LITA

This program was absolutely incredible and I would recommend it to anyone looking to improve their Spanish skills in a fun and unforgettable manner. My homestay community was so welcoming and so was my host family. From the start, you truly feel the complete Spanish immersion and are immediately welcomed by the chaperones and your group. We always had a fun activity and in the homestay communities you could get together with other people in the program and their host families, creating an even closer knit group. This program improved not only my Spanish speaking skills, but also gave me a deep appreciation of Spanish culture, left me with a stronger sense of self, and memories I will never forget.

Lita is an amazing program to get out of your comfort zone, improve your Spanish, and experience life in a completely new culture. I was on the 3-week program in south Spain and have amazing memories of my host family, my group, my group leaders, and the other kind people I met.

The highlight of my trip was my homestay. I loved spending time with my host family, and although I was nervous at first, they were incredibly supportive. My group was in a small, tight-knit community in a town without any tourists, and this warm and safe environment helped me immerse myself in the Spanish culture and language. I truly learned at every moment, and my Spanish vastly improved while I expanded my perspective. By the end, my host family and I had grown very close, and I was sad to leave. I am still in touch with them and hope to see them again some day.

While being eager to learn Spanish is important, it is just as crucial to be excited about the other aspects of Spanish culture by trying new foods, spending quality time with your host family, and participating in group activities. The trip really does fly by, and you will get the most out of it and the Spanish part will come naturally if you are truly excited to learn.

This program is a perfect summer trip for those who are interested in learning Spanish & Spanish culture while having fun! LITA does a fantastic job of building a sense of community throughout the trip. I remember my first week (as part of the five week Northern trip), I spent time with my group alone in Galicia and really got to know everyone well before we went to our host stay families in Castile y Leon. While a Spanish immersion trip can at times be daunting, these friendships provide crucial support to ensure you enjoy your trip while meeting that immersion challenge. On top of this, LITA provides a unique learning experience by taking students to less traveled areas in Spain. Through these experiences, you get to have one-on-one conversations with a myriad of people to learn local “dichos” (sayings) and the current happenings in Spain. In these moments, I saw the unfiltered honesty and kindness in the Spanish people. On one excursion outside of A Coruña, I remember that I got lost trying to find a church and a lady personally walked me there while talking about her experiences with the Spanish Civil War. Overall, LITA trains its students how to speak Spanish in a practical manner, which is a strong contrast to Spanish teaching methods that stuff students into a classroom and force them to memorize verb conjugations. The one piece of advice that I would have is simply that ideally, you should study up a bit on your Spanish and Spanish history before arriving. Understanding the cultural and historical context behind the places you’ll stay in helps you get the most out of your experience. Thus, if you’re not passionate about learning Spanish, this may not be the trip for you. However, if you’re interested in Spanish, this is a wonderful program to partake in!

After being put on the waitlist in 2022, I'm very grateful that I was able to join this past summer! Initially, I was leaning towards the three-week trip, as being away for five weeks seemed daunting. However, after chatting with people and us all agreeing I should go for longer, I did, and I have absolutely no regrets! The set-up of the program between homestay and traveling with the group was refreshing and allowed me to get comfortable with everyone first. My Lita group was extremely friendly, open, and caring; even though I'm not the biggest talker, I felt comfortable with everyone and more than that, our group leaders. They were always helping us out and rooting for our success in activities, which was endearing and motivating. The trips we all took together were a healthy mix of fun and educational, and we even had some outdoor things mixed in there (those were the best!).
Not only that, but I loved meeting and engaging with so many different types of people. My friends from the group were amazing, and all of the others I met from being around my homestay family were just as awesome. Experiencing daily life in Spain for my family was vastly different from how I spend my days normally, so it was refreshing and helped me to become open to any sort of activities we did. And the delicious food I had every day was like the cherry on top!
For anyone who is looking to go on one of Lita's many adventures, I promise you to do it. I was very hesitant because of nervousness, and my lack of confidence speaking in another language, but this trip essentially eliminated those issues. The development of my speaking abilities alone is enough for me to recommend this trip to anyone considering it. No matter your expectations, the Lita experience will go above and beyond what you're expecting. It's an unforgettable experience!

The five weeks I spent in Southern Spain were some of the most amazing weeks of my life. My group was full of driven, Spanish-loving students like myself and I grew so close to these people. Many of them I still stay in touch with today, and we just had a mini reunion a few weeks ago! The experiences and activities were so hands-on and so involved. Although the idea of the homestay can be scary, it truly did make my Spanish skills so much better and it taught me how to navigate different cultures and the challenges that came with that. I grew close to my homestay sister and my own as well as other homestay families. I never felt isolated as I was oftentimes with another LITA student or two. I fully recommend this program to anyone who is willing to push themselves outside their comfort zone.