Improve your Spanish with formal language training as you explore Madrid and Andalucía’s cultural landmarks and hidden treasures.
Begin your Experiment in Spain’s capital, Madrid, exploring the famous sights, museums, and neighborhoods while trying authentic foods such as paella and pulpo. Take a day trip to Toledo, the “Imperial City,” known for its 2,000+ years of history, before continuing on to the province of Andalucía in southern Spain, where you will dive into intensive Spanish language classes.
Your Spanish language immersion continues with a stay in an Andalusian town, where you will enjoy home-cooked meals and visit local markets, beaches, and cafés with your friends and host family. Experience Spain’s outdoors during activities such as trekking along a river and canoeing.
Your group will develop your Spanish language skills through 50+ hours of exposure and practice through formal classes, experiential learning activities, host community interactions, peer-to-peer practice, and more. You will have formal language instruction in the historic city of Granada, attending exclusive small classes divided by level at the Centro de Lenguas y Educación Intercultural. In addition to formal instruction, you will learn through music, film, city scavenger hunts, field trips, and organized activities such as playing sports with local students. There will be formal language classes and immersive arts training, delivered fully in Spanish, in Guadix. You will practice by doing, developing your Spanish language skills by using them in ceramics, theater, flamenco, or other art classes. Visit and explore Granada, Guadix, Córdoba, and la Alhambra.
Return to Madrid for final reflection and language practice before departing for home.
At the conclusion of this program, participants will earn a language certificate noting the number of hours of language classes completed.
The Experiment’s programs are designed to build skills that will help you succeed. In Spain, you will learn:
Technical Skills
Interpersonal Skills
The country itself was almost as beautiful as the people living within it who opened their arms to me without a second thought. I was overwhelmed by the mesmerizing scenery, the fascinating history, and the intricate language that filled every street.
This itinerary is only a sample and is subject to change. Because of factors such as group size and availability of in-country offerings such as festivals, your experience — including sites visited and the number of days spent in each location — may differ somewhat from the one presented below.
Orientation in Madrid
During the orientation period, you and your group will stay in a centrally-located hostel.
Host communities
During this period, you will stay in a hostel or student residence. Sample host communities: Granada or Guadix
Intensive Language Training in Granada
Language training and immersive art classes in Guadix
During this period, you and your group will stay in a centrally-located hostel.
Program Reflection and Wrap-up in Madrid
During the reflection period, you and your group will stay in a centrally located hotel.
Departure
The Experiment’s group leaders go through a rigorous selection process and have extensive experience with youth education, local expertise in the country or region of their program, language abilities, knowledge in their program theme, travel logistics and management know-how, and experience with health, safety and risk management.
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Education: Roosevelt University
Experience in: Spain, Mexico, South Africa
A dual citizen with Colombian roots, Monica Rodriguez grew up in Chicago and since her first international school trip in secondary school, she has traveled extensively throughout the world. She spent a semester abroad in Ghana, West Africa through Schools for International Training, and spent her summers throughout college on cultural immersion trips in various regions of Spain. Passionate for young adults, Monica spent seven years working for a nonprofit organization committed to leadership development in university students. Throughout this time she organized and led university students international trips to Spain and Nicaragua, and participated in groups to Brazil, China and Fiji. She was chosen by a consulting firm in Singapore as an intern to help lead a leadership development program for the top 1% of incoming scholars at Ngee Ong Polytechnic tertiary school. Monica has led summer study abroad trips with The Experiment in International Living with thematic components covering language, cultural diversity and entrepreneurship, in Mexico, Spain and South Africa. She has also led a team of students to Argentia and Chile through World Learning’s Youth Ambassador program, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. With a Master of Hospitality and Tourism Management from Roosevelt University, she then brought her sales management and client services experience to the University of Illinois at Chicago working with first year international students as they transitioned into college life. Over the last several years, and through the pandemic Monica worked for Northwestern University, as the Director of Communications and Engagement for the historic National Institute of Health’s, All of Us Research Program (AoURP) where she was responsible for facilitating communication, strategy development and implementation of the program within the hospital network and the community. Passionate about widening access to health care for underserved populations, Monica is skilled at cross cultural communication and building partnerships with diverse community organizations. She currently works on AoURP at a health advocacy and engagement firm as a Director of Network Engagement with Pyxis Partners. Monica has a Master degree from Roosevelt University and at home she volunteers with the Chicago Architecture Foundation as a docent, is a YP Ambassador with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and in her free time can be found long distance biking, cooking international cuisine, or playing D&D.
The Experiment's programs are led by accomplished and experienced faculty and staff who typically live in the country of study. Program leaders are responsible for instructional content, classroom and field experiences, and daily program operations.
Arturo Tapia believes that education is the best way to make the world a healthier place. He is a passionate and energetic educator who values the importance of culture and art.
Arturo holds a master’s degree in cultural tourism management and local development, and a bachelor’s degree in art history. In addition to being a frequent guest speaker for the Faculty of Education at the University of Granada, he has extensive experience as a cultural heritage guide. On the local level, Arturo has developed educational projects for schoolchildren and adults through local organizations and the University of Granada.
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