LITA: A Unique Approach to Language Immersion in Spain

When I think back to the summer I spent with LITA, I am reminded of the deep relationships I built with my homestay family and fellow LITA students, the incredible hidden parts of Spain I got to visit, and the enduring confidence LITA gave me in my Spanish.

Relationships: To this day I am still in contact with my host family. We exchange Christmas cards each year and Skype every once and a while to catch up on what is going on in our lives. During my time in my homestay town, my three host siblings, all younger, played a critical role in making me feel welcomed and in improving my Spanish. When I first arrived, my youngest host brother had built my name out of Lego’s and had drawn me a welcome sign. From then on, I grew close to all three of them as they taught me traditional games, let me in on family jokes, and took me to the library to find books of local refrains so I would understand what they were saying.

Parts of Spain: The two other summer immersion programs I completed prior to LITA did not include travel as a part of their programming. My experiences in Galicia, País Vasco, Los Pirineos, and Catalunya are experiences I will treasure for the rest of my life. They gave me a deep understanding of the diversity that Spain has to offer, and have served me well in providing context for literature I have read in my collegiate Spanish classes. LITA’s activities dive deep into the culture of Spain, ensuring students have experiences beyond just what tourists come to see.

Confidence: I came into LITA already a fairly proficient Spanish speaker, but my time with the program left me with confidence in my Spanish that still exists today. I opted to participate in an internship, working at a summer camp for kids during my stay in Castilla y León and my internship taught me to have the confidence to speak up even if I wasn’t sure what I was saying was correct. LITA is unique, too, in that I spoke only Spanish with the other students on the program. In other programs I participated in, I would switch between Spanish and English frequently, but with LITA, even when program leaders were not around I kept speaking Spanish. The consistency of speaking Spanish and the open community reinforced how much more important speaking up is than speaking correctly.

I can not recommend LITA enough. Jordan and the rest of his team do an absolutely FANTASTIC job of leading students in Spain. I cherish and will continue to cherish all of the memories I made during my favorite summer for the rest of my life. If you are considering traveling to Spain for a summer, you would be missing out if you didn’t choose LITA!

When I was looking for a Spanish Immersion program, I felt as though I was sifting through different versions of the same reviews and programs. Personally, it was difficult for me to choose the program I thought would be a perfect pick. If I could go back and make the decision over again, I would choose LITA every time.
Allow me to take you through my experience from start to finish. Upon signing up for the program, Jordan, the heart and soul of the program, reached out to my family on multiple occasions for FaceTime calls. Here, he got to know me: my interests, my knowledge of the Spanish language, my personality, and so on. This level of care and attention, one that far exceeded all of my expectations, is characteristic of all of the staff with LITA.
Jordan and his team worked to get me an internship at a bakery in my host town after I shared my passion for baking and my desire to meet with people in the community. The internship provided me with experiences and connections beyond what I could have imagined. Similarly, my host family quickly became a second family to me. I was welcomed with open arms. I quickly became integrated into their large network of cousins, grandparents, family friends, and so on. To this day, I remain in contact with the entire family. This branches from snapchatting my host sister, to whatsapping my host mother, to getting calls from my host grandmother on any, and every, occassion. I had plans to go back and visit, but, unfortunately, the pandemic has made that difficult.
Now, potential students may still be apprehensive - what if they don't have a host family as welcoming as mine? What if their experiences with an internship is not similar to mine? That is when the other, equally shiney, bright, stars of the LITA program come in to play. LITA is a unique program as it does not focus on the touristy parts of the country. LITA takes you to all of the hidden gems of the country. They take you to places that tourists do not go. You get the chance to connect with locals and to truly immerse yourself in the culture and love that is present in Spain. Getting my Spain experience through these types of towns and cities made my time radically different than if I were to have stayed in Barcelona or Madrid, and I would not have wanted it any other way.
LITA truly is the best program of its kind. I could not reccomend it highly enough and, if given the opportunity to relive it, I would go back to day one in a heart beat. There are so many fantastic aspects of the program that I have not touched on, the connection you make with the other kids in the program, THE FOOD, the personal growth and maturity you see in yourself, the monitors, the beauty of the country, and so on. Basically, you have been lucky enough to stumble upon the gem of a program that is LITA. Do yourself a favor, and stop your search. LITA is it.

