Languages Abroad

I loved Barcelona. The trip itself was fun, but the best part about it was the friends I made. Before going i was nervous that I wouldn't make friends, but everyone was nervous that they wouldn't make friends, which made it almost impossible not to make friends. I was one of the youngest people there but no one cared, age wasn't an issue at all. I made life long friends from all over the world. I loved my Residence, we were able to just hang out and be teenagers, from the dance parties to the all nighters, i do not regret any of it. I learned a lot about the culture and language. I got a head for spanish class next year. It was an amazing experience to speak in a different language and have natives actually understand me! I never felt lost or left out. I loved every minuet of it and if the opportunity becomes available i would do it again in a heart beat!

The accommodation was great! The location was right in the center of Barcelona, near the beach and Placa Catalunya. The residence was very clean and we had plenty of room. There were 12 of us living in the residence and we all got along very well! The food was amazing as well. the atmosphere in the school was great. The teacher was very helpful and class was conducted in an orderly manner. I learned a lot of Spanish there! Future Advice: The students should be very open to new experiences, but shouldn't be too nervous!

The combination of a great city and an awesome program made my stay in Barcelona unforgettable. The program had a perfect balance of freedom and structure that made it really easy to learn the language, enjoy the city, meet new people, and have fun all at the same time. Thanks Teenagers Abroad! Loved the program. It had a really good balance between learning and also having fun. The activities were fun and i liked that we also had a good amount of free time. For me, the placement test placed me in too low of a class i think, and placed some kids were placed too high. But the classes and teachers were good anyways, and i really enjoyed them. Future Advice: You should really consider staying in a host family. I may have been the luck of the draw, but my stay in my host family really made my stay a lot better for me. And make sure you bring a Barcelona guide book with you on your trip. You'll use it, trust me.

The location was fabulous. Our residence was beautiful and close enough to a lot of places. I was very lucky that my roommates were so great! This experience was one of the best things that ever happened to me! This program gave me a lot of independence. I used to not like that much responsibility, but this helped me bring out the best and taught me how to use independence. I made incredible friends and learned a lot of Spanish. Before going to Barcelona I did not really enjoy Spanish class but now I want to learn and because I saw the Spanish culture I was inspired. The school was great! I learned more in a day then some weeks in school. The staff at school was great. I loved my teacher. Some of the activities were things I had done the previous week because sometimes they repeated activities, but what was so great was that because they gave so much independence I could go do some other activity that I would rather do or just go to the beach. I bought a guidebook of Barcelona before I went to Spain. It was the smartest purchase I ever made! Sometimes I wanted to go do something different than the program's activity so I would look at my book. I totally recommend 'Barcelona Encounter' by Damien Simonis from Lonley Planet. It was great. Another thing: ENJOY EVERY MINUTE! At first I was homesick, but I then started to look around me and see the beautiful city and regretted that I ever wanted to leave. Also, spend money carefully. I did not run out of money, but my friends did because some did not realize how much more expensive things were in Spain.

I want to write this email about my experience in Costa Rica last summer - and I'm enrolling again in Teenagers Abroad this year, too! I decided to travel to Costa Rica as a innovative way to learn Spanish. The program encouraged beginners up to experts to join in the adventure and so I signed up. Nervous about entering a country where English was NOT the first language created obvious frustrations and hard work, however, with the help from the loving staff and supportive peers from all over the US I had a great, enriching experience and I am coming back this summer once again. I learned SO much Spanish and it helped me be more than prepared for my high school Spanish classes this year. For those students who have not taken Spanish before, yes it is hard work, but it pays off. The experience is so great and to spend it with new friends is amazing. I am so thankful for the experience and still chat online with my friends living in Ohio and New York!

Our nervousness about sending Kelsey abroad at such a young age (13) was quelled by the professionalism and caring support from the Teenagers Abroad staff from the very first inquiry. Kelsey had an amazing experience and was very well prepared to enter a high school Spanish class with kids who had studied Spanish in elementary and Jr. High. Her Spanish teacher said she had acquired an amazing vocabulary for just two weeks of study. We are delighted that Kelsey wanted to return to Costa Rica this summer. We are still in touch with her host family from last summer and she is looking forward to visiting with them when she returns this summer. Thank you so much Margot for your help and great work! You made this whole process a lot easier and comforting for a nervous parent.

My stay in Playa del Carmen was fantastic. I met great people, the class was very well structured and the beach was amazing. Can't believe 4 weeks went by so fast. I had such a great time here in Playa del Carmen with everyone here at the school. Thanks to everyone here for all support and friendship. I will miss my host family a lot. They taught me so much about Mexico, the culture and the people. I hope I'll be back soon.

It was an amazing time, the teachers at the school were very helpful and understanding that this was my first time with a new language.

Going to Costa Rica, I could not have imagined all of the wonderful people I've met. I learned so much and made so many new friends. This summer was definitely one to remember. My mom was extremely protective with me going through this whole experience and was able to figure out all the information before letting me go. My host family was extremely kind and hospitable. The house was always clean and there was always food available. The school was in pretty good condition. I liked how many things there were available to the students such as the playground, courts, food, ice cream, and internet. We never really did the same thing in class everyday in order to make it less boring. I liked it when we took a field trip. My teacher and the director was really nice and taught me a lot.

Costa Rica was a very enjoyable experience which I hope to do again next year and I would recommend this learning experience to all of my friends and family. My host family was great and over the 3 weeks I settled into a nice routine. The staff was great and so were the kids and I learned a lot of Spanish while I was there and over all a very good trip 10/10. See you next year!!!!!!!

I had an amazing time. I met some really great people and got to see a different side of the world while being immersed in the language. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who wants to do something memorable, exciting and even educational! Living in the residence was very fun. Having a maid and a chef everyday made it feel like you were almost in a hotel - but not! I really liked my teacher, but I think the organization of placing students into different levels could use improvement. For the first week I was in a class with kids who were pretty low level of Spanish, and with some who were way better. The slower kids tended to slow the class down. Teenagers Abroad staff were so helpful and upbeat. Margot Halend by the Director, really knew her stuff and really relaxed us all (including my parents) before I left for Spain. Gracias, Margot! Future Advice: Be prepared to answer the questions 'where are you from?' 'how long are you here for?' and 'what's your name?' a million times! Good practice for your Spanish, though...

I had the best time. The team leaders were wonderful. Barcelona is the best. Kids were great from all over the world. The lessons were very good. There was ample freedom to explore. the dorm residence was close by and accommodations were great. I would have liked to have a fan in the room as it was very hot. It was a wonderful experience for my 16 year old son. I liked the degree of freedom for him to feel independent. The classes were good. My son loved the kids and would have liked to stay for 3 weeks.