Una experiencia inolvidable!

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!