As a half-Cuban growing up on the West Coast in a primarily English speaking household, I had felt distant from Spanish speaking culture my whole life. My father spoke little Spanish to me growing up, but with my reluctance to learn at a young age, it never stuck with me. It wasn't until I was in high school when I felt a desire to really connect and learn the language of my family's culture. The director of LITA, Jordan, visited my high school Spanish class one day, and gave a presentation on what the program of LITA was, and their mission to not only introduce students to authentic, culturally rich parts of Spain, but to also facilitate an environment of independence and complete immersion in Spanish language. I was immediately excited, and that very day went home and made arrangements to go during the summer.

I am confident in saying that it was easily the best summer of my life. Right off the bat, our group, even before going to our host families, immediately stuck to the rule of exclusively using Spanish. Everyone understood that the program was all about getting out of it what you put into it. During that first week, we visited breathtaking parts of Western and Northern Spain, trying new foods, exploring unique towns and buildings, and bonding with each other. It was a perfect introduction, and set us up for the transition to staying in a small pueblo with our host families.

Without a doubt, my homestay was easily the highlight of the trip. I had two host brothers, both slightly younger than me, and two host parents. They were extremely kind and welcoming to me, a nervous high schooler anxious about living in a new family environment for nearly a month. However, by the very next day, I had completely settled in with the family, and started closely bonding with my host brothers especially. Within days, I could feel my Spanish improving at a staggering rate, fueled by my desire to better communicate with those around me, and really fit in. Before I knew it, I was exploring the pueblo with my host brother and his entire friend group, almost feeling like I had been living there for years. Together, we had amazing times chilling at the pool, playing poker at night, and visiting the summer pueblo festivals hosted every year. I even got close to some bull running that is hosted locally. To say the least, my time with the family was one of the most memorable and cherished memories of my entire life.

In addition to my homestay with the family, I also was working near daily at a local artisanal food shop, becoming friends with the guys who owned the business. They sold various local meats, bread, cheeses and more than you could ever imagine. Everyday they would teach me about the intricacies of different products, and I learned a lot from that. I interacted with the customers, who started recognizing me even outside the shop, as the pueblo was very small. All in all, my time at the shop was amazingly enriching, and taught me a lot about customer service, Spanish vocabulary for food and the workplace, and much more.

Overall, I cannot praise this program enough. When I eventually said my goodbyes I returned to the States with a heavy heart, but a cherished memory. Not only had I bonded deeply with a new community of people and a new style of life I had never before experienced, but I also came home with the confidence that I could now speak with my father and the rest of my family in the language I had always wanted to, and I only have Jordan, and his program LITA to thank for it. I hope my review inspires anyone who reads this to give this program a try, you will never regret it.

I've had the privilege of participating in four international summer camps, and I can say that LITA was, without question, the best in all senses. The program is perfectly structured so that students can quickly develop strong and close relationships—with the Spanish language, with Castilian culture, and with other other people.

1. I learned more Spanish in five weeks with LITA than in five years of classroom education. English was a rarity throughout the course, and I was constantly asked to step up, converse, and stretch my Spanish ability. I now have conversational Spanish abilities, and the difference it's made returning to America is staggering. I feel like a different person, and I've been able to talk with so many more people and take so many more opportunities thanks to Spanish.

2. I now feel a warm connection with Spanish culture; thanks to LITA's numerous tours of museums, castles, and the Spanish countryside, the distinctive three-week homestay, and the utter immersion of the experience, I feel like Spain is a second home. I still miss it today—late-night talks with my host family, seeing traditional folk concerts, extravagant lunches with extended relatives, and, of course, siesta.

