LITA: A Unique Approach to Language Immersion in Spain

I did LITA's Northern Spain program in the summer of 2022 at 15 years old, and it remains the single best experience of my life. What sets LITA apart from every other program is how deeply personal it is. From day one, our leaders and Jordan knew exactly who I was, my interests, my personality, my goals. The level of individualized attention in a group of students is something you simply don't find somewhere else. My host family experience was incredible and genuinely changed how I see the world. We traveled across all of Northern Spain — Galicia, Valladolid, the Pyrenees, and Barcelona each stop carefully chosen to deepen our understanding of Spanish culture rather than just check tourist boxes. The whole program operates with a family mindset; you don't just visit Spain, you become part of it. If you're a high schooler serious about Spanish and craving an authentic, life-changing adventure, LITA is unlike anything else out there.

LITA was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. What made the program so special to me was that it wasn’t just about learning Spanish in a classroom—it was about truly living the language and culture every single day. From staying with host families to exploring small, rural towns I felt completely immersed in authentic Spanish life. At first, the “Spanish only” environment felt intimidating, but it ended up being the reason I grew so much. I became more confident speaking Spanish than I thought possible, not because I was memorizing vocabulary, but because I was constantly connecting with real people and navigating everyday life in another language. By the end of the program, Spanish started to feel natural to me. What I loved most about LITA was the sense of community. The group leaders care about every student and create such a supportive, welcoming environment. I made incredible friendships with people from all over the country, and the shared experience of stepping outside our comfort zones brought everyone really close together. I also became so close with my host family, who made me feel at home from the very beginning. I can not recommend this program enough to anyone who is hoping to expand their Spanish language skills.

I did the northern Spain trip in the summer of 2023, and I gotta say it was very fun and a very well thought out experience. The only problem was the leadership, specifically Sofia Papa and Jordan Romm. So Sofia Papa wasn't a permanent hire, that or she got fired. Probably because a lot of my peers on the trip flamed her in the post trip review. Anyway they wanted to kick me out about 3 weeks in, because of some bs town gossip that I got in a fight with someone. At first I was so confused because I don't remember any fight, I kind of thought they were joking. There was some video of me in the town square at night where I threw a fake punch. I guess they thought it was real, but even from the video you could see the hit did not land! Like it was so obviously a joke and the leaders were like, I feel like traumatizing a 17 year old today. So it was like a whole drama for a week, we kept having to do chats and stuff, and the whole time they were deciding whether to keep me in the program or literally make my parents fly all the way to Spain to pick me up??? At one point they even said I could stay, we had a whole zoom call with my parents where they tried to leech a good review from them and say it was all a misunderstanding, (not happening bud). And then literally 2 days later they messaged me and said we need to talk again. Worst emotional rollercoaster theme park of my life. I guess they were trying to cancel the rest of my trip so Jordan didn't have to pay for my food anymore. Totally insane stuff, I remember being in such distress the whole time. I cannot exaggerate enough, it was the most traumatizing time of my life. I stay up at night thinking about what happened and I'm almost 20 now. I must add that all my friends tried vouching for me, they sent messages to the leaders and stuff, and that's probably what helped me stay in the program. Also in these meetings, Jordan kept citing his local friend (I forgot his name), who basically made up a bunch of stuff about me like that I threw a rock at a car??? Which I swear to god never remotely happened. And I kept telling them that and they didn't believe me, which I have a couple of theories on why. Ok, so why did they realllyy want to kick me out? Here's what I think: 1. Jordan Romm is a greedy businessman who doesn't want to spend money on his paying customers (he literally kicked my friend Charlotte out of the program later for "not socializing enough", she went through a similar situation as I did on the same trip. I was lucky and I managed to stay.) Adding to the greedy businessman idea, he literally made us pay for our own dinner a couple times, which is super inappropriate for such an expensive program such as Lita. 2. Sofia Papa hated me from the start (I think this is the main reason). I'll tell you why she hated me (and honestly everyone else on the trip, I don't know why she works with kids). She hated me because I was better at Spanish than her, really humiliating honestly lol. I remember she mis-corrected me once about the word "oido" on our hike in the Pyrenees. She said it meant "sound" when it really means "ear". Such a basic word and when I re-corrected she was seething it was hilarious. Like if you're gonna suck at Spanish at least own it and don't be so cocky and mad when you're wrong. I'm not perfect at Spanish and when people correct me I don't try to ruin their summer and give them lasting trauma. Womp womp so sad Sofia you suck at Spanish and you've been learning it longer than I've been alive. Maybe you'd be better at ukulele or baking. BTW Jordan Romm is super super good at Spanish. He is totally fluent so no worries there. Ok where was I -- oh yeah why did Sofia Papa hate me so much. Because her hair is turning gray, she's divorced or something, and she's an elementary school director. Speak of an insufferable combo. People like that always spread their misery around. So in retrospect I shouldn't have been surprised. Anyway no one really liked her, I remember us (the kids) were always talking about her behind her back. And the stuff said was pretty funny. I cannot stress enough... no one liked her! How is Jordan Romm trusting this insufferable hobbit in a matter so grave like kicking me out of the program? And he treated it as if it were a common thing, like every trip there are a couple of kids that get kicked out. Yeah kick someone out from your program and keep the money.. I guess I should've read the terms and service for once. Anyway that's about it. If you want more information or evidence (journal entries, screenshots, pictures, "the video") or if you are Sofia Papa and are reading this and you finally want to apologize (maybe you're married now and not so insufferable) then contact me at [email protected]. And if you're wondering why I'm writing this 2.5 years later, well right after the trip I felt like it wasn't worth my energy; but after 2.5 years of reliving trauma I felt like writing this would tie up the whole event and help me let it go.

