We really appreciate the teachers who take the time to accompany their students while attending our study abroad programs in Spain. We also really appreciate the logistical challenges of bringing larger groups to Spain. To show that appreciation, we have a wide variety of incentives to offer teacher-chaperones. Here are some of the main possibilities:

• Free room and board via homestay, hotel, or apartment accommodation
• Free teacher workshops or classes
• Free attendance for all activities and excursions
• Free airfare
• Stipends

Please note that these incentives are worked out on a case-by-case basis, and some terms and conditions apply. The nature of the incentives we’ll be able to offer to you will depend on the size of your group, the date of your arrival, and the nature and location of the program you end up selecting. To discuss the possible benefits in more detail, please contact us, and we’ll work them out together!

We take care of most of the organizational work for you. This can include the processing of payments for the program, which each student can take care of on his or her own online; this way, you don’t have to handle any money from them. In the lead-up to the trip, your main role will simply be announcing the program in advance, spreading interest in it, holding an informational meeting about it for parents and students, and completing certain preparatory tasks, such as collecting copies of each participant’s passport. A Centro MundoLengua director can attend the informational meeting, either in person, by Skype, or by phone.

As far as our expectations go, your responsibilities will be fairly minimal—but you’re certainly more than welcome to provide as much additional guidance and support to your group as you wish to provide! Teachers usually come to our center to check in with their students every weekday, either before class, after class or during the class’s break time. Many teachers accompany their students on the cultural tours and activities as well. If a student becomes ill, a teacher will usually accompany him or her to the doctor, as additional support to a Centro MundoLengua staff member, who will always accompany the student in such a situation. Generally speaking, if any type of issue arises with a student during the trip, we will rely on the teacher(s) for advice and/or support.

As a chaperone, you’ll have plenty of free time during your trip to Spain—and you’ll be able to enjoy that free time without worrying about your students, thanks to our programs being highly structured and closely supervised. There’s a daily schedule of activities, and each group has its own Centro MundoLengua coordinator assigned to it. The coordinator will look out for your group and make sure your students’ needs are met. At our center, there will also be an on-site director who will be able to provide your students with additional support. While you’re more than welcome to attend the Spanish immersion classes and activities with your students for free, you can also use this time to explore Cadiz on your own.

Before they attend our Spanish immersion program, your middle or high school students will take an online placement exam. We will also ask them to inform us of the number of years of middle or high school Spanish classes they have completed. In determining their Spanish levels, we will take into account the combination of their exam results and their academic background.

If your group contains 10 or more students and adults, you can book your flights together through an agent with whom we work. Beyond that, we leave your flights up to you, so you and your group can have the flexibility to meet your own particular needs. Everything else is covered and arranged by us—airport transfers to and from the nearest airport, housing, meals, Spanish immersion classes, activities, etc. That being said, we’d be more than happy to provide you with advice or guidance, so don’t hesitate to contact us about making travel arrangements; we can help you find the option that works best for you! To reach Cadiz, there are three main options:

• Fly into Jerez Airport, which is located in the city of Jerez de la Frontera. This is the closest airport to Cadiz—about 25 miles away. A representative of Centro MundoLengua will be waiting for you at the airport, and we will provide you with complimentary airport transfers to and from your group’s accommodation or a designated meeting point.
• Fly into the airports of Sevilla or Malaga, which are about a 1.5-hour and 2.5-hour train or bus ride away, respectively. For an additional fee, Centro MundoLengua can provide airport transfers between these airports and Cadiz. Fly into Madrid and then take a high-speed train to Cadiz. This trip takes about 4.5 hours.

Here’s what a typical day will look like for your students on weekdays. (For the weekend, see the answer to the next question below.) Note that the following schedule assumes that your group has opted for the homestay accommodation option.

8:45 AM to 9:30 AM: Breakfast With Host Families

Students will enjoy a delicious, home-cooked breakfast with their host families. Perhaps they’ll have some classic Andalusian breakfast fare, such as tostada con tomate, aceite, y sal!

9:30 AM to 10:00 AM: Go on a Scenic Walk or Ride to Class

Students will be able to take advantage of Cadiz’s walkable streets or accessible public transportation system, enjoying all of the city’s sights and sounds along the way. They’ll be sure to see some shops, restaurants, or attractions they’ll want to check out later!

10:00 AM to 1:30 PM: Attend Class

Students will attend their Spanish immersion classes for three hours during this time, with a half-hour break in between four class periods of 45 minutes.

1:30 PM to 2:00 PM: Return Home

Students will head home for lunch with their host families—perhaps poking their heads into one of those shops or taking photos of that beautiful building that caught their eye on the way to class!

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM: Lunch With Host Families

Students will share a home-cooked Spanish lunch with their host families. Perhaps they’ll have some gazpacho or a “Spanish omelet” (known here as “tortilla”). The meal will vary from day to day—and don’t worry: if they have any special dietary needs, we’ll make sure they’re met!

3:00 PM to 4:30 PM: Enjoy Some Free Time

Students can embrace the Spanish lifestyle and take their Spanish immersion experience to the next level by enjoying a siesta—or they can use this time to hang out with their friends, explore the city, or talk to their host families—a great chance to practice their Spanish in an authentic setting!

