Program Reviews

Pilar was a wonderful hostess, and an even better teacher. She was very accommodating to heath restrictions, and always provided what we needed. Her course was the best Spanish classes I’ve taken, and I learned more here in 3 weeks than I have in 3 years in high school. I feel confident in my ability to speak above basic Spanish, and have a good understanding of how the language works. I also had the ability to walk to several hikes while I was here, and took advantage. The nature here is different than my country, and I loved experiencing new things while wondering the wilderness.

Pilar
not only made me feel completely at home starting the minute you picked me up at the train station you fed me like a king and showed me how very special Valencia and the area is with a extraordinary trip too Teruel
Your patience with my age 86 and dyslexia while teaching me beginner Spanish was extremely important and very much appreciated
I would without any hesitation recommend studying with her as an immersion thus please feel free to give my email as a reference
If there was a drawback it would be I eat too well!!!!!

This course was an incredible experience! Pilar is such a kind and lovely person and cooks very well.
She’s caring and always available for everyone.
I never got bored during these three weeks and the company of her son Max, her daughter Esmeralda and Ardi was special.
The place was beautiful and the people were very friendly.
I will never forget this experience.
Just a little remark, for three weeks of classes, I find the price a little excessive and not everyone is willing to spend that much.

This experience was really unique enjoyable for many reasons. It was an amazing feeling living with my teacher in her lovely Spanish-style house in Valencia. Except for weekends, we had 2-hours of Spanish classes on a daily basis, combined with practicing the language in real-life while out shopping or out at restaurants.

I also embraced the Spanish culture through watching Flamenco shows, sightseeing and eating local dishes, especially Paella and serrano ham.

Another Italian student was also there on an immersion programme and I made great friends with her together with the son and daughter of my teacher as well.

A superb week with Pilar, the teacher, and her family in a beautiful house situated in the foothills of the mountains near Gilet, Valencia.
Authentic home-cooked food, spotlessly clean and comfortable bedrooms and a range of amazing cultural activities, including a three day festival, a visit to Valencia, walking the beach and trekking in the mountains with Pilar's son as our guide.
An amazing experience and - at the same time - constantly improving written and spoken Spanish through Pilar's carefully structured teaching and the informal conversations which arise during the wealth of activities.

Translated by Go Overseas:
Learning Spanish in immersion at Pilar is every student's dream. In addition to personalized and practical lessons, Pilar is always attentive to our expectations. Add to that, a super pleasant living environment, excursions to discover the Valencia region and Spanish culture, sometimes even within the family as was my case during the traditional Moros y Cristianos festival in the city of Elda.
And for those who love food, you won't be disappointed!
Just awesome and so privileged
I highly recommend

Original version:
Apprendre l'espagnol en immersion chez Pilar c'est le rêve de tout élève. En plus de cours personnalisés et pratiques, Pilar est toujours à l'ecoute de nos attentes. Ajouter à cela, un cadre de vie super agréable, des excursions pour découvrir la region de Valencia et la culture espagnole, parfois au sein même de la famille comme ce fūt mon cas lors de la fête traditionnelle Moros y Cristianos dans la ville de Elda.
Et pour ceux qui aiment la nourriture, vous ne serez pas déçus !
Juste génial et tellement privilégiė
Je recommande chaudement

