Spanish in Nature

To put my review in context I am a 34 year old man, working in finance in London. Prior to staying with Spanish in Nature (Esther & Alvaro) I was studying on an evening course twice a week in London and had just completed 60 hours of classroom lessons at the time I flew out to them (October 2018). 60 hours sounds like a lot but for me it was just enough to have some very very basic knowledge of Spanish with very little spoken Spanish. Being an older student I was a bit nervous about what to expect. Having returned a couple of weeks ago I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life not only for learning the language but also to have spent time with an amazing family and to have also learnt about Spanish culture and been able to experience different afternoons out in places I never would have seen in my life. From the moment you arrive every second is in Spanish. Being pretty new to the language it probably took my brain a day or two to start fully absorbing the words and phrases and to start committing them to memory. However you soon find yourself keen to speak and ask questions and have normal every day conversations that you’re never going to get in a classroom. My studying was tailored to my level of Spanish and I felt like the pace and the things that I learned were just the right amount for me. My tutor Alícia came to the house every morning for a few hours and we had classroom based lessons. She’s an excellent teacher and knows just how to structure the lessons to your specific level, I was very impressed. After the lesson I would then do a quick bit of homework, then we’d sit down for lunch and talk in Spanish about every day things. After lunch for the afternoon I was then fortunate to go hiking with Alvaro and/or Esther, into Madrid to see the city, or to go see flamenco or into Segovia. The days flew by and I was genuinely very sad to leave them after a week as very much felt part of their family, they are wonderful people and their children also engage with you over dinner to help you learn. The one regret for me is that I only stayed for one week. I think to really accelerate your learning, two weeks minimum is better as when you return you find yourself answering questions in Spanish or just wanting to speak it every second. I can’t recommend Spanish in Nature enough, they are excellent and I’m hoping to return next year to learn more and spend time with them all! If anyone has any questions I’m happy if you want to reach out to me but I promise you will not be disappointed at all :)

I have stayed a week at Esther and Alvaro’s place for Spanish lessons. They are lovely, easy going people with three great children. A family where you feel at home right away. They cook great spanish food and conversations take place around the kitchen table. I had three hours of private lessons a day, of great quality. It is possible to focus on the things you want to improve. The surroudings of the house are beautifull and perfectly suited for outdoor activities (we did great hikes and a mountainbike tour). In short, a great combination of learning and having fun!

A truly excellent experience. Esther and her family are so kind and welcoming.
The days were filled from beginning to end with activity. Walking in the forests, visits to towns, castles, palaces and a microbrewery. All the visits were guided by either Esther or Alvaro who, both, provided a wealth of detail about all we saw.
All meals were freshly prepared Spanish food and extremely delicious and healthy.
Everything was conducted in Spanish. All at a level and pace that was understandable. If English was required to assist with explanation, then this was done, before returning to Spanish. I only have a basic level of Spanish and at no point was I allowed to feel out of my depth. Using Spanish all the time felt very natural in this environment and learning style.
I highly recommend the experience.

Amazing 4 days with the Campos family, approximately 50 kilometres from Madrid. Beautiful house in beautiful surroundings. Felt very welcome right from the start. Nothing was too much trouble. So patient and encouraging. I learnt so much Spanish and felt able to speak, practice, make mistakes and learn from them. It was truly a brilliant experience and has moved my learning on and motivated me to progress further.
We had some wonderful walks in the Sierra De Guadarrama National Park. The bird watching is incredible. We visited local places of interest and all the time speaking in Spanish, listening to Spanish and sharing learning experiences.
As well as eating indoors around the family table there are also three other lovely places in and around their garden for sitting and chatting, eating and practicing Spanish conversation. I think this is one of my best memories from an entirely memorable trip.

Spanish in Nature is an absolutely incredible program. Our kids went for 2 weeks this July and are literally begging to return. They each loved their host families and the experience of really learning the culture. The Spanish classes were great and they were ability grouped so they could progress at their appropriate levels. When they came back to the US to start school they were given Spanish assessment tests and nearly passed out of a whole year from their learning and practice while in Spain. They really got to practice their Spanish daily during the camp activities with all the kids and everything was so memorable. We have told so many people about our experience I need to get signed up ASAP for next year before the spots are all taken. I highly recommend the program and Ms Esther Campos Pizarro makes it so easy by getting them upon arrival and communicating with photos of their days so we could see how happy they were. I am so happy I found the program, best part of my kids summer by far!