Program Reviews

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.
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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!

This trip was amazing and so informative, thank you Mónica for such an unforgettable experience. I was looking for a way to prepare me for my Masters programme in Spain and this was perfect. I need to be confident B1 to attend university and Mónica even built in specific vocabulary around psychology for me to prepare better for my programme. The reviews don’t lie, the course is intense but Mónica always asked if the pace was too fast or if we needed to review any of the lessons. I really enjoyed the cultural activities too and can’t wait to visit Dosrius again.

The week of immersion in Barcelona at Monica's house has been incredible.
I have loved all the activities, especially the football club, the visit to Barcelona city and the visit to Rukimon, a donkey reserve in the Montnegre i Corredor Natural Park, where Mónica lives with her parents and Rumba and Samba, two Goldens very nice who always want to play and eat. I have learned a lot about the culture of Spain and I am very happy because my listening comprehension has improved a lot and I feel more confident speaking Spanish.

In October 2022 I spent a week in Barcelona on the homestay programme with Monica to help me with my A Level Spanish. I had a wonderful time. Monica and her parents were incredibly welcoming, as were the gorgeous dogs! I enjoyed my daily lessons with Monica and learned so much (language and literature). In the afternoons we went on lots of fun trips which Monica organised to suit my interests. Monica introduced me to the daughter of a friend who I have stayed in touch with. I would recommend this experience to anyone!

My 16 year old daughter spent a week on the Spanish home immersion programme with Monica in October 2022. She had THE most wonderful time and her confidence in her Spanish speaking just blossomed. It was her first long stay away from home so we were all a little anxious but she felt instantly at home with Monica, her gorgeous dogs and her lovely parents who live upstairs. She had her own bedroom and bathroom which she loved. She enjoyed her daily language lessons and also studying Volver. Excursions included a trip to the Noucamp, a day in Barcelona and the donkey sanctuary (of course!) as well as more local trips including eg to the supermarket for valuable language practice! Monica introduced her to the daughter of a friend she is still in touch with. It was a fantastic experience all round. Highly recommended.

I can't thank Mónica and her kind family enough for their hospitality during my stay. Having decided in 2022 that I was going to learn Spanish, and approaching 2023 without a single word under my belt... I decided to jump in at the deep end with an immersion course. I had the best time, and Mónica made sure the lessons were challenging but not too difficult, and of course, fun!

Sitting in a classroom reading books for hours is my idea of hell, so Mónica made sure the learning was engaging and interactive. My highlight was visiting a local nature reserve with a Donkey sanctuary. I felt super impressed that I could ask a donkey what it's favourite colour was... and if they liked carrots (and yes, they do!). I loved seeing Barcelona, but also having the opportunity to see the little towns like Argentona which are full of local culture. Before the trip, I had a zoom call with Mónica which broke the ice, and Mónica asked me lots of questions about my interests and hobbies. This really helped me to feel comfortable and that my experience was going to be tailored for me.