Program Reviews

The school, housing and most activities were close by in the center of town. My host family was very gracious and took the time to talk with me daily and allowed me to experience the great food of Spain. Fresh fruits, vegetables, pintxos and much more.

The school was in an older building with teachers who challenged me to converse, read, write, listen and learn the grammar, history and culture of Northern Spain. There was time for short trips on the weekend and there was always something new to explore. Overall a great experience.

The teachers were really professional and prepared, but also very approachable and friendly. The school is located in a great central location in the city and close to the accommodation provided. I liked the idea of the social evenings to get to know students and professors, and to practice the language in an informal way.

An excellent course to improve my Spanish so I can enjoy my life in Spain more. I can talk to Spanish people in the Health Centre, the hospital, the bank, shops and restaurants. Thank you. I have recommended to friends and would love to do another course. I like this course because they use different interactive methods to teach and it is very interesting. Presentation is clear and understandable. All subjects and conversations are important and useful in everyday life. I wish they would do next level course as well.
These courses are a good start. I know more Spanish now than I did when I started (I also find it useful to repeat the course after a few months rest). It does bother me, however, that interpreting written Spanish is quite a deal easier than translating from English. Speaking it is even harder and good luck trying to understand the Spanish when they speak. In English, if you slur words together it's a considered a sign of intellectual inferiority. Not so in Spanish, it would appear.

I was a student at Instituto Hemingway, and I just wanted to really thank all my professors for helping me learn Spanish. This first time I went to Bilbao I did it with knowing almost nothing of the language. I signed up for an intensive course there and liked it so much that I knew I had to continue. Not only did I improve my Spanish, but thanks to the tips and suggestions from my professors - and they always recommended places to go and see, especially those that don’t come in the guide books - I experienced so much more of Bilbao and its surroundings than I would have on my own. It was great! Then last year I repeated again and fell in love again with the place and its people. It has such a wonderful atmosphere, and the people are so nice and friendly that I never had any problems with being able to practice Spanish.

I went to Spain by this program and I can highly recommend this program for experiencing with the new cultures and gain more practice on Spanish. I have made a lot friends which I still keep in touch with them in business life. I took 4 weeks of Spanish courses before going to the placement in a top hotel. That made me more confident in my Spanish.

Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors - I worked as a kitchen sous in a top hotel in Southern Spain.

I had the time of my life there in Spain. I enjoyed so much working with people from all over the world. The experience was the best one I have ever had and I can´t wait to go back. I have to say that I learnt a lot, not only at work but also outside of work. The school organised these amazing cultural activities that made me understand and appreciate their culture. As far as my job is concerned, I loved working with people from different countries with different traditions and life-styles, and I learnt new things or facts about their lives. I learnt how to work in an office or how to solve unexpected problems. All in all, I loved this experience.