During my time traveling through the north of Spain with LITA, I was exposed to cultures and customs far more intricate and personal than could be taught in any classroom setting. My travels with LITA began in a striking rural home/inn located in a northern province of Spain. For the first week, my fellow group members and I got to know each other through very intentional activities and daily excursions, including hikes, meals, music concerts, visiting landmarks, and more. The people I met during this initial period of my time in Spain, have stuck with me ever since. Each person that our group organizer/head of program planned for us to meet, was incredibly hospitable and welcoming. Additionally, being in a rural part of Spain introduced me to lifestyles and traditions very different from my own and was extremely eye-opening and informative, while also being very engaging. During the next three weeks of LITA, I was welcomed, with thoughtfulness, into the host community where I stayed. During this portion of the trip, I participated in many excursions with my incredibly kind host family, and was exposed to true Spanish culture in many different ways, including taking a daily siesta with my host sister, and enjoying mid-day family time. I was able to visit many well known Spanish cities, and go on local adventures through the daily classes the program offered. Most importantly though, I have kept in contact with my host family since the program ended, and plan to continue doing so, as they have become a great presence in my life. The final week of LITA was filled with adventure, including a two day hike, and exploring cities, while continuing to meet friends of the head of our program, who were all very talented and gracious people. LITA provided me with an experience that will forever be a highlight of my life, as I grew in my ability to speak Spanish while having a great time. I was also able to see the dedication of each group leader, monitor, and member, who created a thoroughly curated program and provided support and resources to ensure each student had the best possible experience. Thank you LITA!

LITA is a program unlike any other I’ve seen or heard about. Their focus on full immersion in the Spanish language, combined with an enjoyable and safe environment, left me feeling that I had truly experienced authentic Spanish culture. Some of my friends and classmates participated in other immersion programs, and they said that the lack of immersion and the frequent use of English kept them from fully engaging with the language and culture. I highly recommend LITA for anyone who wants to be fully immersed in Spanish culture through fun, interactive activities while building meaningful connections with host communities and fellow participants.

I loved being a part of LITA, and I'm so glad I did it. It drastically improved my Spanish, and I really bonded with my host parents and younger sister. I think there are two main things that set LITA apart from other Spanish immersion programs. First, I'd like to highlight LITA's absolute commitment to its "no English" rule. Everything was in Spanish—even casual conversations with other LITA students. This was occasionally enforced by counselors, but for the most part, all the students followed it on their own because of the program's culture. The previous summer, I did a Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica, which was fun and improved my Spanish to some degree, but it was still mostly in English. I'm under the impression that LITA is the only (or one of the only) Spanish immersion programs with true immersion. The second important thing that sets LITA apart is the host families. When I did the program in Costa Rica, my host mother was a very nice older lady who cooked for us but didn’t really bond or talk with us much. With LITA, I became very close and connected to my host family. They included me in all their meals and activities and truly welcomed me into their family. I know I’m going to stay in touch with them. Overall, LITA was an amazing experience I’d recommend to any dedicated student who wants to learn Spanish and create a lifelong connection with a Spanish family.

