Program Reviews

Loved the school! Classes and teachers are great. My Spanish has improved a lot, and I'm now able to keep a conversation, asking for directions, understanding people... I even went to a Movie Theater and watched a movie in Spanish without subtitles! The School is located right in the center of the city, easily accessible by bus, car or walking. Frequently they organize events or/ and lovely excursions nearby. That way I had the opportunity to visit the city and knowing about restaurants, coffee shops, bars and meeting other people. I enjoyed the time I spent at the Instituto Hemingway Spanish School. That's why I highly recommend this experience.

This school is perfect from both points of view: the theoretical and the practical way to learn a language. There are different classes for different levels, and the activities and rides around the city let you practice what you study in class. I think I learnt more Spanish by hanging around the city with Carmen and Carmela than just studying from any book. I'll always remember this wonderful stay in Bilbao.

I had been learning Spanish from books and online courses for a while, and had visited Spain many times, but I lacked the confidence to speak to people for fear that they wouldn’t understand me and I wouldn’t be able to understand them. I decided to go to Instituto Hemingway for a two week super intensive course mainly to build my listening and speaking skills. I made great progress in my time there. All of the staff were great, but the teachers in particular were very patient and helpful. I have a way to go before I get even close to being fluent, but I now have much more confidence that I can hold a conversation and ‘mas o menos’ be understood. I loved every minute of it.

I went on my own & could not have been made to feel more welcome at Instituto Hemingway. Staff very friendly & school located in a fabulous part of Bilbao, near Casco Viejo. I managed to see most of the major sights of Bilbao, improve my spoken Spanish & learn a bit about local culture (discovered a fondness for Pintxos)

Hola! I'm writing this review because I'm really thankful for the Hemingway Institute and how they helped me to make my stay in Bilbao one of the best experiences in my life. Carlos was my teacher and made the classes very enjoyable, but at the same time I learned a lot with him. The lessons are very practical, they forced me to talk and they corrected me every time I needed it.

I made a lot of friends as the Institute promotes friendship and social and cultural activities with all the students apart from the lessons given in the academy.

I knew that the spanish accent in Bilbao was very good and easy to understand, but after my experience I can say without doubt that the Hemingway is the place to go to learn spanish in Spain.

My language course at Instituto Hemingway was a big success. Not only does the school offered excellent facilities, the teachers were professional, very proactive and enthusiastic. Also, a student was placed within a group of students that matches his or her level of Spanish. In total, there were almost 6+ classes that guide students in their quest to learn Spanish.

Also, the after school activities were fun and was a great way to get to know the city or other students. There was a wide variety of activities to choose from (one activity per day) and the activities itself were well organized.

I can also recommend staying with a host family, because it makes the immersion in the Spanish lifestyle complete. The family I stayed with was amazing and I couldn't have planned for a better way to feel at home in Bilbao.

All in all it was a perfect time for me! I met a lot of nice people and could learn a lot of Spanish! The teachers had been very friendly and motivating and it was easy to change classes and get an accommodation! Most of accommodations are new and really nice There were a lot of possibilities to do activities in your free time! I love Bilbao and Instituto Hemingway was perfect

I would recommend anyone who wants to learn/improve Spanish to go to this school!

Interning abroad has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life so far. From the beginning of the process, Instituto Hemingway went above and beyond to make sure that I was going to get the best placement possible. At my Spanish course in Northern Spain, I learned so much and was very grateful to be a part of an incredible team. I cannot put into words how rewarding my experience was and how easy Instituto Hemingway made it for me.

They were always keeping up with us and even planned fun group outings as to stay in touch! We went to a wine tasting program, did a bike tour, and day trip to a local beach town on top of many more. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I went all over Spain. Bilbao is a vibrant city with so many options for how you want to spend your time. The people are kind and the weather is great.

I liked everything. The teachers at Instituto Hemingway are amazing and they really care about your success. They are always happy and friendly. I liked the social programs, because it help you to make friends.

