A Day of Spanish Without Feeling Like School
Real Spanish, Real Life—A Balanced and Immersive Experience
This isn’t a typical classroom-based course. Instead, SHIP offers a homestay immersion built around authentic, practical, and conversational Spanish — combined with cultural activities, downtime, and flexibility.
You’ll learn while exploring our beautiful country: speaking Spanish over meals, navigating towns, and sharing real moments with your host teacher. At the same time, we respect your independence — and ours.
This structure is flexible, and all times are approximate. Each host teacher follows their own natural schedule, so some sessions may be longer, shorter, or arranged differently depending on the day. The timetable can also be adjusted to suit your preferences, language level, learning goals, and the local activities available that week.
On some days, the schedule may vary completely — for example, you may spend half a day or even a full day on an excursion or cultural activity. When this happens, free time and lesson time will be balanced across the week so that the programme remains fair for both the student and the host teacher, while making sure you receive what is included in your Spanish immersion experience.
☀️ 9:00 – 10:00 | The Breakfast Spanish Warm-Up
Start the day gently with breakfast and easy conversation. This is your first relaxed Spanish lesson of the day — perfect for everyday phrases, natural questions, opinions, and building confidence without pressure.
This “mix and match” approach balances independence with spontaneous interaction. There’s no formal breakfast session, but every conversation counts as practice.
📝 This setup encourages self-reliance, while still allowing for real Spanish use in everyday routines.
📚 10:00 – 12:00 | Your Tailored Spanish Session — At Home or Out in the World
This session may take place in different settings depending on the day.
Some sessions may be more formal and take place at home, focusing on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, conversation, Spanish history and culture, or exam preparation such as IGCSE, A Level, DELE, or SIELE. Other sessions may be more informal and happen “on the go” — in a coffee shop, on the beach, at the market, while shopping, walking through town, or visiting local places.
Whatever the setting, it is still a guided Spanish lesson. The aim is always to help you practise Spanish in real situations, using the language naturally while learning vocabulary, confidence, and cultural understanding along the way.
☕ 12:00 – 13:00 | The Spanish Pause Button
Time to breathe, stretch, check your notes, enjoy a coffee, or simply let your brain absorb the morning’s Spanish. It is a relaxed pause before lunch, because even new vocabulary needs a moment to settle in.
🥘 13:00 – 14:00 | The Lunchtime Language Lab
Lunch is not just lunch — it is another Spanish lesson, but with food! You will practise natural conversation with me and sometimes with family or friends, learning daily vocabulary, cultural references, humour, and expressions that textbooks often miss.
📝 14:00 – 17:00 | Your Spanish Recharge Time
This is your time to rest, nap, explore, journal, review vocabulary, or do a little homework. Even during free time, many students find themselves noticing signs, menus, sounds, and words around town — Spanish keeps appearing naturally.
🌄 17:00 – 20:00 | Spanish in Disguise: Culture, Streets & Stories — 3 Times per Week
These are informal but guided Spanish lessons through real experiences. We may visit museums, explore towns, attend festivals, enjoy wine tastings, watch Spanish films, or take part in local activities.
You will practise listening, speaking, vocabulary, and cultural understanding while living the language. Some activities may include educational and cultural booklets to support your learning.
🌆 20:00 – 21:00 | Dinner Talk: Your Evening Spanish Class Without a Desk
Dinner is another relaxed opportunity to keep using Spanish naturally. We talk about the day, share stories, practise new vocabulary, and build fluency in a warm, informal setting.
After Dinner | Your Time, Your Choice
Evenings are usually your own, but your host may offer relaxed, optional activities like:
- Watching a movie in Spanish
- Playing board games in Spanish
- Enjoying an evening stroll filled with Spanish conversation
Participation is always optional — this program respects both your independence and your host teacher’s.
🗓️ Weekly Flow: Balance, Flexibility, and Immersion
Your week is thoughtfully designed to balance structure and flexibility, with guided Spanish exposure of over 40 hours tailored to your host teacher’s schedule.
But you’re not learning 24/7, and that’s by design.
You’ll have:
- Two free mornings or afternoons each week
- At least one full day off per week if you stay more than one week
- A healthy balance between structured learning, real-life Spanish, and private time
🙌 Our program is immersive, but also human. Host teachers aren’t available around the clock—and students shouldn’t expect to be constantly supervised. This balance keeps the experience effective and enjoyable for everyone.
🗓️ Weekly Flow | Spanish All Around You
Across the week, you receive over 40 hours of guided Spanish exposure. This includes formal personalised Spanish classes, informal “on-the-go” learning, cultural activities, shared meals, and natural conversation throughout the day.
You will also have two free mornings or afternoons each week. For students staying longer than one week, Saturday is your full day off, as this is the usual check-out day for students completing a one-week stay.
🕒 Half-Day or Full-Day Off
Your free time is exactly that — your time. During your two free mornings or afternoons each week, your host teacher is also off duty and you are free to relax, study, explore independently, meet friends, go shopping, visit the local area, or simply enjoy some time to yourself.
If your half-day off falls in the afternoon, as is often the case, it will usually begin after lunch and continue until the following morning. During this time, you will prepare your own dinner. If the free period includes another mealtime, you will similarly prepare that meal yourself.
