enjoyable.

I was also able to practice my Spanish with people my age, which made me keener to learn and developed my level so that I would be able to maintain a normal conversation.

Pilar also took me around Valencia and taught me about its history; we visited the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, a flamenco performance, the city centre and many more.

I really enjoyed it. I tend to have trouble learning new languages, but being in the country where it's spoken helped me develop and improve my level, as you are forced to use it daily.

I would recommend this immersion to anyone interested in learning Spanish, particularly in Valencia, as it is a beautiful city with fantastic places to visit and delicious food.
Also, you can enjoy the sun and the nice weather at the beach.

Spanish and Latin American cultures are embedded in many parts of the United States. Bilingualism is a plus for many jobs and I would like to move further in my career using my advanced Spanish. I had some job interviews in various international companies which have offices in Spain. This is why I chose the Spanish Homestay Immersion Programme (SHIP) in Barcelona as it provided me with the opportunity to put into practice all I learnt during the year. Spanish Express has also an excellent online programme which combines really well with the Spanish Homestay Immersion Programme (SHIP) in Spain. Mónica taught me Spanish for business and helped me with my CV and job interview preparation for a year and then we met face-to-face in Spain, where I spent 2 weeks improving not only my Spanish but also the way to do business in Spain, culture, gastronomy, art and much more. I highly recommend this programme for people wanting to progress in their career using the Spanish language.

On an educational holiday you’ll improve your language skills and engage in the local culture even more through living and studying in your teacher’s home and having the opportunity to spend 24 hours amongst locals.

Spending time in another country is one of the best decisions you can make, boosting your independence and confidence, and providing invaluable experience that will make you stand out to future employers, this is why I chose this unique opportunity. Mónica helped me a great deal with Spanish for business which will be very handy when I start my next job in Barcelona.

Because Italian and Spanish appear so similar, we can generally read the other language without difficulty. However, when it comes to spoken forms, things become a little more complicated. The two have nearly 80% lexical similarity, which means that 80% of Spanish words have an equivalent in Italian.

We had a varied social schedule with plenty of excursions and activities. I love nature and animals so Mónica made sure to organise plenty of walks around the Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor, the first 'park of silence' in Spain; I also spend a great deal of time playing with Rumba and Samba, two female Golden Retrievers that will steal anyone's heart.