The teachers are nice. I very appreciate them for giving such useful grammatical knowledges during the class. It helps me a lot. I like it very much because not only the perfect teachers but also nice facilities. I liked my classes because I could change my schedule from morning to an afternoon class in preparation for a test.
My teacher was a really nice guy and it was always fun with him joking around.
The location of the school is perfect for tube connections and lunch break.

The course is very well-designed and structured. The content of the course is interesting and informative. I liked that that there are video and audio clips, especially the video clips that showed how we could teach in the classroom.
Carlos was pretty much everything you’d want as a tutor; with his ability to give you his full attention to your inquiries, with his timely responses, his encouragement and understanding, I was able to complete the course feeling confident that I can do my job as teaching Spanish as a second language in my chosen country. Throughout the course, I enjoyed working in every module. There is so much interesting information, ideas for teachers etc.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alfredo Orive for all the guidance and encouragement he gave me throughout this course. I’m thankful for the very detailed feedback, not just on what I’ve submitted but how I can improve.

Once again, I would definitely recommend Instituto Hemingway and I will be signing up for more courses in the future. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who wants to start or continue teaching and want to have more knowledge about teaching.

Jose, the director, is also very nice, always accessible and always trying to help the students. Rodrigo, the receptionist, is always available to help. I was very happy to have Carlos as my teacher, because he was always very professional, he is a great teacher but also very flexible and funny when needed.

I liked everything. The teachers were very professional, rather strict to play with my children too. It was not allowed to use the phone during the lessons, to be late etc. They gave homework and were often tested. Every Friday gave feedback.
The school is located near the metro station Abando in downtown Bilbao. Also close is the budget supermarket Carrefour. It was perfect for packed lunch.

Wifi works at the school, there is a library where you can rent a book for children too.

My children had a very bad level of Spanish at the beginning but after 2 weeks the improvement was significant. Excellent teachers who made them learning Spanish something fun and rewarding.

On Fridays we went as a compliment to the nearest restaurant with the whole group, including the teacher. It was fun and informative to communicate in an informal atmosphere.

Size of class and level of participation and comprehension good. Our teachers were fine and the five sessions with Fran were especially helpful in understanding culture, politics and regional differences. We were quite pleased with our home apartment. Bilbao is a fantastic city.

I am 28 years old and it was my first "language school experience". I appreciated the professionalism of the teachers and the efficient structure of the lessons (with both grammar and conversational skills, associated in a way that you practice efficiently what is taught).

The staff are really friendly and all of the teachers put so much effort into their jobs and they can't be thanked enough for it. The activities run through the school are very fun and I am glad I had this opportunity to study in Instituto Hemingway.

The long talks with her (a lawyer practicing from home) really added a lot to improving our speaking ability.

The school is located conveniently in the heart of Bilbao,close to many bars and restaurants
Housing is in walkable distance from the school. The school administration did an excellent job in organising housing and allowing me to stay one week longer. Thanks so much for your help and your friendliness!

The school is incredible. Teachers are very engaging and work with you to ensure you have a positive experience. They are very flexible allowing for changes and extensions to stays. The school provides after school activities every weekday. They are well attended and engaging to show you Bilbao and use the Spanish you are learning! Highly recommend accommodations were great as well. Courses were VERY interesting and Teachers are young and friendly, students come from all around the world. Instituto Hemigway is a very interesting school to progress and discover Northern Spain, in an international environment.

I spent a wonderful month with Jose, Eli, Guadalupe, Alfredo, Amaia etc. It's difficult to discribe..first at all I had a lot of fun with the teachers and the other students. I had an interesting experience. I met students from all over the world of different ages, younger and same age as me. The teacher was efficient and taught us the language very well.

It was the first time I had attended a language course and I enjoyed it so much! The one month every day and all day language class was very productive. Eli and Guadalupe are very professional and patient teachers, the lessons were tailor made and stress free. Everybody is very welcome.
They were more than just teachers, it was like staying with friends.
I enjoyed my stay so much, I have learned a lot and the activities were great: nature at its best and sightseeing to improve the use of the learned language.
I am considering arranging another visit!

Thank you for a wonderful month!
Muchas gracias y hasta luego