LITA: A Unique Approach to Language Immersion in Spain

I am a 15 year old boy in my sophomore year of high school and this past summer I went on the trip of a lifetime with LITA’s north program. Through LITA, you are truly able to connect with the Spanish culture and see both the rural heart of the country and the large cities. Because this program is very language-focused, my Spanish improved tremendously through the course of the six week program and I left the program speaking so much better than I ever could have imagined. The most influential part of the program is the three week homestay with a family and I loved my family and am going back to visit them soon. The program director does a great job of pairing students with families and after the three weeks, it feels as if you have a new Spanish family. The most important thing I got from this program was a rekindled interest in learning not only Spanish but about the world and different cultures. I can say this program was truly life changing and I highly recommend it to all students with a sense of adventure and a willingness to push themselves to learn more about the world.

I went on the LITA South group trip this past summer 2018, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I gained a new family through my host family that I lived with for three weeks and through my LITA group. My host family was amazing and treated me as another daughter. I gained two new siblings and another set of parents, and saw many new places and tried new things with them. It changed my life for the better. I always felt safe and cared for throughout the trip, and was extremely prepared before the trip, as the leaders and Jordan and Michela were always available to answer our questions. I hope to keep in touch with everyone involved with LITA. I learned SO much Spanish from this trip, and it has helped me a lot at school, as well! I hope that I continue to improve upon my new Spanish abilities, and I hope to see everyone and visit Spain again soon!

The amount of thought and care that Jordan and Michela put into the planning and execution of LITA summer programs is unparalleled in any other student program. From the stunning, rustic casa rural where we began our trip to the incredible home-stay families we lived with, the program perfectly balanced language immersion, cultural immersion, and fun. It was also amazing to see how quickly my Spanish improved as the trip went along. I remember being terrified to ask for ask for a cup of water without ice in Spanish while on the plane to Spain, but now I feel comfortable with my speaking ability enough to hold a conversation with anyone.

The connections I made with the people I met during the trip were unbelievable as well. One moment that I will remember for the rest of my life was the night of my birthday when I played a solo in a concert with my home stay brother's band. Its the moments like these that are so unique to a smaller program like LITA that has the ability to craft an experience unique to the interests of every group and student. I can honestly say that I couldn't have asked for a better experience in Spain.

LITA was by far one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I left Spain with a high level of confidence not only with my ability to speak Spanish but also with myself. I made a number of connections with people from different states and countries, and I still keep in touch with almost everyone I met. The friendships I made throughout this experience have made an incredible impact on my life, and I learned so much about myself through this experience. Not only was LITA a fun experience, but I also learned so much about Spanish culture through unique experiences like Flamenco demonstrations, cooking classes, and music demonstrations. One of my favorite parts of LITA was the homestay. Host families are picked specifically for each student, so I loved growing close and spending time with them. I would recommend LITA to any student who has a passion for learning, adventure, meeting new people, and the Spanish language.

I absolutely loved my time in Spain with LITA. This was the second immersion experience I had done, and I was a little hesitant because I had a bad experience in the first. However, LITA completely changed my opinion of immersion programs. I was in the North 2 group, which lasted from June 25-August 1st. The first week my group and I spent our time in a bed and breakfast in Galicia. This week was incredible, as it created a sense of community and support within our group. During this time we went hiking and visited nearby towns. All of the activities were fun and enganging, while still making us practice our Spanish. For the next three weeks, we spent our time in a city called Benavente. There I lived with a family and did an internship with a veterinarian. My family was so kind and accepting, and we are currently setting up a trip for them to come to Nashville. My internship was also incredible. I was able to spend my time with animals and was even allowed to help with several surgeries. For me, my time in Benavente was the most beneficial for not only improving my Spanish but also getting outside my comfort zone. Finally, our last week was spent with three days backpacking the Pyrenees and four days in Barcelona. Backpacking the Pyrenees was a once in a lifetime experience; however, it was extremely difficult. Our time in Barcelona was amazing, and we had amazing activities planned, while still having some free time. Overall, this trip was amazing and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It is well planned and the internships and families are matched with a lot of care. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.

The trip was quite well organized and thought out. Every step of the trip led to the next level of our understanding of the language in a well paced and thoughtful manner. The family that I stayed with in Medina Del Campo, Spain was truly amazing. They took very good care of me and made sure that I was comfortable and well prepared for every activity throughout. Lastly, I felt as though the internship added an extra layer of enrichment to the trip by boosting my fluency tremendously. I am already missing all of the great people that I met throughout the trip, and I hope to return soon to Spain!

This past summer, I went on a 5 1/2 week program to Spain through LITA. When I was researching through all of the programs, I tried to find one with best homestay experience. Fast forward 4 months, and I was on a plane with 11 other people that I knew were going to become great friends. But by far, my favorite part of the trip was the homestay. I got to stay in a small town, and meet so many new people, improve my spanish, but best of all I got to eat tapas EVERY DAY, and believe me, they do not get old. I had a wonderful time, improved my spanish, and made some lifelong friends.

I spent about half of my summer with LITA, but I wish I could have spent more. I had countless new and unique experiences over the 5 weeks that changed me as a person and dramatically improved my understanding of the world and my proficiency in Spanish. I loved every part of it, and am so thankful for the incredible experience I had. The experience was so well organized and personalized and the extra work put in by the directors to get to know the students made a huge difference. I had a few friends that each went on different Spanish immersion programs but none of them said they had anywhere near as good of a time as I did with LITA. I loved my group, my counselors, and especially my host family. The whole experience was truly life-changing and something I will never forget. If you are looking to have a fun summer abroad while also learning so much Spanish, LITA is definitely the program to choose.