Learn the lingo with these eight immersive programmes
Let's face it - Duolingo can only take you so far. And that GSCE in Spanish is probably looking a little rusty by now.
But if you want to finally get fluent and put your language skills to good use, there's no better way to do it than by joining a language course in a Spanish-speaking country. You'll get to learn grammar, vocab and pronunciation with native-speaking teachers.
Best of all, you'll have the opportunity to use your new language skills on a daily basis, whether it's shopping at the local grocery store, getting a bus to another part of town or making new friends in your host city.
Ready to take your Spanish to the next level? Check out our top choice of immersive language programmes in Latin America!
Spanish Immersion in Mexico
With delicious food, lively music and incredible Mayan ruins, Mexico is one of the most popular destinations to learn Spanish. It's also a great starting point for an epic overland backpacking adventure across Latin America. Makes sense to learn the lingo before you do!
In the laidback surfer town of Puerto Escondido, you can get to grips with Spanish via group or private lessons for a more intensive experience.
You'll be a short walk from the beach with ample opportunities to learn to surf too, and add another skill to your repertoire.
Outside of the grammar and conservation classes, fun activities are included, like cooking and salsa classes. And for every fortnight you spend at the school, you'll have a cultural workshop to help you get to know Mexican culture.
Quick Facts
- Where? Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca province
- How long? Minimum one week, with option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Group or private
- Number of lessons? 15 per week, roughly 4.5hrs per day
- Accommodation options? Dorm or single room at the school accommodation
Spanish Immersion in Colombia
Thanks to a smooth and comprehensible accent, Colombia is a great place to learn Spanish. And the colourful Caribbean influenced city of Cartagena is one of the most popular spots to immerse yourself in the language.
Classes cover all aspects of learning Spanish - grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, writing, oral and written comprehension. And you can choose between standard of intensive, depending on how many hours a week you want to dedicate to study.
To provide opportunities for making friends and getting to know the city, optional activities include bike tours, cultural trips, a cinema club and salsa classes.
Quick Facts
- Where? Cartagena, north coast
- How long? Minimum one week, with option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Group
- Number of lessons? 20hrs per week for standard option, 30hrs per week for intensive option
- Accommodation options? Private room with a host family or dorm room in a hostel
Spanish Immersion in Ecuador
Ecuador is another country with a relatively clear and easy-to-understand Spanish accent, making it a great destination for a language immersion programme.
In the subtropical town of Baños you can learn the lingo while enjoying endless opportunities for outdoor adventures, from hiking volcano trails to white-water rafting, canyoning and exploring the local hot springs (for something a little less adrenaline-inducing!).
It's also the jumping off point for visits to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. And if you really want to put your Spanish skills to the test, you can combine this language course with a two-week stint volunteering at the Amazon Animal Rescue Centre a short bus journey away in Puyo.
Spanish is not a requirement for this volunteer project, but it's a huge advantage and gives you the chance to combine study and learning with hands-on wildlife conservation.
Quick Facts
- Where? Baños - gateway to the Amazon basin
- How long? Minimum one week, with option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Group lessons
- Number of lessons? 20 hours of lessons per week
- Accommodation options? Dorm room at the hostel
Spanish Immersion in Argentina
If you like the idea of combining Spanish study with volunteering for a truly immersive experience, Argentina is another great option.
You can spend a few weeks (or months!) learning Spanish before volunteering at a community soup kitchen in the cosmopolitan capital of Buenos Aires. Supporting families and children in the neighbourhood of Barracas, you'll be using your language skills daily.
If you prefer to focus purely on the language classes then you'll be using dynamic course material to help you master Spanish.
Be aware that the Spanish spoken in Argentina is very different to Spanish spoken elsewhere - not only in pronunciation, but in grammar and vocabulary too.
Quick Facts
- Where? Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina
- How long? Minimum one week, with option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Individual, pairs or group classes
- Number of lessons? 20 hours of lessons per week
- Accommodation options? Dorm or single room at the hostel
Spanish Immersion in Costa Rica
A lush farming town or a tropical beach town? In Costa Rica, you choose! Take your pick from Turrialba or Puerto Viejo for your Spanish immersion programme.
Opt for Turrialba and you'll learn Spanish in a cute town surrounded by volcanoes, raging rivers and lush, green rain forests. This non-touristy town is a great place to use your language skills daily while enjoying a wealth of outdoor activities.
Opt for Puerto Viejo and you'll have direct access to idyllic beaches and surf classes. Located on the Caribbean coast, Puerto Viejo is a popular tourist and surf town, so you'll have more opportunities to meet other travellers from around the world.
Whether you choose Turrialba or Puerto Viejo, you'll be taking your classes outdoors to make the most of the tropical climate with the choice of a homestay for full immersion or hostel accommodation for a more social experience.
