Overview
Language Study Abroad Spain
for 8th-12th graders
Language Study Abroad in Spain is the perfect summer opportunity for students who want to learn Spanish and experience all that Spain has to offer!
Each day is filled with language classes in the morning and fun activities in the afternoon so that groups experience Spain's culture, history and natural beauty. Traveling allows students to explore the different regions of Spain and to truly come together as a group. Outstanding language learning, endless cultural opportunities, travel excursions, dynamic leaders and a transformative group experience in a small, spirited group (no more than 12 students or fewer than 2 leaders) —all in all, a great, well rounded, fun language learning experience!
As a recent Overland leader commented, “You are absolutely going to love this program! Barcelona is an amazing city with so much to see and do and the opportunity for travel around Spain is endless!”
“This trip was by far the coolest thing I had ever done. I was able to experience Spanish culture by going to interesting museums, going to important places in Barcelona and other places in Spain, and the food was great.” Geoffrey Kiddoo, Millburn, New Jersey
LSA Spain in Barcelona: Three Weeks for 8th & 9th Graders (a minimum of one year of Spanish is required)
For three weeks, we’ll live and learn with a group of peers in beautiful, dynamic Barcelona. The heart of the program is daily native-speaker, classroom-based instruction. After four hours of morning lessons, we’ll explore Barcelona and the surrounding countryside, putting our developing language skills to use with the help of activities in Spanish organized by our Overland leaders. We’ll see Gaudí’s architecture and original work by Picasso and Joan Miró, taste traditional Spanish tapas, catch an exciting bullfight or see the passionate flamenco dance. We’ll venture out of Barcelona on the weekends, with trips to the Pyrenees for mountain walks and to the Costa Brava for beach time. Throughout the program, we’ll live together as a group, improving our language skills, sharing the excitement of our discoveries and forging strong friendships.
LSA Spain in Barcelona: Four Weeks for 9th-12th Graders (a minimum of one year of high school Spanish is required)
LSA Spain: Four Weeks is based in Barcelona, one of Spain’s most vibrant cities. Five days a week, for four weeks, we’ll receive four hours of native-speaker instruction in small classes. This classroom time is nicely complemented by our afternoons together as a group—a picnic lunch every day, followed by outings to explore our surroundings and to practice and strengthen our language skills. Overland’s leaders play a vital role in improving our students’ speaking ability as they organize daily activities in Spanish to reinforce the classroom learning: we’ll stroll down famous La Rambla, admire Gaudí’s architecture (like the still-unfinished masterpiece La Sagrada Familia Cathedral), see paintings by Picasso and Miró and tour the famous Barca Stadium. On weekends, we’ll discover Spain’s countryside and culture with trips to the Pyrenees for mountain exploration, to the beaches of the Costa Brava and to Madrid to experience Spain’s bustling capital. LSA Spain: Four Weeks offers an unforgettable month packed with learning, exploration, fun and friendship.
New! LSA Spain in Seville: Three Weeks for 8th & 9th Graders (a minimum of one year of Spanish is required)
Based in the sunny Andalusian capital of Seville, we'll have four hours of daily native-speaker instruction. After our morning lessons, we'll explore the city, putting our developing language skills to use with the help of activities in Spanish organized by our Overland leaders. We'll picnic in Parque Maria Luisa and view the city from the famous Giralda. On weekends we'll travel to beautiful Granada in the mountains and to Cadiz for beach time. We'll also participate in a one-week homestay, forging friendships as we strengthen our language skills and cultural understanding.
New! LSA Spain in Seville: Four Weeks for 9th-12th Graders (a minimum of one year of high school Spanish is required)
We'll enjoy four weeks of learning, exploration and fun in vibrant Seville. When our native speaker lessons are done each day we'll stroll through the picturesque Barrio Santa Cruz, tour the largest gothic cathedral in the world and see the original Plaza de Toros. On weekends, we'll discover the Andalusian countryside with trips to Granada in the mountains, to the beaches of Cadiz and to Madrid, to explore the nation's bustling capital. We'll also have a one-week homestay, to experience Spanish culture and strengthen our language skills while making new friends!
“Being in Spain with such an interesting and outgoing group of people was one of the best experiences of my life.” Sylvie Stein, Washington, D.C.
Studying in Spain brings with it the excitement of learning a language while discovering the richness of an ancient culture and exploring the beauty and variety of a remarkable country. By offering native-speaker instruction (and lots of it!) we place learning at the heart of our program. We then complement it with structured language immersion supervised by Overland’s leaders, unlimited opportunities for daily conversation in Spanish and activities, outings and travel to reinforce what we have learned. And we do all of this in a supportive, fun-loving Overland group with two dynamic leaders where the goal is to give each of our students the skills and confidence to approach language learning with relaxed enthusiasm. We believe it’s the best language study abroad program you’ll find!
