Our goal is, and we hope it is yours too, that you have a summer to remember forever. Not only will you greatly improve your Spanish, but you also see the improvement daily, as you move in a society that’s both friendly and warm, but at the same time surprising and exciting. You will make new friendships that will last for years. You will be challenged in little ways each day that will change you in ways you never expected. You will see, hear, taste, and experience a new world of places, people, food, customs, and ways of life. Sound like an adventure you’d like to experience?
Most of our students at the end of their stays want to stay on longer or are already planning their trip for next summer. So, if you think you’re ready for this and more, talk it over with your parents, and then make one of the best decisions of your life.
Below, we have tried to anticipate questions you might have ahead of your visit.
Where will I be staying?
Mataró is a beach town located twenty miles north of Barcelona. It blends the new with old: its 2,000 year old city wall built by the Romans, parts of which can be seen today; a 17th century church which stands next to modern shopping areas, outdoor cafés, and open plazas. You will be staying with a local family, in most cases who have children your own age, and you will be a short walk or drive to our language centre. The school is located in the center of Mataró, less than 100 metres from its main plaza (Santa Ana) and five minutes walk to the town's two kilometre-long sandy beach.
When staying with your host family, students will be expected to follow house rules. Student will be expected to make his/her own bed, help to keep the room tidy, leave the bathroom, shower and toilets clean.
Participants are expected to be home with their host families by the appointed curfew time set by their host family and must abide by other house rules. Students must advise their Host Family of where they are going and when they will be home - every day. Host Families will set reasonable times for students to be home during the week and weekends. Students must obey and respect these times in order to remain in the programme.
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What will my typical day be like?
During the week, you will wake up around eight o’clock, have breakfast with your host family (Spanish teens and adults usually have little more than milk or coffee and a pastry in the early morning. If you want cereal, juice, or toast, the family will provide it), and get yourself ready for school. You will then walk to, or your host family will drop you at the school.
Your Spanish classes are from 9:00 until 12:00. All classes are taught by qualified native-Spanish speakers and average around ten students per group. You will be with students who have the same level as you, and these students may be from different countries, mainly France, Sweden, USA, and Finland. There is a break in the middle of the class, when you can get a drink or snack, or connect with internet at the school.
When you class finishes at noon, you will be organized for that day’s activity. Lunch (provided by your host family) may be eaten then or saved for a more convenient time. These activities include sailing, snorkelling, swimming, beach sports (soccer, volleyball & others) centered around Mataró’s beach. Also, you will participate in barbeques, visit aquatic parks, see films and live theatre in Spanish, go bowling, visit museums, go to a disco, and take part in one half-day trip each week to Barcelona (directly after class).
Most days you will return to your host families houme at about 6:00pm. There, you can speak with your family and relax before dinner. Some nights, students from all the different countries meet at a chiringuito (a beach café with music) for a drink and maybe tapas or a sandwich, to talk about their day, their host families, and get to know each other.
On Saturdays three full-day trips to:
- 1) Figueras (location of the Dalí Museum), Girona, and Tossa de Mar
- 2) Barcelona, a bus tour that includes visits to Sagrada Familia, the Gothic Quarter, Parc Guell, and the Barcelona Soccer Stadium and souvenir shop
- 3) Port Aventura, a theme park about an-hour-and-a-half south of Mataró. On Sundays you are free to meet with friends or host families often take you to some place of interest.
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What are the rules and guidelines of the campus?
All students are expected to observe and respect school rules, host family rules, and, of course, all local laws during their stay. Programme rules involve basic courtesy and respect for other individuals, no less than what would expected at their own school or home environment. Students are expected to attend and arrive on time to class and to all planned events, unless there is a valid reason for them not doing so. All afternoon activities and camp programmes are mandatory.
If a student is ill, or due to extenuating circumstances, cannot attend class or participate in an activity, the student must contact the on-site staff with an explanation. (The school will check back with the host family for verification.) Monitors take attendance and inform the school of absentee students.
Students are expected to be courteous and respectful guests and must obey all local laws. Illegal drug use, abusive or obnoxious behavior, or alcoholic consumption by students will not be tolerated. Smoking is not allowed at school, at host family residences, or where otherwise prohibited by Spanish law.
Students who do not comply with programme rules will first receive a warning from the campus staff. (Some behaviour may result in the school contacting student’s parents to inform them of their child’s rule-breaking behavior and parents must speak to their child directly.) Continued violation of school or family rules will result in dismissal from the programme and the offending student will be sent back home at their parents’ expense and will not be entitled to a refund.
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May I leave campus?
Under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the campus on their own unless they are accompanied by an adult relative or school representative. Relatives or family must inform the camp well in advance if they plan to visit the school and/or take the student out of the campus.
The main idea of the programme is that all students remain within the school campus and under supervision at all times when staying in a summer campus situation. Students will leave the school premises only to take part on trips and activities organized by the Summer Camp and supervised by our staff and faculty members at all times.
A few exceptions will be made under special circumstances, as long as we are provided with the proper authorization forms before the programme starts (these forms are available upon request). This authorization must contain detailed information of the person/s who will be picking up the student from (and returning them to) the camp.
Visits must be arranged well in advance in order to guarantee that the student is available, as some sports activities and other outings take place off campus and outside Mataró. Please contact the on-site staff directly to arrange visits.
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When and how can I make phone calls?
Participants are normally not permitted to make long-distance phone calls from their host family accommodation; however, parents may call the participants at the accommodation at specified times. It is also customary to keep calls brief. Mobile phones may be used by students when it is appropriate to do so. Their use is only allowed at the campus during breaks (lunch, snack, dinnertime, excursions, etc) and are not to be used during language lessons, activities, or sports in order to avoid disturbances.
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What is special about your programme?
First of all, Mataró itself has a lot to offer. Given its comfortable size (not too big, not too small), you will be able navigate your way around the city from your first day here. It offers a variety of activities and things to do so that it will never get boring over the course of your visit. Briefly stated, it has the benefits of both a large city and a small town but none of their downsides. Secondly, it has an expansive beach and the town itself is so located, that making organized trips to Barcelona and other nearby areas of interest can be fast and comfortably done (see Activities Programme).
Our programme is run on the ideal of quality not quantity. We offer a reduced numbers of places for students, with the belief that these students should be treated as individuals and not just one of several hundred moving in and out of the programme each week. And because of these limited numbers we can select host families who are genuinely interested in and warmly receptive to you and your needs, rather than just participating in the programme for financial remuneration, as is the case in many programmes.
Finally, we offer something that to our knowledge no other school does. Concurrent with the Spanish classes taught each morning, we have an English language programme for local students to study English. These local students then also participate in the afternoon activities with you, leading to a mixture of cultures, ideas, and personalities that we have found add excitement to and build camaraderie within the programme.
You will be able to experience Spanish culture from the inside, not just as an observer. As much as improving your Spanish speaking skills, our programme facilitates your involvement with other children your age, and the activities you do together make this a special and memorable experience.
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