4:30 PM to 6:30 PM: Attend the Afternoon Activity

Students will head to the meeting point for the afternoon activity. Today, it could be a salsa lesson. Another day, it could a tour of a historic attraction. And another day, it could be a surfing lesson. Every day is different!

6:30 PM to 9:00 PM: Enjoy Some More Free Time

Students will enjoy another chance to relax, talk to their host families, hang out with their friends, and/or explore the city together.

9:00 PM to 10:00 PM: Dinner With Host Families

Students will have another opportunity to savor some Spanish cuisine with their host families. Perhaps they’ll have some paella tonight—or maybe some croquettes! This is also a great chance for them to talk to their host families about their days—providing them with yet another natural opportunity to practice their Spanish in an authentic setting!

10:00 PM to 00:00 AM: Attend the Nighttime Activity

Students will be able to unwind from their adventure-filled day and have some fun with their friends from the program. Tonight, it could be a concert, a dance, or a dinner. Another time, it could be a tapas or movie night. Some of these activities are optional, so if they want to just go home and relax, they’ll have a chance to do that too.

On the weekend, your group will go on organized, daylong trips to a pair of fantastic destinations in southern Spain and/or its international surroundings. Depending on the size of your group and when your program takes place, we’ll work with you to create a customized itinerary for you and your students alone, or we’ll combine your group with another group attending a program at the same time as yours. Either way, there are many possible destinations, such as the following:

• Sevilla, Spain: the 2,200-year-old capital of Andalucía (the southern region of Spain), where you and your students will find the largest cathedral in the world, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, multiple palaces, gorgeous gardens, ornate fountains, charming buildings with wrought-iron balconies, cobblestone streets, lively plazas, numerous outdoor restaurants, and bustling markets.

• Córdoba, Spain: an ancient city filled with gardened courtyards, Moorish architecture, and an Old Town that’s so beautiful and culturally significant that the entire area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

• Granada, Spain: a gorgeous city that reveals one Instagram-worthy vista after another at nearly every turn—its eclectic mixture of Moorish, Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture set in relief by a scenic backdrop of snowcapped mountains and rolling, tree-covered hills.

• Tarifa, Spain: a charming beach town that is situated on the southernmost point of Continental Europe, just 8.6 miles across the Strait of Gibraltar from the shores of Morocco—the intervening waters providing a habitat to many whales and dolphins, while the coastal waters attract windsurfers from all around the world.

• Vejer de la Frontera, Spain: a picturesque village full of whitewashed buildings, situated on top of a hill overlooking the scenic river of Río Barbate.

• Gibraltar, UK: a British Overseas Territory on the Spanish mainland, where you and your students will find the world-famous Rock of Gibraltar and the almost equally famous Barbary macaques that live around it, providing Continental Europe with its only population of wild monkeys!

• Tavira, Portugal: a quaint, riverside town in Portugal’s scenic Algarve region, where you and your middle / high school students can enjoy a peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

• Morocco: a variety of destinations are possible here, including the vibrant city of Tangier, the historic city of Tetouan, and the iconic city of Chefchaouen (also known as Chaouen), where nearly all of the buildings are painted in striking shades of blue!

For middle and high school students (and you, the chaperone, if you choose this housing option), it’s like home away from home—with a few added benefits: enjoying homemade Spanish meals and practicing Spanish in a natural, real-life setting, which adds yet another dimension to the Spanish immersion experience!

Each host family lives in a middle-class home (most likely an apartment), where the student or teacher will find all of the standard amenities of modern life. Students will probably share a bedroom with another student attending the program, while teachers will enjoy a private bedroom. Both students and teachers will also probably share a bathroom (European homes tend to have fewer bathrooms than in other parts of the world).

All meals are included with the homestay accommodation (other accommodation options available). Special dietary needs can be met; all you need to do is inform us about them in advance. On top of meals, the host families will also take care of their guests’ laundry!

Like families everywhere, each of our host families is different, so it’s difficult to generalize about them. For example, some have children and/or pets; others do not. However, you can rest assured that each of our host families has been carefully selected by our housing staff, and each of their homes has been personally visited by our housing director to make sure it will provide every student and teacher with a comfortable, enjoyable place to live, relax, dine, and gain first-hand experience of Spanish culture and hospitality.

We maintain a network of host families with whom we’ve been working for many years, so it’s not like we’ll be putting anyone with a random Spanish family; you can feel confident that everyone will be in good hands! If you or a student needs any assistance during your group’s stay, our housing director will be available to provide support.

Yes and yes! We can organize language exchanges and/or sports games between your middle / high school students and local Spanish high school students. There may also be opportunities for your students to interact with other middle / high school students who are traveling abroad to attend one of our other programs at the same time as yours. These students typically hail from a variety of locations in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Students will have at least 3 hours of free time per day—sometimes more. It’ll just depend on what the group is doing that day, how much time needs to be factored in for travel to and from events, and whether a student is attending the nighttime activity, which will sometimes be optional. On most days, students won’t have to worry about any homework, because they should be able to complete their work in class!

Students will have 24/7 adult supervision and support while they attend our program. Thanks to our extensive, experienced, and knowledgeable network of teachers, directors, coordinators, and host families, students will feel very well-supported during their time with us here in Spain. Every day, a member of our staff will be present to check in with them and make sure they’re okay during their classes, activities, and excursions, and they’ll be able to contact someone from our staff for assistance 24/7.