Throughout my life l have spent many weeks travelling in Spain, alone and with friends or family. However, the immersion program, living with my teacher, has given me a completely new and very special perspective. I have always visited Spain as a tourist, looking at places and people from the viewpoint of an outsider. But with the immersion programme, l felt like a part of the host family and also a part of the whole Spanish speaking community of Valencia.
I stayed with Pilar and her son, with a group of four other guests, in her beautiful home in Gilet, Valencia. We were all studying Spanish at very different levels. For one week, Gilet, a small village in the foothills of the surrounding mountains, close to the town of Sagunto, was our home.
There is plenty of space in the house to study, share meals and relax, both indoors and outdoors. The WiFi connection is very good. The rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable and there is a super bath as well as a shower in the shared bathroom.
Pilar is a welcoming and friendly host, very proud of her locality and was always happy to provide us with the small items that one forgets to bring on a visit, such as a safety pin, insect repellent, a paracetamol. She is committed to helping each guest feel comfortable and welcome whilst they are in her house, as well as making the most of the time they have available.
Meal times were negotiable and the food that Pilar provided was excellent. There was always plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a variety of local foods that we could try, such as prawns, mussels, fideos, escalibada, paella, ham, tortilla and a local stew made from snails and rabbit. Whilst many choices were available, there was no pressure to eat anything with which l felt uncomfortable.
As a Valenciana, Pilar has a deep knowledge of the local area and she is happy to explain everything from religious festivals to local politics, history to culture, music, arts, sports, recipes, travel timetables or opening hours. She is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher, dedicated to serving the different needs of each one of her students. I learned a great deal about the Valencian culture during my stay and was exposed to new vocabulary, new phrases and new ways of expressing my ideas and interests.
Pilar's garden opens onto a path to beautiful woodlands, through which it is possible to walk to the surrounding mountains. Take good walking shoes, as there is much to discover here! At dusk, the woods were full of the song of nightingales and the occasional hoot of an owl. I loved sharing dinner beneath the moon and the stars here each night ; blankets were provided when it got chilly later.
My favourite excursion was walking up a well known and very steep mountain (called Las Cadenas del Garbi/el canal de Garbi ) with a picnic, and some friends. When we weren't clambering upwards we were chatting in Spanish. Our team work made the dream work!! It was exhilarating when we all reached the summit, with it's beautiful views of the Valencian coast .
From the nearby town of Sagunto, we spent a day walking northwards along the sea shore for a distance of about 10K. The shoreline is wide, the water crystal clear and there are bars and restaurants along the route. I really enjoyed a swim in the warm, clean sea here, on the last day of May! Pack your swimming things!
The city of Valencia, in which we spent a day, is calm, safe and clean. We walked from the port, through the waterside, past galleries and museums into a park which leads to the old city centre with its cathedral and interesting independent shops .
If you have the opportunity, the anual celebration of the 'Moros and Cristianos ' in the town of Elda is an amazing four day fiesta, not to be missed. There are impressive parades through the town centre, reenactments of the local history, horses, live bands, free food and drink and dancing throughout the night.
If you have the opportunity to come and study here, l can thoroughly recommend spending your time with Pilar and her family and friends.
.

I spent a week in Dosrius, Barcelona, Spain living with my teacher in her home. It was an amazing experience! My teacher, Monica, is an excellent instructor and spoke Spanish to me 100% of the time. We ate meals together and I had a Spanish lesson each morning. Monica took me on sightseeing/cultural excursions every other day in the surrounding area. During my free time, I did my own sightseeing and took the train to Girona for an afternoon.
Monica's home is very comfortable. I had my own room and private bathroom. We went grocery shopping when I arrived so I could help myself to food when I wanted. My only regret is that I only had 1 week.
I would highly recommend an immersion homestay with Spanish Express!!

The trip to Barcelona was fantastic. I traveled to several fascinating locations while drastically improving my Spanish. The meals were fantastic, and you could see that Monica's father, a Michelin-starred chef (in my eyes), enjoyed making it. He is also a fantastic artist; their home is decorated with vibrant paintings that are sure to make anyone smile. With many thoughtful touches, Monica made a superb hostess. She is very friendly and sweet. Although learning a language at my age is difficult, being Portuguese makes it a lot simpler. The Spanish sessions were on the go (I chose this option and it was so much fun than sitting formally on a desk with a book), and we had excursions to a variety of locations, including coastal towns and natural parks close to Monica's home. I will most definitely repeat the experience!

Before I went to Barcelona, I did not know what the experience of living and studying in the teacher's house would be like. I must admit that when I arrived I was surprised at how quickly I began to feel at home. In terms of improving my Spanish, the experience was phenomenal. I feel that I have improved a lot and I speak more fluently and have a more sophisticated vocabulary. When you are speaking all the time in Spanish, you start to think in Spanish. I have been exposed to the language in all kinds of elements, from hearing it on the radio, watching movies, and speaking it to people. For me it has been excellent to visit the tourist monuments of Barcelona, but also the small towns near Monica's house.

I visited the small city of Mataró, which had streets of buildings, which were decorated in modernist style, and in the city, there was the first work of the famous architect called Gaudí. In addition, on a different day, I visited the town of Argentona where the first tramline in Spain was built and a very famous museum that houses almost three million gigantic jugs and works by the well-known artist called Pablo Picasso.

For lunch and dinner, Monica's father prepared me a selection of exquisite typical Spanish dishes. Monica's parents were very hospitable and friendly and treated me like family. Monica was so nice and made my visit very fun and interesting.

Throughout the week, we visited many traditional churches, one of which is in a small town called Dosrius. Other days we visit a farm with cows, other animals, and a burrito reserve.

In my opinion, this experience is so important if you want to improve your command of Spanish. I highly recommend it; it is an experience you will never forget!