Courses

Onsite Spanish program in Salamanca

for 6th formers and post school leavers travelling on their own

Onsite Spanish program in Salamanca

One and two week courses in July/August 2024 from 01.07 (earliest start date) – 26.08 (latest end date)

Organized by Dieter and Amanda Wiggert McCarthy, previously of ISLA, these courses are a marvelous way for students to give their Spanish a good push,  while enjoying the wonders of stunning Salamanca. 

We offer one and two week courses in July and August. A level Revision courses run form 01.06 til 03.08. General Spanish courses run all summer.

Accommodation for under 18’s is with trusted, vetted homestays where students will feel comfortable and cared for. Over 18’s can stay in nice, self catering flats or at the student residence. Neither of these options is supervised at night.

In the afternoons there are activities and for those staying more than a week, at weekends there are day trips. 

Salamanca is extremely safe, walkable and utterly enchanting. Parents might be tempted to drop off their offspring and make a holiday of it!

Duke of Edinburgh Residential

Experience accepted by most UK institutions as being eligible for D of E residential stay certification. Please consult with the D of E rep at your school.

more about the lessons

The 6th formers course is suitable for those entering 1st year Alevel/IB/ and 2nd year A level/IB in September and runs from Monday to Friday from 10:00-13:30 with the possibility of students doing one to one’s from 09:00-10:00. 
Those preparing for A level and IB will do a course loosely following this syllabus. In group lessons they will work on the general themes common to all boards and take it in turns to do presentations on their books and films. One to one lessons are also available for work on students’ personal topics.

General Spanish courses run from 09:30-13:00.
Those who have finished school will study on international courses at a level appropriate to their Spanish knowledge.

All course materials are included in the price of the course.

more about accommodation

“Families” are usually older ladies or couples, who we have discovered make for the most patient and affectionate hosts.
Students are accommodated in individual or shared rooms, with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Vegetarians and vegans  are welcome. Celiacs will be shown where to get their pasta, bread and so on but will otherwise be catered for.
Breakfast is light in Spain. Students enjoy a tortilla de patata or other tapas in the mid-morning break.
Lunch is large – three courses.  Dinner is light again – just a sandwich, omelet, salad and so on.  In the evening students can occasionally also opt to eat out in the city.
There are likely to be between 3 and 4 other guests which means those coming on their own will have an instant friendship group. Only Spanish is spoken at mealtimes!
Curfew for under 18’s is at midnight Sunday to Thursday and 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. We cannot accommodate requests for extensions in curfew. Over 18’s have no curfew and a latchkey.
Laundry is included.

The residence offers shared rooms in the same building where the lessons are (or somewhere nearby if this is full).  This option includes full board as described above, in the cafe on the ground level. The residence is unsupervised at night and is thus only available for those of 18 and over. Sheets and towels are changed weekly. Students visit a coin laundry for clothes washing.

Self-catering flats. These usually have 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms, one or two bathrooms and a kitchen. This option is for over 18’s.

Coming with friends?
Participants coming with friends can opt to stay in the same room (double or triple) or in two doubles Just put the name(s) of your rooming partner(s) in observations.

No accommodation 
Parents/participants can opt out of accommodation. We are not responsible for the welfare of those under 18 not living with Lola families.

more about the activities

Every day there are activities on offer, some of which are included (visits to the Cathedral, pedalo boats on the river, and salsa) in the price of the course like the city tour and tapas tour and flamenco dance lesson! Optional additional activities include Most afternoons students head for one of the city’s large public pools.

Students staying two weeks can take part in an optional day trip in their middle weekend for an additional fee of 40 euros.

more about Salamanca

Salamanca is the ideal Spanish-learning destination. It is walkable, the Spanish spoken is extremely clear, and it is extremely beautiful.

The atmosphere is more of a student city than tourist hub. Although it boasts many famous buildings – the Plaza Mayor being the jewel in the crown – as it is slightly off the beaten track many visitors who’d like to make it here, don’t.

Language students love wandering through its historic old quarter, quite a lot of which is taken up by its famous university. It is s lively place as the many young people who study here, from Spain and the world over, enjoy its charms day and night.

But as well as being great fun, it is also very safe and this makes It the perfect place for a language stay for young people, possibly on their first solo trip abroad.

Transfer

Transfer to and from Salamanca is included and is on the prestigious public coach service Avanzabus. Participants make their way from arrivals in Terminal 1 to the coach park or Terminal 4 to the Coach terminal. This is very straightforward but nonetheless we leave plenty of time for wobbles (and for flight delays!) and we are at the end of the phone if anyone needs help. Often participants discover that they are on the same coach from the students’ Whatsapp group we create the week before they arrive.

Flights should be preferably be booked to arrive not after 1700 on the arriving Sunday and leave not before 1200 on the departing Saturday.

For those whose flights do not tally with coach times or who simply prefer to travel by cab we can arrange a private transfer for 200 euros per car, payable in cash in the LOLA offices on your first day.

Booking procedure and conditions

To book:
YOU: Fill in the booking form and pay the 100 euro deposit which will be deducted from your final fees.
WE:  Will receive a pre-confirmation and a final invoice.
YOU: Book flights and pay final invoice and send us flight details.
WE: Will send you a receipt and confirmation of accommodation and transfer arrangements.

Conditions:
The course includes basic insurance which covers doctor appointments and 2 nights hospitalization. It does not cover Covid related cancellation and absence (see below).

  • Cancellation 14 days prior to start of course: full refund.
  • Cancellation between 2-13 days before coming: refund less 100 euro deposit.
  • Cancellation less than 2 days before coming: no refund but all monies less 100 euros deposit may be used for a future onsite/online course.

Lola reserves the right to remove any student who we deem to be behaving inappropriately from the course and accommodation without refund. 

Start dates:

  • 01.07 (Arrival Sunday 30.06) A level & General Spanish
  • 08.07 (Arrival Sunday 07.07) A level & General Spanish
  • 15.07(Arrival Sunday 14.07) A level & General Spanish
  • 22.07(Arrival Sunday 21.07) A level & General Spanish
  • 29.07 (Arrival Sunday 28.07) A level & General Spanish
  • 05.08 (Arrival 04.08) General Spanish
  • 12.08 (Arrival 11.08) General Spanish
  • 19.08 (Arrival 18.08) General Spanish
  • 26.08 (Arrival 25.08) General Spanish

REGISTRATION and PAYMENT

Formalize your registration and select the week of your onsite course and the type of accommodation.
Thank you.

Would you like to stay longer than 2 weeks?

Great! Drop us an email and we'll set it up for you: