LITA: A Unique Approach to Language Immersion in Spain

LITA

Why choose LITA?

LITA is a unique language immersion program offering students a comprehensive exploration of rural Spain, a dynamic experience far removed from English-speaking tourism. Through small, intimate groups of 12-16 students and three group leaders, extensive homestay experiences in small towns, internships, research projects, and other more rural adventures off the beaten path, LITA participants advance their language skills while acquiring a genuine understanding of the diverse nature of Spanish culture as a part of a safe, structured, and personalized immersive experience.

The name LITA alludes to the philosophical foundation of our program: a Spanish word ending with the diminutive “ita” often denotes something that is small, personal, and is something or someone toward which one feels great affection. This informs all elements of our programs.

Founded
2010

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

At LITA, we stand alongside every student. Our team works closely with families to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome regardless of their ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and physical ability. We recognize that the journey toward true diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is on-going and ever-evolving. LITA is deeply committed to upholding our DEI promise and growing alongside the families and students we serve. Our philosophy is rooted in our dedication to offering students authentic and varied experiences in communities across rural Spain, emphasizing an understanding and celebration of differences.

Reviews

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Eva
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Summer of my Life!

I can't say enough great things about LITA! Going into it I didn't know what to expect, but I saw such a huge improvement not only in myself but in the other students. I felt so much more confident in my speaking abilities. I made amazing friends, had once in a lifetime experiences and got to see a non-touristy side of Spain that most people don't get to see. I had an incredible family and I'm still talking to them almost every day. Overall, I would recommend LITA to anyone who wants to have a fun summer and improve their Spanish!

Pros
  • Seeing unique parts of Spain
  • Never speaking English, which really helps with confidence
  • Super supportive staff and great people
Cons
  • None!
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Foster
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Experience and a New Passion For Speaking Spanish

When I first decided to sign up for a full emersion program, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had thought I would not be able to speak a lot of Spanish, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the family that I was staying with. However, it ended up being the complete opposite.
This summer, my experience in Spain with LITA was like no other. The friendships I’ve made (with those who’d lived in Spain and fellow students), and the activities in which we partook, were unforgettable. In this experience, students are pushed out of their comfort zones, and are able to truly immerse themselves in a Spanish culture.
With the guidance from the programs leaders and other students, I was able to feel a lot more comfortable when speaking, which allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, and improve my speaking ability by practicing with conversation.
Looking back to before my experience with LITA, my growth as a student learning Spanish has been phenomenal. I feel much more confident now speaking in class at my school, and have developed an obsession with the language.
Overall, this trip was an incredible experience, and I highly recommend this to high school students who are obsessed with the language, and truly want to test their ability of speaking, as well as having an incredible time.

Pros
  • One will get to experience what it’s like to live life as a Spaniard
  • One will improve their Spanish speaking ability immensely
  • One will find a new passion for learning the language
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Ellie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Summer Ever

This entire trip EXCEEDED all of my expectations. I went on the North 5 week trip and met some of the coolest people! The group was perfectly curated by the Lita Director and everyone was avidly speaking and immersing each other in Spanish. My homestay was perfect. The family completely accommodated all of my needs, was avidly helping me learn spanish, and I felt like became part of the family. I took the classes and everyday we would walk around the town and interview someone or be actively involved in the community. Also, as a person who doesn't eat meat, the entire trip I had many options and accommodations. I felt safe the entire time, but also had the freedom to walk around the town with my host sister by ourselves and venture as pairs in many cities. I went from not being able to speak spanish, to understanding and speaking it fluently! I would HIGHLY recommend this trip to anyone who wants to attend, it truly was the best summer of my life:)

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Natalie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Once in a Lifetime!

Only speaking Spanish for three weeks was a feat I once thought to be impossible. However, my greatly improved Spanish skills are not the only thing I took away from LITA. The trip not only allowed me to immerse myself in a beautiful language but in a beautiful, unique, culture in an authentic way. From our hiking trips through beautiful Spanish mountains to forming deep connections with each community we stayed in, I came away from this experience with a sense of complete fulfillment. I think that every Spanish student should have the chance to experience LITA-- to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Pros
  • Getting to experience a beautiful Country in a completely authentic way (not as a tourist)
  • Forming connections and relationships with communities
  • Eating AMAZING food!
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Zach
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A most unforgettable summer experience!

This past summer, I spent 5 weeks in rural Spain as part of LITA's immersion program. Venturing from the heart of Andalucia to the remote Casas Rurales of Alájar, a group of about 15 other kids and I were exposed to the magnificent cultures and traditions of the Spanish people. We learned to love the nuance and discomfort of adapting to a new world of language and customs, and at that, we became the best of friends. Between the laughter shared and days spent with a constant smile, I cannot recommend this immersion experience enough. At the end of the day, you will get out what you put into this experience; and should you apply yourself and engage in all that Spain has to offer, you will find yourself ineffably changed for the better.

Pros
  • Noble, honest, and caring peers.
  • Diversity of locations.
  • True Immersion experience.
Cons
  • Culture shock
  • Homesickness
  • Having to leave the group at the end of the trip (I cried)

Programs

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

In all honesty, my sister had done it the year before. It all sounded enchanting, and so I wanted to go and experience it myself. I was also looking to travel over the summer anyway, so this was an amazing opportunity to learn while having fun.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program providers, Jordan Romm and Michela Corcorran had everything organized down to the T before the trip. As applicants, we needed to fill out multiple surveys to see what family we should match with and what group we should be put with. Each student attending the trip was given a binder full of logistics and necessities in preparation for the trip.

During the home stay, since I took classes instead of doing an internship, I needed to plan ahead for the project I wanted to do. In this case I researched women's rights in the working world of Spain. The main things I organized consisted of a few interviews with different members of the town.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

This trip will give you everything you could ever hope for in terms of quickly advancing your Spanish skills if you give it everything as well. In the beginning of my trip, one of my monitors, Olivia who I am currently in touch with, told us, "There are those who will leave this trip and have had an amazing time, and then there are others who will leave this trip having had an amazing, life changing experience."

It really matters how much effort you are willing to commit towards bettering your Spanish. If you put in the work, and try your best to speak Spanish even in the moments when it's the last thing on Earth you want to do, you will return from Spain a different person.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

There are four different types of days/weeks you might have in this program. The first week will most likely consist of easy hikes, frequent group chats, amazing food, and the longest, yet most entertaining bus rides of your life. I can't even begin to explain how much fun my group had jamming out on the bus!

In the home stay, you will either have a class/internship day, or possibly a group outing. The group outing could be just the LITA students, or all of the families too, and will be filled with activities. A day with a class/internship consists of attending the class, eating a snack right before lunch, lunch, siesta, going to the pool or playing sports, dinner (at 9-10), and then going out with friends until late at night. We returned home most nights at 1:30 am which was hard to keep up with, but 100% worth the adventure-filled nights.

The Pyrenees are simple days. You wake up early, hike all day on very difficult terrain, and then find a "refugio" by around 6-8 pm where you eat and sleep. They are long, challenging days, but coming home from LITA I was so inspired by the hikes that I reached out to a hiking friend of mine and ended up going on a very nice hike!

In Barcelona the days are packed to the max with trips to the differing sections to interview the people, taste the food, take a dip in the Mediterranean sea, and shop a little.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I had two main fears. I feared my Spanish wouldn't be good enough and I wouldn't be able to communicate, and I feared I would not like my Spanish family.

I conquered the first fear quickly. The first week of the trip prepped me well. My group made a pact to try and speak Spanish all of the time, so by the time I met my host family, I felt more warmed up with the language. The leaders of my group also reassured us that it is better to talk and mess up, then to not communicate at all. Sure my Spanish wasn't perfect, but the people I communicated with always understood what I was trying to say.