For students staying for more than one week, there is normally one full day off each week, usually Saturday, although this may vary depending on the host teacher and the weekly programme. On a full day off, students prepare their own breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There will always be basic food available at home — such as fruit, vegetables, eggs, pasta, meat and other everyday ingredients — which you are welcome to use to prepare your meals. Alternatively, you can visit a supermarket, café or local restaurant at your own expense.
Your host teacher will be happy to give you ideas, practical information and recommendations beforehand so that you can make the most of your free time and explore your destination independently.
🚪 Arrival & Departure
Sunday: Arrival Day
Check-in is on Sunday from 16:00 (4:00 p.m.).
Sunday is designed to be a relaxed arrival day. Once you have settled in, you will have time to get to know your host teacher, the house and your surroundings. Your host teacher will also go through the programme and approximate schedule for the week with you. Dinner is included on Sunday evening, giving you your first opportunity to start using Spanish naturally at home.
We understand that flight, ferry, bus, or train times do not always match perfectly with check-in times. If you arrive earlier, it may be possible to leave your luggage at the house, but your room and your host teacher may not be available until the official 16:00 check-in time.
Saturday: Departure Day
If you have enrolled for a one-week immersion, check-out is before 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Your programme and accommodation officially finish at this time.
If your transport departs later in the day, you may be able to leave your luggage at the house by prior arrangement, but your host teacher will not be available to accompany or supervise you after check-out.
If you are staying for more than one week, Saturday will normally be your full day off rather than a departure day. As explained above, you will organise your own day and prepare your own meals, unless a different arrangement has been agreed as part of that week’s programme.
To make the experience smooth and relaxed for everyone, we kindly ask students to respect the check-in and check-out times. This allows us to prepare the room and welcome each student with the same care.
The idea is simple: Spanish does not only happen at a desk. Some moments feel like a class, some feel like a walk, a meal, a film, a board game, or a spontaneous chat — but they all count as part of your Spanish learning experience when they happen naturally. Together, they help you learn Spanish in a real, memorable, and enjoyable way, without making every moment feel scheduled or overwhelming.
Speaking Spanish will connect you with a world of opportunity. Learn Spanish with Spanish Express!
What’s Included
🖥️ Pre-Arrival Online Session – Meet your host teacher and get tips to prepare for your stay.
🧪 Spanish Level Test – Assess your skills so we can personalize your lessons.
🎭 Spanish Culture Quiz – Discover your cultural interests to enrich your learning experience.
📚 Tailored Lessons – A blend of grammar, conversation, and cultural content designed just for you.
🗣️ Guided Conversations – Practice Spanish naturally during meals, daily routines, and excursions.
🧭 Cultural Activities as Live Lessons – All meals, tickets, and transport included.
🏡 Full-Board Accommodation – Enjoy home-cooked meals at your teacher’s home and during planned activities and excursions.
📝 Customized Study Materials – Resources that match your level and learning goals.
📶 Wi-Fi Access – Stay connected in your teacher’s home.
📄 Certificate & Progress Report – A personalized record of your achievements.
🎥 Video Souvenir – A keepsake capturing highlights of your immersive experience.
The Real Immersion Experience
This isn’t a full-time classroom. It’s a lived language experience—where you learn through cooking, walking, laughing, shopping, or relaxing with your host teacher. It’s about practical Spanish, real connection, and everyday life in Spain.
1. What the Week Includes
The “week” refers to the total weekly time you’ll spend actively engaging in Spanish through structured learning, informal practice, cultural activities, and natural interaction.
A typical week may include:
- Breakfast with conversation
- Personalised Spanish lessons, formal or informal
- Lunch with conversation
- Educational and cultural activities with your host teacher
- Dinner with conversation
- Guided Spanish practice in real-life situations
All of these moments are part of the Spanish immersion experience. Some may feel like a traditional class, while others may happen naturally during meals, walks, excursions, shopping, or cultural visits.
2. Interaction with Your Host Teacher’s Family and Friends
Occasionally, your host teacher may invite family or friends to join for lunch or dinner, or you may meet them at a local restaurant. This usually happens once or twice a week, depending on the host teacher’s personal routines and the activities planned.
These gatherings are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy authentic Spanish conversation in a relaxed, social setting. They help you hear different voices, accents, expressions, and everyday conversations.
After dinner, students usually have free time. Sometimes, informal activities may happen naturally, such as a film, a board game, a walk, or a cultural outing. These are optional and may be enjoyed with your host teacher or, occasionally, with family or friends. If you prefer not to join group settings or meet additional people, that is absolutely fine. You are not expected to take part in everything, especially after dinner, as this time is considered your own.
3. Meals, Eating Out & Extras
Meals at home are included as part of your programme during scheduled programme time. During your designated half-day or full-day off, students prepare their own meals using the food available at home or may choose to eat out at their own expense, as explained above.
When meals are included, they are based on a set menu or a pre-arranged meal. Anything outside the set menu, such as extra dishes, special requests, snacks, desserts, drinks, or upgrades, is not included and must be paid for by the student.
Depending on the programme you have booked, your package may also include one or more meals out with your host teacher as part of your scheduled activities and excursions.
Alcoholic drinks are not included in the programme, either at home or when eating out in restaurants, as stated in our brochures.
During shopping trips, market visits, excursions, or free time, students are welcome to buy anything extra they wish, but personal purchases are at the student’s own cost.
Full details of what is included and not included are also explained in our brochures, so students are encouraged to read them carefully before arrival.