Program Reviews

I had such a wonderful experience with Monica and, in my case, 2 other profesoras that I feel very lucky to have been able to work with.

As a woman traveling alone, I was at ease with the entire trip. Monica was easy to communicate with and is someone who right away gets in touch with the needs of her students. I had some career specific learning requests that were very directly addressed. My time was filled with a variety of types of learning and with activities that reinforce previous learning in ways that have nothing to do with a classroom and that felt natural and fun.

The region around Dosrius and of course, Barcelona, is an amazing place for cultural immersion, I went from mountains to seaside to city site-seeing from one day to the next, with pueblos and small local restaurants in between.

By the time I went home I was starting to think in Spanish. I wish I could have stayed two weeks but I could only get off of work for one!

I am 65, love the Spanish language and wanted to be more confident in my communicating. After 3 wonderful weeks, I left Spain feeling a bit more confident. Living with Pilar, in Valencia, was a wonderful experience. She was a fabulous and kind teacher, cook, host and tour guide. Wonderful Monica, living a good distance from Barcelona, had a lovely home and a wonderful young tutor that brought me to interesting sites. Carmen, in Seville, became my friend. She taught me history and language. Perfect

Our week with Pilar in Valencia was far more than just a language course; it was a deep dive into the Spanish soul. From the very first moment, Pilar took care of every single detail with such warmth and professionalism that we felt like guests in a friend's home rather than students.

The structure of the program is brilliant: we learned so much because the language was woven into real-life experiences. Pilar’s cooking is absolutely amazing—authentic, fresh, and delicious—providing the perfect setting for natural conversations. The trips she organized were true highlights.

Pilar has a unique gift for creating a confident and encouraging atmosphere, making it easy to practice and improve rapidly. For anyone looking for a high-quality, heartfelt, and professional immersion program, this is the gold standard. We left Valencia with much better Spanish and wonderful memories. ¡Muchísimas gracias, Pilar, por una semana inolvidable!

I had 2 weeks in Valencia. The first week was with another school and the second week was with Pilar at her immersion course and OMG, Pilar brought the joy of learning Spanish back for me. She kept things
…interesting by focusing on me learning Spanish that I would actually use in my everyday life not just what a book says I should learn.
…challenging by having dinners in Spanish and helping us when we were stuck.
…fun by introducing us to her family and taking us around Valencia

She was so patient with me repeating the same lines again and again as I worked out what I was hearing. 🤪

And also a fabulous host and cook. 👩‍🍳

Thanks for the week

Our 15 year old daughter spent five nights in Valencia with Pilar. She loved all the food Pilar offered! Tortilla, fish, the Spanish version of crème caramel. and the It was helpful to speak in Spanish every day as she now feels more confident before her Spanish GCSE. In the afternoon she and the other students there took part in interesting and fun excursions to different parts of Valencia, her favourite was visiting all of the different churches. She would recommend this course to other Spanish students before taking their GCSEs or other exams.

I stayed with Mónica as part of the Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) in Ciutadella de Menorca this December, and it was a wonderful experience. I’m from Texas and love nature and the countryside, and Menorca in winter was absolutely perfect.

Mónica made me feel welcome from the very first day. Living with her allowed me to practise Spanish naturally through daily conversations, shared meals, and everyday life. I loved walking along the Camí de Cavalls, which was incredibly peaceful in winter, and visiting the beaches, which were quiet and beautifully untouched.

The food was amazing—traditional Menorcan dishes made at home with fresh ingredients—and sharing meals together was one of my favourite parts of the experience. What I appreciated most was the calmness of the island, especially in December, which made learning Spanish relaxed and enjoyable.

Staying with Mónica turned this programme into a truly authentic and meaningful immersion. I highly recommend SHIP, especially for anyone who values nature, culture, and a warm homestay environment.

We had an absolutely fantastic time with Pilar Martinez at her homestay in Gilet, Valencia. We cannot begin to describe the wonderful times we shared together and the amazing experiences we had that surpassed our expectations. Read more below!

To begin with, we're two children from Kenya of Indian ethnicity, and Pilar catered perfectly to our strictly vegetarian diet by making us various vegetarian meals from different cuisines and even treating us to a meal outside the house. We had some of the best food during our 2-week stay, from homemade vegetable paella, patatas bravas, tacos, and even churros! We
We even got to share meals with Pilar's family, including Christmas eve dinner, allowing us to converse in Spanish with multiple people and stretch our learning further.

Beyond this, Pilar's home was comfortable and catered to our every needs, having radiators in the rooms for the chilly winter weather, and a perfect fireplace to warm the home during our lessons. The kitchen was well-fitted with anything we needed if we were craving a quick bite. The beds were comfortable and the bathroom was modern and had a very hot shower!