LITA, above all else, truly is a different kind of Spanish immersion program. There are programs out there where you can go to Spain for a couple weeks with your friends, take some pictures of the mountains, the beeches, or the big cities, and you might speak some Spanish just to get around town, but you aren't forced to. LITA checks all of the tourist boxes while also making sure Spanish is the main focus of the experience. The students are brought to some of the more rural sections of Spain where not much English is spoken, so you really do need to speak Spanish. In doing this, you begin to realize that you actually do know how to speak the Spanish you were taught in school, and eventually get to a point where you actually want to speak it to your friends and host family to show off what you've learned. Every detail is so meticulously planned that the experience has little to no hiccups. The beginning week is a perfect time for all the students to get to know each other and warm up to one another because they'll be spending the next 5 weeks with them. It's also a perfect time to warm up your Spanish speaking skills before you head out for the next 3 weeks in the homestay. It really shows the amount of work that goes into finding the best family for each student for the homestay. While you may not see your peers as much during the homestay, the final week is when you all meet up again and tell your stories from your families and show off your new Spanish skills. I didn't do the 3 week program but I'm assuming it's the same but on a shorter time scale. LITA actually is a program where the hard work put into it is shown every second of the program, and if you commit 100% to speaking Spanish, the results will be greater than you could possibly imagine.

Our rising high school junior participated in LITA's three week Southern Spain program. We were really impressed by the leadership, beginning from our first interaction. From the start, communications from LITA were timely, sharp, thoughtful and intuitive. This would prove to be consistent throughout the planning process, the actual abroad experience and the post-return follow-up. It was very clear to us that LITA's leadership has an extraordinary knowledge of Spain (geographies, culture, food, transportation, language etc). This proved to be very valuable when it came to the programming that our kid would experience. We also never had any worries about safety. This is an established program that has deep roots and great connections with local resources. On the trip, the days were packed with enriching experiences. Each day was different. The diverse activities were both fun and educational. We followed along on a private instagram account and looked forward to daily updates. I want to empress upon the families that are considering LITA that this is a FULL IMMERSION experience. The students are expected to speak Spanish EXCLUSIEVELY throughout their time abroad. Parents should have very candid conversations with their students to be sure that the students are willing to honor this. Anything less is a missed opportunity and a detraction from others who are serious about this type of program. Perhaps the best part of the trip for our kid was the homestay community. Incredible bonds were forged and our student continues to stay in touch with their host family. It's wonderful for us to know that this trip was in many ways life changing. We hail from a major US city. The opportunity to send our kid to a rural area in Spain was really valuable because of new perspectives absorbed. Having a positive, and mind-opening world view was what we were hoping for, and LITA delivered. We thought the LITA staff was great, the accommodations were very good, the activities were great. We have nothing but positive things to say. It was not inexpensive but it was worthwhile and the experience was truly priceless.

Our son chose LITA because he wanted a Spanish immersion program, he researched programs, and chose this one. Everything about his 5-week LITA experience in southern Spain was wonderful! First, he was paired with a family that was warm, loving, and made him feel at home from the start. It's clear LITA puts a lot of effort into finding solid families to host students. Our son still Facetimes with his family weekly, two months after being home. Second, the group leaders were all great, very responsible and yet bonded well with the kids. And Jordan, the head of LITA, is a smart, hands-on person, giving attention to every detail of the program. He knows Spain like no one else, since he lived there. And he was always available when we had questions before the trip. Then once the students were in Spain, their group leaders were great about keeping in touch, answering questions through What's App. Third, the focus on rural Spain is great for students and this is what sets LITA apart from other programs. The students really learn about the Spanish people and culture by spending most of their time in small cities and towns. Fourth, the itinerary to see Spain was great, focusing a lot on the countryside and little known gems of towns and villages, that only someone like Jordan knows about. Finally, one of the things our son loved about his experience is that every evening, the American students and their Spanish "siblings" did activities together, so it gave our son the opportunity to really get to know Spanish teenagers and he made close friends with some of them. I could go on and on, suffice it to say LITA is a great organization.

