Many of our students choose to stay with a host family because, what better way to fully immerse in the Spanish culture rather than living with real locals! Whilst it could be exciting and helpful in terms of improving your language, there are many things to look out for. Here we have 4 biggest tips from our students for what to do and not do in a Spanish host family.

Studying in a foreign country can be both exciting and scary at the same time, can’t it? You must have hundreds of questions in your mind as you prepare for your Spanish course in Spain, whether a short 1-month one or a whole year! Whilst you will explore the place and other customs as you go, we have 4 tips for making the most of your time here (my personal learnings).

El Puerto de Santa María is a beautiful beach town in the south of Spain, in the province of Andalucía. Considering whether you should visit or spend your summer here studying Spanish, here are 5 reasons why you totally should.

1. Beautiful beaches

El Puerto de Santa María is home to 22 kilometres of coastline, 16 of which are beaches. In the summer, they are literally filled with people from morning till late. Some of the renowned ones are La Puntilla, Valdelagrana, Muralla, Santa Catalina and Levante. Playa de La Puntilla is the most popular beach by far in this town due to its proximity to the city centre (only 15 mins on foot) and it’s where our students often find themselves relaxing after lessons.

We organised a welcome drink for all new students in the second week of July. Location: Casa Pepe restaurant in Puerto Sherry on the beach of Muralla.

2. The famous port

The name of El Puerto de Santa María suggests it is a port city and it has been famous for allegedly being the port that Christopher Columbus has departed for his second trip to the Americas!

3. Friendly locals

In our previous blog about ‘How to choose the best language school in Spain’, I mentioned that very few locals speak English. However, they are really friendly (especially with some drinks) and you definitely learn a thing or two that most tourists won’t know about El Puerto!

4. Buzzing nightlife

Spain is famous for its long nightlife that extends to the early hours of the morning and El Puerto is no exception. You will find the locals eating dinner at 10 PM and start their nights out at midnight. The day is long here in El Puerto and in the summer, it is buzzing with people all evenings during the week. Every day from 10 PM until 2 AM, for two months in the summer, you can find a night market along the river (near La Cristalera bar) where locals set up shops to sell souvenirs and other lovely products from Spain. It’s definitely worth checking out!

Handwritten mugs in Spanish!

Our students enjoying un chupito gratis (a free shot) after ordering a bunch of tapas! Yes it’s a thing in El Puerto.

Now that you know why we love El Puerto, head onto our Spanish course page to learn more about the types of courses we offer at Spark, from General Spanish course, summer camps, to work and study experience. Adventure awaits you here!

Studying abroad is not cheap and you have probably paid a ton of money for a few weeks or months at a language school this summer, and are probably wondering how you can make the most of your time there. In this article, we give out the top 4 tips from our own students on how they have had the best time learning Spanish with us.

1. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

There is no success without failures and the same goes for learning a foreign language. Fear of being laughed at or not understood often gets in the way of us actually speaking the language or even attempting to speak. However, practice makes perfect. There is no better way to perfect the art of speaking another language other than just do it. By just speaking it out, the first time could be discouraging when you see the other person’s confused face. But do not give up. Keep going. You will learn what you don’t know and honestly, the other person might actually want to keep the conversation going so they will help you correct the mistakes!

2. Speak Spanish outside of classes

Don’t just practice when you are with your teacher or classmates. Utilise the opportunity that you are surrounded by friendly locals, who also want to get to know a foreign speaker! They will understand that you are Spanish student, so making mistakes is essential! If you want to learn about the local culture of your Spanish school location, why not strike a conversation with a local? This way you practice both your speaking, listening and even learn a new thing or two that will surprise you!

3. Write blogs in Spanish

Beginners of Spanish with a limited vocabulary – do not fear. There are two big benefits of keeping a regular blog in Spanish whilst you’re at it. Firstly, over the course of a few weeks when you look back at your first blog, you will be impressed by how much you have improved, honestly. Secondly, isn’t this a writing practice too? You can write about what you did on the day or what you plan to do the next day – and I am sure that your usage of past and future tense will improve radically.

4. Visit nearby towns

Usually, Spanish lessons run for only a few hours a day so definitely make the most of your time by going on a day trip to nearby cities. Immerse in the culture, eat traditional food, watch a flamenco show or ask the camarero (bartender) about the origin of revuelto (a traditional Spanish dish with eggs and potatoes), you will fall in love with the country before you know it.

Our Spanish courses at Spark are designed so as students have plenty of opportunities to practice speaking Spanish. Some of our students say they have spoken more Spanish in a week than they had in their entire few years studying the language at home. Cultural events such as trips to nearby cities (Cádiz in the picture above) are also organised every week, as we truly believe that education does not stay inside the classrooms.

Head onto course page to find out what Spanish courses we offer and if you need help choosing between different Spanish school, our blog here could help!