We came for this immersion course with the aim to better our Spanish all-round, and prepare for our IB Diploma Programme and Middle Years Programme final exams. Pilar helped us achieve exactly this, with personalized one-on-one and group classes between the two of us, aimed at mastering grammar, verbs, and working on practice exams. Furthermore, speaking Spanish constantly for 2 weeks with our teacher automatically improved our Spanish listening and speaking skills, while helping us pick up vocabulary throughout the day.

Moving to the excursions, we got the opportunity to explore several surrounding historical sites and tourist sites within Valencia as well. Pilar's house is perfectly situated in the hillsides of Gilet, allowing me to go on blissful nature walks and hikes with ease, finding stunning trails in every direction and catching beautiful views of the surrounding areas from nearby hilltops. This was a perfect experience for me; as a avid hiker and nature-lover from Kenya. We also visited the local Roman castles of Sagunto, a wonderful archeological site where we were fascinated by the 2,000 year old Roman castle complex.

Within Valencia, we explored lots of historical and tourist sites both on foot, and during a bicycle city-tour by Pilar, such as Torre de Miguelette, Valencia Beach, and a lot of important city and religious buildings. We were super fascinated by the rich cultural and historical background of Valencia, including Roman, Islamic, and Christian rule and several fierce conquerings of the city.

One of our favorite visits was definitely the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. We spent 4 hours taking in the fascinating exhibits on Leonardo Da Vinci, Spain's noble prize winners, space, and anatomy. Definitely a must do!

Besides all these wonderful experiences, spending time with Pilar was absolutely wonderful. We talked for hours about absolutely anything, and spent quality time all while conversing in Spanish. She is super-welcoming, friendly, caring, and kind throughout our stay and always had a smile! She took wonderful care of us and made sure we were always comfortable and enjoying. She was super flexible and let us choose what we wanted to do with our stay, while maintaining the main goal to learn Spanish.

We would definitely do this again, and would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an authentic Spanish immersion course while also seeking new thrilling experiences in Valencia! Thank you to Monica and the team at Spanish Express for making this a seamless and simple process for us and providing guidance at every step along the way.

I spent an unforgettable week with Mónica in Ciutadella, the old capital of Menorca, as part of her Spanish homestay immersion program, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Visiting in November, I wasn’t sure what to expect, as Menorca is often seen as a summer, beach-focused destination. What I discovered instead was an island full of culture, history, nature, and authenticity.

Mónica’s homestay immersion is, without a doubt, one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to learn or improve Spanish. Staying in the teacher’s home creates a natural learning environment where the language becomes part of everyday life. I am a native English speaker and also speak Italian, which helped me with Spanish, but what truly made the difference was Mónica’s unique teaching approach.

She has a very special way of teaching without you even realising that you are constantly learning. Lessons never feel forced or academic. A large part of the learning happens naturally through cultural visits, shared meals, conversations, and long walks discovering hidden and beautiful corners of Menorca. Language learning is seamlessly woven into real experiences, making it both effective and deeply enjoyable.

For anyone who loves nature, art, music, and food, this program offers the perfect balance between learning Spanish and truly connecting with Menorcan culture. It is a complete immersion experience that goes far beyond traditional language classes.

This homestay with Mónica is ideal for anyone who wants to improve their Spanish in a relaxed, authentic, and inspiring environment while experiencing the true soul of Menorca.

We completed a two-week Spanish Homestay Immersion Program in Menorca in November as a couple and found it to be a very focused and rewarding experience. Living in the teacher’s home created constant exposure to Spanish, making learning feel practical rather than academic.

What we appreciated most was how the language learning was naturally connected to cultural visits. Spending time in Ciutadella old town, visiting the Museo Numa, exploring the Naveta des Tudons, and walking sections of the Camí de Cavalls gave us opportunities to practise Spanish while learning about Menorca’s history and landscapes.

The pace was calm, the teaching personalised, and the home environment comfortable and welcoming. By the end of the week, we felt more confident using Spanish in everyday conversations. A great choice for couples looking for meaningful immersion without a classroom feel.

We joined the Spanish Homestay Immersion Program as a family of four with our two daughters, aged 16 and 18, travelling in October, and spent one week in Dosrius near Barcelona followed by one week in Menorca. Staying in our host teacher Mónica’s home made Spanish part of everyday life and felt very natural for our teenagers.

In the Barcelona area, we explored Dosrius and nearby towns, as well as Barcelona city, including the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia, which gave our daughters many chances to practise Spanish in real situations.

In Menorca, what we enjoyed most was the balance between history and everyday island life. Visiting Ciutadella old town, Museo Can Saura, the Naveta des Tudons, Mahón (the capital), and watching the sunset at Faro d’Artruix were real highlights for us as a family.

The environment felt safe, structured and welcoming, and both girls left more confident and motivated to continue learning Spanish. This is an excellent immersion option for families with teenagers.