My time in Spain was a life-changing experience that taught me a plethora of new information about Spanish culture, language, and life, as well as myself. At first, I struggled greatly in speaking Spanish. I was slow, stuttering, and terrified of making mistakes, but as we completed the memorable cultural activities, I was able to practice speaking in a welcoming environment. Everyone in my group (students, monitors, and Spaniards) was always there to support me and others throughout our journey. They all helped me feel comfortable while trying to get used to the foreign Spanish life, and I am eternally grateful for my Lita family. Each activity was interesting and unique in it's own right, whether it was visiting an olive farm, doing yoga in a sanctuary, watching a private flamenco show, or learning all about the process of harvesting cork from trees during a hike. Our projects allowed us to practice speaking and understanding during interviews with locals while researching a topic of interest. This program offered me a view into Spanish life through the perspective of small towns and tight-knit communities, though we also spent time exploring grand cities, like Seville and Granada. I will never forget this amazing opportunity and extraordinary experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a rigorous language challenge and a chance to experience the Spanish lifestyle.

I think that my LITA experience in Spain was nothing short of incredible. Every part of the trip was so well thought out and I made so many memories in every place we went. Some of my favorite memories are kayaking in Galicia, playing football with the locals and my host brother in Toro, and singing tunes with Paco after a heart-warming chicken meal. I think one of the greatest things about the trip was the people I met. Not only did I make lifelong friends from my LITA group that I still talk to today, I met Spanish locals and families that have forever changed my life. I was only with my host family for a week and now they feel like a second family to me that I have known all my life. I think the LITA trip perfectly captured Spain. While we did tourist things like visiting museums and wine cellars (a lot of them), spending time with people like my host family, as well as other Spaniards, gave me a true sense of Spain. I experienced things that other Spain kids did like watching the Euros in a bar or going to a pool with a funny cap on my head. Lastly, another aspect that made the trip thrilling was that it was also challenging. The group leaders really made us focus on speaking fluent Spanish in many different situations, and I have come out of it a more confident Spanish speaker. Overall, the trip was life-changing and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

My son attended this program the summer before his junior year of high school. The program came highly recommended by his Spanish teacher. He already had a good level of Spanish before the program, but he returned with fluent conversational skills and a greatly expanded vocabulary. I was extremely impressed with the family matching process, which took into account our hobbies and activities. The host family couldn't have been kinder, and my son felt welcome from the moment he arrived in the charming small town. He also made many new friends through sharing this experience. Although language learning is the main focus of the program, we couldn't be happier with the cultural experiences as well. The three weeks my son spent in Spain were the highlight of the summer. He was able to grow emotionally and academically while having so much fun.

Our 16yo son just returned from an absolutely amazing time on LITA's 5 week South program. The program provided the ideal balance of cultural immersion, language skills development, independence and engagement. Having dedicated time with the other students on the program bookending the start and end of the trip enabled him to develop friendships and close connections. The family stay portion could not have been better - having all of the kids from the program staying with families in the same large town gives them the opportunity to get to know their host families while also immersing them as a group in the community. All of the activities were well organized and interesting. Jordan, Mari and the entire LITA team went out of their way (literally at times) to manage any and every situation that arose. They made us feel completely confident that "they were taking care of it" so we didn't have to worry about anything. Our son was initially skeptical of spending 5 weeks away, but came away saying he couldn't have envisioned it any other way. We simply can't say enough amazing things about LITA and would highly recommend the program to any high schoolers looking to take their Spanish to the next level while having an incredible adventure in Spain!

I went on the LITA 3-week South trip to Spain, and it went great. I loved the program and all of the activities, and the people were fantastic! The monitors were great and always available, and were always excited to help you! The other kids were very nice and friendly, and it was very cool to practice Spanish with both locals and kids your age from your own country. The activities that were programmed varied, but all of them were very interesting and fun for everyone. We also stayed in a homestay family for two weeks, and all of the families welcomed us with open arms and were super friendly and helpful! We spoke only in Spanish for 99% of the entire three weeks, and I think that it really improved my Spanish (especially my speaking skills) while doing it in a more fun way than just a traditional classroom. I highly recommend it to anyone interested!

Without a doubt, LITA changed my life and I will always cherish the relationships I formed and the experiences I had while in Spain. I chose LITA over other programs because it seemed like LITA focused on the individual experience and really cared about making sure your time in Spain was almost perfect. I also felt as though in order to fully understand the Spanish language, I needed to be immersed in the culture and become part of it. LITA did all of this for me and I enjoyed it so much more than I could ever have imagined. Every single day I would wake up looking forward to what we were doing that day. One of my favorite parts of the first week was going to Santiago de Compostela where we explored the city in little groups talking to locals and getting used to speaking the language in a natural environment. I learned so much about Spanish culture by just spending time in the cities and towns and speaking with the locals. I felt as though I was able to become part of the town where my homestay was rather than just be a guest there. Additionally, my host family was amazing and Jordan and Michella did an exceptional job matching me with my host family. In fact, I was just talking with my host sister yesterday. I absolutely loved LITA and I would highly suggest it to anyone looking for an awesome summer in a Spain while also becoming part of the country.

