Studying Spanish in Madrid by Jefie
A few years ago, I decided to learn Spanish so that I would be able to travel to Spanish-speaking countries and communicate with the locals more easily. After going to language school and taking private courses, I felt I was ready to take on the next big step: going on a full-blown Spanish immersion! After doing some research about schools, cultural activities and so on, I decided to go Madrid's International House (http://www.ihmadrid.com) and chose to stay with a family to make the most out of the experience. So about the school: there usually were between 6-10 students of all ages per class, coming from all around the world. My classes went from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, and we'd usually start with some grammar (but in a non-boring way), followed by conversation. A lot of activities had to do with talking about our different countries' customs and traditions, so on top of learning about Spain, I also got to learn about my classmates' countries, and even about Canada! The school usually organized 3-4 activities every week for which you could sign up, there was a small cafeteria and some computers with free Internet access. The location was quite central, so usually I could just walk over to a museum/park/tapas bar after classes.
As for the family stay, I would highly recommend it. The family I lived with was incredibly nice, my little bedroom was super comfortable, food was great and, most of all, it really helped me experience what life in Spain is all about. I came back thinking about only one thing: how soon can I go back on a language immersion!? It truly is a great way to travel!!One of my fondest memories would have to be the night we celebrated the birthday of Arturito, the family's little boy. The entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grand-parents) came over, I got to chat with everyone, I even sang some karaoke with the girls (!), for a while I think I may have forgotten that I didn't actually live in Spain!