Quick Facts
- Where? Turrialba (farm town) or Puerto Viejo (beach town)
- How long? Minimum one week, with option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Individual or group lessons
- Number of lessons? 20 hours of lessons per week for the standard option, or 30 hours of lessons per week for the intensive option
- Accommodation options? Room with a host family or choice of a dorm or private hostel room
Spanish Immersion in Panama
Panama may not be the first country that comes to mind when planning a Spanish immersion gap year, but there's a lot going for this underrated Central American gem.
Firstly, you have a wide choice of places to base yourself for classes - the glitzy capital of Panama City, the charming mountain town of Boquete or the tropical paradise of Bocas del Toro.
Whichever spot wins you over, you'll be on your way to fluency with 4-6hrs of daily language classes (depending on whether you pick the standard or intensive option) with plenty of opportunities to use your Spanish outside of the classroom.
Throw yourself into Panama culture with a homestay or stay at a social hostel to meet other travellers from all over the globe.
Quick Facts
- Where? Panama City, Boquete or Bocas del Toro
- How long? Minimum one week, with option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Individual or group lessons
- Number of lessons? 20 hours of lessons per week for the standard option, or 30 hours of lessons per week for the intensive option
- Accommodation options? Room with a host family (except for Panama City) or choice of a dorm or private hostel room
Spanish Immersion in Cuba
Want to immerse yourself in the rhythmic beats of salsa as well as the Spanish language? Then there's no better place than Cuba!
Head to the birthplace of the salsa music and dance to learn more than just the lingo. Combine language classes with introductory sessions to all things salsa and Cuban culture in the iconic capital of Havana.
Prefer being surrounded by nature? Head to the small, slow town of Viñales in the west of Cuba for trips into the Sierra de los Organos mountains and the Viñales Valley.
Or even better, combine the two! Join a 3-week programme that travels from Havana to Viñales for the perfect combo of Spanish study, dance, culture and adventure.
Quick Facts
- Where? Havana or Viñales (or both!)
- How long? Minimum one week, with the option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Group lessons
- Number of lessons? 15 hours of lessons per week
- Accommodation options? Room in a Casa Particular (private homestay) or choice of a dorm or private hostel room
Spanish Immersion in Nicaragua
Last but certainly not least, if you're looking for a truly immersive experience with the chance to give back to the local community and stay with a host family, Nicaragua is the best to be.
Spend your mornings helping to support the vulnerable youth of Granada with 4 hours of Spanish language classes in the afternoon. In the evening, head to your welcoming host family to share dinner and use the new vocabulary you learned during the day.
Not only will you come away with a new level of fluency in Spanish, but you'll also have a wealth of new skills to add to your CV, from teaching and organisational skills to child support and language assistance.
All of this takes place in the colourful city of Granada, sat on the shores of the magnificent Lake Nicaragua with the imposing Mombacho volcano for a backdrop.
Quick Facts
- Where? Granada
- How long? Minimum two weeks, with the option to extend up to 12 weeks (or more)
- Class options? Group lessons
- Number of lessons? 20 hours of lessons per week
- Accommodation options? Private room in a homestay with shared facilities
Want to learn Spanish while travelling?
Then our Travelling Spanish Classroom is the perfect option! Explore the highlights of Panama and travel from the capital of Panama City to the small town of Turrialba in neighbouring Costa Rica over the course of a month.
Along the way spend time in the mountain town of Boquete and the tropical island of Bocas del Toro. This educational adventure combines Spanish classes with plenty of fun activities and hostel accommodation to guarantee you make friends for life.
What to expect on a Spanish Immersion Programme
Joining a language immersion programme on your gap year is the best way to get closer to fluency with Spanish. You'll be learning the language where it's spoken with loads of opportunities to use your new vocabulary and master the pronunciation.
Here's what to expect if you join one.
Daily lessons Monday to Friday
Typically you'll have 4hrs of lessons each weekday (6hrs if you opt for an intensive course). These lessons will cover on all aspects of language learning - grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and conservation practice.
Depending on the programme you choose, the rest of the day will either be free to do as you please, or will include other classes like dance or cooking classes, and optional group activities like bike tours and movie clubs.
Free weekends to explore independently
No lessons are scheduled on the weekends, so you can use this time to explore independently. Your accommodation is included on a weekly basis, but that doesn't stop you from making day trips to local places of interest.
Social accommodation options
To help keep costs down and provide a fun, social environment for your Spanish learning, accommodation is typically a dorm room in a hostel. The language school will either host classes in the same hostel or partner with a nearby hostel to provide an affordable place to stay.
There is usually the option to upgrade to a private room, if you prefer your own space. And a number of our Spanish immersion programmes also offer the option to stay with a local host family. You'll have your own room but share facilities like the bathroom and living space.
Homestays are a great way to really immerse yourself in Spanish, as host families may not speak English, so you'll have to rely on your growing language skills to communicate and get to know the people you're staying with.
Volunteering opportunities
Some of our Spanish language courses can be combined with volunteer projects to enable you to give back to the local community and put your language skills to further use. Although Spanish is not a requirement of our volunteer projects, it certainly helps, and using the language in different contexts with different people will help you master it even quicker.