HIGHLIGHTS
- Develop the skills and confidence to approach language learning with relaxed enthusiasm
- Live in exciting Barcelona or Seville, exploring and learning about art, architecture and cuisine
- Explore beyond Barcelona with trips to the Pyrenees, the Costa Brava and Madrid (four week program only)
- Explore beyond Seville with trips to Granada, the beach at Cadiz and Madrid (four week program only)
- Gain firsthand experience of Spanish life with a one-week homestay (Seville programs only)
- Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Spanish culture
GRADE
LSA Spain: Three Weeks for 8th & 9th Graders: For students who will finish grades 8 & 9 in June 2008, a minimum of one year of Spanish is required. This summer we will have 4 groups. Call us (800.458.0588) to check on current availability.
LSA Spain: Four Weeks for 9th-12th Graders: For students who will finish grades 9-12 in June 2008, a minimum of one year of high school Spanish is required. This summer we will have 4 groups. Call us (800.458.0588) to check on current availability.
START & END LOCATION
LSA Spain, Barcelona programs start and end in Barcelona.
LSA Spain, Seville programs start and end in Seville.
LSA INSTRUCTION & IMMERSION
LSA Spain Three Weeks
56 hours of native-speaker instruction
30 additional hours of structured language immersion
LSA Spain Four Weeks
80 hours of native-speaker instruction
40 additional hours of structured language immersion
2008 DATES & FEES
LSA Spain Three Weeks
Sunday, June 22 to Friday, July 11
Sunday, July 13 to Friday, August 1
$5395 (airfare not included)
LSA Spain Four Weeks
Sunday, June 29 to Saturday, July 26
$6395 (airfare not included)
PARENTS & STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE
Unlike most Overland programs, LSA Spain spends a good deal of time in cities. As with every Overland program, our high expectations and basic rules apply at all times. There are no late night activities and drinking alcohol is forbidden.
APPLY TODAY
Most groups fill in January & February. To download an application, click here.
“The trip was so fun and I felt like I learned so much Spanish. Also the activities every day were different and we got to see museums, parks and experience so many parts of Spanish life.” Samantha Romney, Ridgewood, New Jersey
Students: Is This the Right Trip For You?
Overland offers two LSA Spain programs, each with different language requirements:
LSA Spain (three weeks): Introductory/intermediate; requires a minimum of one year of Spanish language instruction
LSA Spain (four weeks): Intermediate/advanced; requires a minimum of one year of high school Spanish language instruction
All LSA programs require dedication to mastering a language and understanding a new culture. Although there is no language pledge, students will be expected to speak only Spanish while in class and will also be encouraged to speak Spanish amongst themselves outside of the classroom during certain group activities.
Keep in mind that your enjoyment of this trip will hinge on several factors:
- Your motivation. Learning and appreciating a language requires dedication in and out of the classroom. The amount of effort that you put into this program will determine how much you get out of it.
- Your ability to be open minded. Living in a foreign culture requires open mindedness and a willingness to try new things.
- Your commitment to teamwork. Overland trips require compromise, patience and selflessness. Support your trip leaders and your trip mates and you’ll find that you will have a great experience.
“Very well organized—a good balance between physical, cultural and academic activities.” Jane Stabler, Keene, New Hampshire
Program Start
LSA Spain in Barcelona programs start at the Barcelona International Airport where Overland leaders will be on-hand to meet arriving students. Once everyone has arrived, we’ll train to downtown Barcelona, where we'll settle into our group accommodations, explore our new surroundings and get to know one another before we begin our classes.
LSA Spain in Seville programs start at the Seville San Pablo Airport where Overland leaders will meet arriving students. Together, we'll have transportation into the heart of Seville, where we'll move into our apartment and get to know the city and each other before our classes begin.
Language Classes
On all LSA Spain programs, we’ll spend four hours in class every weekday at one of Europe’s leading language schools. On the first day of class, each student will take a placement test to assess language ability. Based on this language test, students are placed in two small classes according to ability. Classes last four hours, divided into two periods with a twenty minute break in between. Each day we’ll spend one lesson working on our conversation skills and the other lesson improving our grammar and vocabulary, and there may be some light school work outside of class a few days a week. Our time spent in the classroom with native-speaker instructors will vastly improve our language abilities and give us the the language skills we'll need to experience Spain and communicate outside the classroom. On the last day of class, all students will receive a certificate marking the progress they have made over the course of the program.
