Immersion Program in Spain?

Which area is best to learn spanish in?

Salamanca
Valencia
San Sabastian
Sevilla
Madrid
Vejar
other?

I absolutely LOVED Sevilla.

I lived there for a full year, and attended classes at the University.

Much depends on the programs available to you.

If you prefer the status of being in the central University at the Capital of the country, Madrid is for you, however, most of Madrid is fairly modern and it's a HUGE city!!!

If really small University towns are your thing, and you prefer the status of being able to say you studied in the oldest University in the country, go for Salamanca, but it IS fairly isolated. Far from most of the rest of the things you'll want to visit.

Valencia is the third largest city in the country. They speak a different language there, called well, Valencian in English. It's pretty close to Catal谩n, and you may find yourself having to learn it, as well, to get along. There will be the big sailing race (America's cup) I think this spring - summer. They have a really great beach, and all the connection with El Cid, there, and a couple of really neat fiestas, if you can plan your trip to coincide with the Fallas or Cristianos y Moros. Plus there is the advantage of that really HUGE Science complex that was designed by Calatrava (the premier architect in Spain, today) - WAY cool looking, and it includes the largest Aquarium in Europe. If you're interested in that.

Seville is well respected as the most romantic city in Spain. Flamenco, Moorish influence, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world. The Spring is the nicest there...Semana Santa and the April Fair. All of my classmates who had only planned on staying for the Fall Semester, wound up staying for the Spring as well, just so they could partake of these two festivals. (They are REALLY worth it!). The University there is the old Royal Tobacco Factory where Carmen (the opera) takes place, and that is a huge connection for the entire city. This is also where the exploration of the New World, and the transfer of goods to and from there was mounted, so there's incredible 16th through 18th century wealth there.


San Sebastian is a fairly small city in the Basque Country. I know nothing about it as an immersion destination, but EVERYONE I have ever met who has passed through there just RAVES about the place.

Never heard of Vejar. Not at all.

I assume, as I write this, that you are looking at a University program, so if you are looking at the language institutes, you can just skip the whole University connection.

And, if you decide on Seville, email me, and I can give you some pointers.

Also: Good programs in Granada, Alicante, Santander, and Oviedo. (that I know of)

Madrid would be my choice. You are right about the immersion. You will learn it quicker and be fluent faster if you force yourself to use Spanish all the time. It sounds like a fun adventure.

If you stick to the larger cities (as you've listed) I don't think you'd have any problem immersing yourself in the Spanish language.

Stay away from the Spanish coasts which over-populated with expats and learning the language becomes very difficult as so many of the locals speak some English.

At the end of the day it depends what you do when you get there that really determines how well and quickly you start picking up the language.

Best of luck with it.

Madrid, Vaya con Dios.

madrid, lucky girl.

Madrid,is where a beautiful girl like you,could learn a lot of stuff,er...ah...well...uh...like spanish....,yeah that's the ticket,,uh..er...what was the question again?

Madrid, the acent is easier, in sevilla the people talk very fast jeje i'll go to madrid en a couple months it is so hermosooo

Saludos y suerte en tu viaje, good luck

Sevilla....By far!

Salamanca.

The best Spanish is spoken in this city. Its University is the oldest one in Spain, the city is beautiful and the student environment is the best.

I think the best idea is to find a place you want to stay, visit or live. There is no right or wrong place. If you feel comfortable with your surroundings that is all you need worry about. If you learn the language in Sevilla then it will be a different dialect to anywhere else. You've mentioned some beautiful cities and anyone of them will be a fantastic place for you to learn the language, but more than that, it will be an adventure to learn all about the culture and the people of this beautiful country.

hi
I'm Spanish, in my opinion as a Spanish speaker, if you want to learn good Spanish you should go to Salamanca, Valladolid, Santander, Oviedo or Madrid.
of course, Madrid is the capital and you can find everything there, the other towns are more quiet but they have also good Universities and the Spanish language (Castellano) was born in north of Spain.

of course Valencia is a great town, and also Sevilla, Barcelona, San Sebastian, etc... but they also have their own dialect besides speaking spanish.
so you can have "false friends" in the language when learning in that places.

you decide, is my personal spanish opinion.

have fun