As for my family, I couldn't have been happier. Jordan and Michela went above and beyond when pairing me with my family. I had two sisters, a mother, and a dad who was abroad that couldn't have taken better care of me. In fact, my Spanish sister and I grew so close I plan on having her come and stay with me this coming summer.

What was your favorite part of the trip?

This is a question I am often asked, and my response is always the same: the people. This experience encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and be as sociable as possible. I chatted with tour guides, bus drivers, our photographer Ester, random people on the street, my sister's friends, grandparents, cousins, anyone I could talk to in order to practice my Spanish.

It didn't feel like a task to practice my Spanish because the people I practiced with made it enjoyable. Even the people in my LITA group were some of the most interesting, kind-hearted people I have ever met. My two leaders, Ilan and Olivia are some of my favorite people I have ever met.

One of the hardest things I've had to do recently is say goodbye to the people in my Spanish town and the people in my LITA group. I have made bonds this summer that will last a lifetime, and hope that anyone fortunate enough experience LITA, chooses LITA.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Brittany Shelley

Job Title
Assistant Director
Brittany Shelley is the assistant director of LITA. She was a high school Spanish teacher for over ten years, the highlight of many of those school years being a summer spent exploring Spain as a LITA group leader. Now joining the full-time LITA staff, she is eager to curate more unique experiences for future LITA students.
Brittany Shelley in a wine cellar wearing a white tank top, with dark hair, and sunglasses smiling

What is your favorite travel memory?

A LITA trip is a memory-making machine. Each day there are moments of discovery, reflection, pride, and connection. That being said, my fondest LITA travel memory involves a pick-up soccer game on the grounds of a centuries old monastery in Galicia (a "mystical" area in Northwest Spain). Our local guide had given us a twilight tour around the grounds, all the while spinning spooky stories of the area's past. I soaked up the theatrics of the tales, the beautiful scenery, the bonding with my LITA students. Then our guide rolled out a soccer ball and, without missing a beat, we all dove in to an impromptu soccer game on the monastery's "pitch." The sun set and we continued playing long after the ball was no longer fully visible in the dark. The entire evening was unforgettable.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

After a decade-long career as a Spanish teacher, the ebbs and flows of the academic year were baked into my DNA. My life passed one marking period at a time, and I loved being part of a school community and sharing my passion for the language with my amazing students. However, since joining LITA I have opened the fire hose of the possibilities in my professional life. While still being able to use Spanish and interact with students, I have been presented with so many new challenges and responsibilities. It is exhilarating to be learning so much in support of a project that is so near and dear to my heart. I am endlessly grateful to Jordan Romm for allowing me to join his LITA team.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The best story from a program alum is more of a recurring theme of LITA students. When I check in with a student and they share that they have made plans to return to Spain to visit their host family or that their host family / sibling will be coming to spend time with them in the U.S. I am filled with joy. To know that from the seed of a short, 3-week long homestay a lifelong friendship spanning two continents can grow never ceases to amaze and energize me.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

The North 5 Week trip is my passion project. I have led this trip three times, and with each return to the tranquil casa rural, to the familiar homestay community, to the thrills of the Pyrenees I fall more in love with the diversity of Spain and the amazing people who call it home. The trip has the perfect balance of natural beauty, wonderful folks, and energizing experiences.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Working for LITA feels like a public service. The mission of the company is to connect students to rural travel and to forge true connections in a foreign language. The measure of "success" for LITA is not measured by the bottom line. I am proud to work with a company that is so mission driven and student-centered.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

LITA's mission statement of fostering meaningful connections informs every decision our team makes. Because we know the impact that people have on a traveler's experience we prioritize creating a strong group dynamic among students, placing students with warm and accommodating host families, and connecting with locals who are brimming with excitement to welcome our groups. Every member of LITA's staff understands the impact of these connections and that through-line is what makes LITA stand apart.