Cultural Activities
After classes are over for the day, groups enjoy a picnic lunch together before setting out for their daily cultural activity. These daily activities involve outdoor and cultural exploration together as a group and are a perfect way to put our classroom language skills to the test. In Barcelona, we might visit La Sagrada Familia, explore La Rambla or swim at Playa Sitges. In Seville, we might picnic in Maria Luisa Park, climb the Giralda for an amazing view of the city, or stroll along the Guadalquivir River. At the end of our busy day, we'll return to our group accommodations to cook dinner together.
Group Accommodations & Travel
On LSA Spain, we'll live in the lively cities of Barcelona or Seville for our three or four weeks. We'll stay in beautiful apartments which are centrally located, sharing all our meals and activities together as a group. On our three-week Barcelona program, we'll travel on our weekends to the Pyrenees to walk ancient mountain trails and to visit the beaches of the Costa Brava at Cadaques. On our four-week Barcelona program, we'll visit the Pyrenees, the Costa Brava, and we'll spend a weekend in Madrid, Spain's leading city. On our three-week Seville program, we'll take weekend excursions to the beautiful city of Granada and to Cadiz for beach time; on our four-week Seville program, we'll visit these two locations as well as Madrid. By program end, we'll feel at home in Barcelona or Seville and have visited some of the most beautiful areas of Spain.
Program End
At program end, we’ll enjoy a final dinner out to celebrate all that we have learned and accomplished during our time together in Spain!
“JB had a wonderful experience with Overland (once again!). He loved the homestay and his ‘senora’. He returned home more mature and confident—and speaking Spanish!” Linda Askew, Magnolia, Texas
Supervision & Safety
On an
Our LSA students can count on us to create a family-like environment that is active, positive, inclusive and healthy (there is never any drinking, smoking or drug use). Our days are full of learning and exploration, and our evenings are spent together as a group. We set high expectations for each student’s behavior: we expect respect and consideration for others, a positive attitude, and an eagerness to help make the trip a success in every way possible.
In every decision we make, safety comes first. We plan our LSA programs carefully, choosing the best available language schools, accommodations, activities, outings and travel. Since our first trips in 1985 our safety record has been superlative; it's no wonder, then, that Overland is one of the few organizations of its kind to earn accreditation by the American Camp Association.
For nearly 25 years our caring and competent leaders, our superlative supervision, our high expectations, and our commonsense approach to safety have made Overland the number one choice for summer programs.
Overland Leaders
In a world where strong leadership skills make the difference between the average and the exceptional, Overland recruits and trains only the best to be our leaders. Not only do these remarkable people capably lead our groups, they also offer our students the kind of role modeling for which Overland has long been recognized. Bright, charismatic and accomplished, our leaders ensure the safety and well-being of every Overland student, and then they provide much, much more, inspiring our students to reach for their potential in every way.
You won’t find a more dynamic and talented group of people than Overland’s leaders. Most Overland leaders have played varsity sports and many have captained their teams; they have served as student government officers, volunteered as peer counselors and directed campus organizations. They are high achievers who come to Overland with a lifetime of leadership experience—but just as importantly, they are warm, wonderful people who are eager to work with Overland’s students.
Overland’s leaders prepare carefully for the summer. We know of no other program that requires certification in First Aid, CPR and lifesaving—every Overland leader has all of these plus our own 10-day training program that focuses on safety, supervision and leadership. All of our efforts prepare Overland’s caring and committed leaders to create safe, supportive and valuable programs where each of our students can flourish.
Meet some of our spectacular returning leaders.
How We Put Our Groups Together
We have a number of important criteria for every group:
Size: Every
Gender: Most LSA groups are coed; the male/female ratio is always carefully balanced (6:6, 7:5, 8:4 or 9:3). We will occasionally offer a single-sex group.
Getting To & From The Program
Families are responsible for making travel arrangements to and from Barcelona International Airport or the Seville San Pablo Airport. Overland’s leaders will be on hand at the airport to provide supervision and assistance at program start and end.
Additional Costs
Transportation to and from program start and end locations, spending money and personal gear are not included in the program fee.
“I had a really positive experience with Overland this year. I came into the program not knowing anyone and by the end I got to really know the others in our group. Spain was amazing too! I got to see many places that I never dreamed I would have been given the chance to see. Overall this was one of the most memorable experiences that I’ve ever had.” Andrea Jacobs, Wayland, Massachusetts