This trip was one of the best experiences of my life. Going into the trip, I was very nervous and was afraid to go out of my comfort zone. However, my counselors were extremely helpful, comforting, and easy to talk to in the transition from the US to Spain. I saw my Spanish speaking and listening skills improve drastically and I formed relationships between friends in my group and during my homestay that I know will last a life time and have still kept in touch with since I left. Lita broadened my cultural perspective on Spain and I was able to have an unforgettable experience while still learning Spanish and life skills. The program was smaller which allowed my to form strong bonds with all of the group and my counselors. In addition, the smaller homestay town size in Medina del Campo allowed me to really be immersed in the Spanish language instead of being surrounded by English in a more urban town.

I had an amazing time on this trip. I greatly enjoyed it when I was there, and now that I am home I appreciate it even more. Everyday was filled with new activities, adventures and opportunities to further expand my Spanish as well as my world view. I was placed in a great family where the connection was immediate, and because of this, learning was fun and easy and as I emerged myself into the Spanish community I became aware of the impact that I could have on people and the importance of a positive attitude.

I am really happy to have participated in LITA's program last summer- it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I learned so much about the native culture, improved my fluency, and really had a blast. The leaders were super responsible and fun and the activities scheduled for us seemed very personalized and not very tourist-y (which was good- I felt like I got a better understanding of the place and people). My host family was extremely nice and still keep in touch with them after the program's end. The group size didn't feel too small or large and I feel like I made friends for life during the 6-week trip; the program also did a very good job at selecting students from a wide variety of places. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who has an interest in the Spanish language.

LITA is a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. Not only did I build close relationships all over the United States, but in Spain as well. This summer program pushed me to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. I integrated myself with an unknown community, culture, and language, which helped me develop my overall skills within Spanish. My speaking capabilities developed immensely in the span of 5 weeks, as well as my understanding of different cultures. Although this program is incredibly strict with solely speaking Spanish, I have never experienced so much fun learning and educating myself. LITA is unique in that you are put in rural communities with little to no english, a wonderful three week homestay with kind loving families who truly care about your experience and wellbeing, and the opportunity to complete an independent research project or internship. After my five week experience with LITA, I consider this program and the people within this program a home away from home due to the constant encouragement and love given from not only the leaders, but my fellow friends within this program.

Lita was hands down the best and most revealing summer experience of my life. The way in which they immersed their students into the rural areas of Spain had numerous benefits. First and foremost, their goal of improving their student's Spanish speaking capabilities was not only met but exceeded. From Lita, my Spanish has improved at an extraordinary rate. However, that is not close to all that Lita gave to me. The relationships built between me and the students and me and the kids during the homestay really helped shape my identity and many of these friendships will continue long after the trip's end. The thing that makes Lita so exceptional is that their pushing of boundaries. Prior to the trip, I had no idea how well my Spanish would get. The intensity of the trip gave me a base to improve it. However, the intensity of the trip also gave room for other aspects of life to be evaluated, and because of that, I came out of the trip a better Spanish speaker, but also a better person. Lita offered to build one's identity in a different environment. These environments included much of northern Spain (I was part of the northern group), including Galicia, Medina del Campo, and Barcelona. Each area offered a different atmosphere in which the students were able to grow. In Galicia, the students got to know each other and started to learn how to interact with each other in this very uncomfortable (for some) situation. In Medina, our limits were really pushed. We had to live as Spaniards, something that almost everybody was not used to. This helped all of us grow as both Spanish speakers and humans. In Barcelona, our last home of the trip, we were reintroduced to a more similar situation to our American home. This allowed us to bring in our reformed identity into the world that most of us were used to. Overall, Lita was the best summer experience of my life. This isn't because everything that we did was perfect, not in any sense, but rather that every single activity that I did during the trip helped me grow. I can't thank Lita enough for that, and I would 100% recommend anyone interested in improving their Spanish to look at Lita, it will make you a better person.