3. Finally, the connections I made with the members of the program were some of the strongest I've ever made. LITA's small groups meant that it was possible to make quick friends, and that it was possible to speak out and be heard by the whole collective. Our assemblage of a dozen teenagers was filled with so amazing students fully-committed to the process of helping each other learn Spanish. I would say that the quality of the students was unparalleled and unmatched, except that this would be a lie. It's rare to meet one group of such amazing people, but with LITA I had the privilege of meeting two—the students, and the massive support network. I still text my host parents regularly, who showed me love and attention throughout an intensive and immersive month. All of the tour guides we worked with were excited, passionate, expert Spanish-speakers, and masters of their specific craft—singing, cooking, photography, etc. I miss the banter and rapport of our two group leaders, who helped bridge the gap between Spain and America and kept our group cohesive. And, of course, LITA director Jordan Romm showed immense generosity and kindness before, during, and after the program.

Lita was not only five of the most fun weeks of my life, but my language skills improved exponentially and I returned with the confidence to approach anyone. Lita pushed me out of my comfort zone by forcing me to talk to strangers, live in a totally different environment, and explore my surroundings. I made countless friends that I remain in touch with, including my amazing host family. The program was the perfect balance of spending time with the Lita group as well as the Spanish community. There was absolutely no English with my host family, which really pushed me to improve. Lita made me eager to continue immersing myself in a foreign language. if you are looking for a small, academically-focused, insanely fun summer program, Lita is the one!

I cannot express enough how much this program has influenced me as a person and how it helped to cultivate my passion for speaking Spanish. From the very beginning, Jordan’s communication with my parents and I was seamless and he was always at the ready to answer any and all of our questions. From the minute we landed in Madrid, every aspect of the trip, down to the most acute details, was planned and thought out with such precision and care. Olivia and Ilan took special note to our group’s needs, both individual and collective and made sure that we felt safe while still being pushed out of our comfort zones. One aspect of this program that truly stands out to me that defines LITA and the core of its mission is the homestay. My host family are some of the most caring, genuine and thoughtful people I have ever met. From the very beginning, they instilled a sense of belonging and made me feel like I was truly a member of their family. We still talk frequently and love to reminisce about the jokes and the laughs we shared. Before we arrived in our host town I was extremely nervous to meet my family and live with them for the next 3 weeks. Yet from the minute I stepped off the bus, my host family spotted me immediately and ran over to give me a big hug. We began talking and as soon as I got to know the wonderful people they are, my nerves were instantly put to rest and I knew that these people would always have a special place in my heart. The homestay is the heart and soul of this fantastic program and I cannot recommend LITA enough! I walked away from this experience with a sense of pride, accomplishment, excitement, yet sadness that I would have to leave such an amazing place that helped to foster my love for Spanish language and culture. I cannot express my gratitude enough to such a wonderful program and the truly impactful experience it provided me. I will never forget my summer with LITA and I hope to continue to stay involved in this influential program.

LITA helped me make memories that I will treasure for my whole life. I grew so much as a spanish speaker and even more as a person. I went into this experience pretty nervous about being abroad, my language and being with people that I had never met before, but LITA went above and beyond. I gained so many new skills, had a BLAST with my host family and absolutely adored being in Spain. I enjoyed the fact that the program was small and personal. I really got to meet and get to know everyone in the program. It also gave us the opportunity to travel all around Spain together and go to many more places. One thing that was super positive about my summer was the homestay. We were in a super small town, which was super cool because we could walk all around the town and meet tons of new people and speak tons of spanish!

I’m Nadia
This summer I went to spain with LITA It was the most amazing experience of my life time and I learnt so much. Words can not express how much I love and support this program. On my trip we had the best teachers Olivia and ilan then helped me so much and we’re always looking out for our best interests and pushed us to speak in Spanish and it really helped me and the other students learn. We were always in groups which made us always feel safe. The 3 weeks with my host family was one of the best times of my life, my family was amazing and I am hoping to come back and see them, they are truly apart of my life. It was such a fun experience we had many laughs, jokes and good times and did so many exciting things like kayaking, hiking singing, dancing, , shopping, cooking and so much more. I highly recommend this program because it taught me so much and I made life long friendships and I can strongly say that I feel apart of this amazing famiLITA