RKogel

This might not be the right forum, but Fodorites are so well traveled I thought I would ask - - -

We are considering sending our 16 year son on SUMMER study abroad program. It is Sevilla.

Thouhts on the city are appreciated.

Has anyone heard of or have experience with the Amerispan program (www.amerispan.com) or any other programs.

Thank you for your comments.

Cowboy1968

Sevilla is a nice city, but gets very hot in summer. But if your son is not allergic to heat, it should be a fun place to stay (not too small to get bored, not too big to get lost).

For language-oriented studies, also other cities like Salamanca come to my mind. Or coastal cities (during summer) which have easy beach access like Valencia or Barcelona. Though, some people may argue that the two latter have a slight disadvantage re. language immersion.

Cannot comment on the specific program, though.

tower

RKogel:

Granddaughter went on a similar program as a junior in highschool (ventura, Ca,) and she spent her entire second semester in Mendoza, Argentina , living with a family and totally immersed in Spanish. Wonderful experience...now 8 years later she is Overseas PR Director for her mother's company..and on a short term world conference assignment in Buenos Aires.(She will spend next weekend visiting her "adopted family" in Mendoza.

Our family strongly endorses this type of program...and Sevilla is a great place to participate. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in that colorful city a few years ago.

stu t.

cruiseluv

Hi,


When he was 15, our son went on a study abroad with Tasis www.tasis.com to Salamanca and the next summer with a program sponsored by Choate (a prep school in Connecticut) to Santander (north of Spain). In the Tasis program the kids stayed in a convent rented by the organization. In the Choate program he stayed with a family.

The following year he went again to Santander in the summer, stayed with the same family, and attended the Spanish language program at the UIMP, a University in Santander.

We were very pleased by these experiences. My son especially liked Santander.

I have come across Amerispan in my Google searches for study abroad programs but have no direct knowledge about it. Sevilla is a nice city, but as Cowboy mentions, it gets very hot in the summer.

nytraveler

Don't know this program - but Seville in the summer typically has high temps over 100 - and many places do NOT have AC.

So - before he decides on this city (never ind program) you/he may want to consider that.

RKogel

Thank you for your responses. The heat is a very good point to consider - - though it is just my son .

Two of our nieces did the Tasis program. One in Spain. One is Switzerland. Both enjoyed it.

We really like the thought though of a program where you stay with a host family. Greater immersion is our thought. Not sure if that is valid but we are attempting to learn.

Is the Choate program open to students that do not attend the prep school?

Thank you.

dmlove

<i>We really like the thought though of a program where you stay with a host family. Greater immersion is our thought.</i>

Two of my friends's then-16 year olds did this. I can find out the program tonight, but it was a well-respected one. Unfortunately, they both thought the actual amount of family interaction was limited (pretty much limited to lunch), and that the kids spent too much time hanging out in the square drinking with their American friends. I'll be happy to give you my friend's contact information if you want it.

nytraveler

Yes - another thought if it hasn't been raised before.

European teens are generally more mature and sophisticated than Americans - given much more freedom, can drink, go to clubs until 2am etc - that our kids can't legally do until 21.

(We traveled extensively with 2 teen step-daughters who at times met and hung out with local teens. Not a shock for them, since they were big city kids, very independent and had allowed to drink modest amounts from mid teens on - but the extra freedom can be a shock to kids raised conservatively in a small town that haven't traveled on their own/been completely responsible for themselves before.)

RKogel

I would love to hear the name of the program and your friends information.

He/she can email me at [email protected] or we can communicate through Fodor's.

Thank you for your assistance.

LJ

If you are contemplating a family immersion programme (as opposed to supervised residential programme) it is imperative that you really think through the drinking-clubbing issues and have some frank talks with your son.

European teens are much more sophisticated with regard to alcohol, staying out very late and generally treat it as 'no big deal'. They are amused by young North Americans who drink to get drunk and can be quite obnoxious when they are unaccustomed to drinking. Parents, both of the North American and of the host-family, are much less likely to be amused and this is the biggest source of conflicts and abruptly terminated arrangements.

Consider the contract approach: an open and frank conversation and a written agreement of expectations and consequences.

dmlove

I'm sorry, I completely forgot to ask my friend to contact you. I am seeing her this weekend, so I am sending myself an email to remind me to discuss it with her.

spaarne

My daughter did the Universidad de Salamanca for six weeks this summer. She loved it. She went with the Academic Programs International of San Marcos, TX.

I gave her my camera. Here is one picture worth it all: http://tinyurl.com/4mka6b

She was in a dorm off campus, 19 rooms of two students each. A housemother took care of all the stuff that mothers do.

abranz

last year my 15 year old daughter spent a month in spain with eci (educultural international).

the first 2 weeks were in salamanca staying with a host. not too much interaction - mainly room and board.

mornings were spent in school (can also get college credit) and afternoons were cultural activities.

the 3rd week, they travelled through spain except barcelona (this was offered as an add on ).

the last week was complete immersion with a local family in asturias. this was great for her language skills as she had no choice but to converse in spanish.
great educational experience and wonderful bonding with the host family.

in fact, the my daughter's spanish sister came to spend 10 days with us in s.f. this summer.

spanishabroad

Sevilla is a great location for a Teen Spanish program. it is large enough to have some freedom, but Small enough to feel safer than big cities like Madrid or Barcelona.

We send many teens to learn Spanish in Sevilla through: http://www.spanishabroad.com/teenageprogs.htm

We offer one of the longest running teen programs in Spain at one of the most prestigious schools in Spain which is recognized by International House. IH is an organization that makes sure its member schools meet certain standards regarding instruction, accommodations, and facilities.

Amerispan offers similar programs to ours and is owned by a large grouping of Spanish schools called Enforex and Don Quijote. I am sure their programs are great due to their expertise in the field, but you definitely want to check out our site as we have over a decade of experience and offer very personalized experience since we are a smaller company.

weber6560

I am a 69 yr old believer in the home stay approach. I've done it 5-6 times and it is wonderful.

I vote with those who caution about heat in Andalusia. Really tough and humid. I would suggest you consider my favorite city in Spain - San Sebastian in the &quot;green&quot; part of Spain. I was there last May for a month and the top temp was 81. A very classy, clean, and safe city. 10 miles from French border. Terrific food [more Michelin starred restaurants per capita than Paris].

I studied at Lacunza School and lived with a family. A first class operation. Probably about 60 students each week.