Hi!

I'm considering taking a very short Spanish course in Spain or South America for just a week. (e.g. 4 hours per day for a week). Right now, I only speak very very basic Spanish. I want something that is a bit fast paced and challenging as I tend to pick up languages very fast.

Does anybody have any experience with any good schools or companies that do this? Appreciate any suggestions.

Cheers,

gtrekker2003

Topping for suggestions. I, too, am interested, but would like to do so in Spain.

I enjoyed my attendance at Elemadrid in Madrid, but I stayed for a month. I stayed at a cheeeeep hotel nearby.

I don't know if you'd consider it fast-paced, but I liked it and would do it again.

www.enforex.com
My daughter's AP Spanish teacher in high school used this company every summer and was pleased with the instruction. She always used the Salamanca location.

Thank you both kybourbon and Pegontheroad. This is most helpful.

Like gtrekker, I too pick up languages fast, so I am often looking for full immersion language classes as well.

Gtrekker, thanks for asking the question and allowing me to piggyback. I was just thinking about the same question this AM.

Anyone else have other ideas?

Peg, how cheap is cheap for the hotel you stayed at in Madrid? Which one was it?

Willtravel,

The school referred to the hotel as "Alcala Apartment," but I don't think that was the name, and I don't recall what it was.It was an apartment only in the sense that it had a little closet-sized kitchen with very basic two-burner stove, sink and teeny fridge. It was divided into bedroom and "living room" by means of a screen.

I think it was about $30 per night, give or take.... I do know that it was on a street that linked Paseo Recolletos and Calle de Serrano and was directly across the street (south) from the National Archeological Museum.

I'll try to find out what the name was and will get back to this post if I find it.

http://perso.wanadoo.es/ajulioa/index1.html

This is a program in Málaga that lasts 10 days. It does not have homestay, but all classes are in Spanish, and you are expected to speak Spanish in and out of class.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. Any other good recommendations?

mrnyc, you're welcome. Funny, I too am from NYC.

Cheers,

gtrekker

Thanks Laclaire! I didn't think of Malaga, but it's somewhere I've always wanted to go, so this will be doubly great!

Gtrekker, you're from NYC too? Wow, how funny! Spanish is so useful in NY, I just don't know why I didn't think to learn it sooner. I'm looking to combine my love of travel with my love of languages.

Oops, forgot to add, topping for any more suggestions anywhere in the Spanish speaking world.

there are virtually language courses in every decent sized town.

you must decide if you want a family stay, where you will practice what you learn in your free time and at meals, or to live in a dorm/apt/hotel situation.

i would also suggest you choose your location depending on weather or sites you are interested in, as many of the larger schools have branches across the country.

many others are connected to U.S universities, or are independent but have offical university credits. BTW, this can be a very economical way to acquire university credits.

If any of this is important to you, please email me at [email protected] so i can give you more detailed info.

Peg, thanks for your reply. I have only vague ideas of a Spanish language course at this time, but I'm always considering options.

My son studied French in Paris two summer ago with Eurocentres. He enjoyed the immersion course (6 weeks) and it helped him become fluent much more quickly. Here is there website: http://www.eurocentres.com/en/ I looks like you have a choice of Barcelona or Valencia. You can live with a host family. I'm not sure if they have one week course or not.

Thanks lincasanova and jill_h.

lincasanova: Speaking only for myself, I'm not particularly interested in obtaining college credit. It's really for my own self interest and to further broaden my horizons.

Plus, while in a restaurant in Madrid 2 years ago, I had 2 grown men doing the chicken dance and clucking when my friend and I asked what <i>alas</i> was. We ordered the <i>alas</i> only to find out it was chicken wings, and really good ones at that!

Oh, forgot to also thank Jill_H for the link. I'm thinking of making my future few vacations language immersion classes, so your link is most helpful in my future planning.

Topping for more Spanish courses in Spain, before I'm corrupted by thoughts of other languages.