LITA: A Unique Approach to Language Immersion in Spain

I've had the privilege of participating in four international summer camps, and I can say that LITA was, without question, the best in all senses. The program is perfectly structured so that students can quickly develop strong and close relationships—with the Spanish language, with Castilian culture, and with other other people.

1. I learned more Spanish in five weeks with LITA than in five years of classroom education. English was a rarity throughout the course, and I was constantly asked to step up, converse, and stretch my Spanish ability. I now have conversational Spanish abilities, and the difference it's made returning to America is staggering. I feel like a different person, and I've been able to talk with so many more people and take so many more opportunities thanks to Spanish.

2. I now feel a warm connection with Spanish culture; thanks to LITA's numerous tours of museums, castles, and the Spanish countryside, the distinctive three-week homestay, and the utter immersion of the experience, I feel like Spain is a second home. I still miss it today—late-night talks with my host family, seeing traditional folk concerts, extravagant lunches with extended relatives, and, of course, siesta.

3. Finally, the connections I made with the members of the program were some of the strongest I've ever made. LITA's small groups meant that it was possible to make quick friends, and that it was possible to speak out and be heard by the whole collective. Our assemblage of a dozen teenagers was filled with so amazing students fully-committed to the process of helping each other learn Spanish. I would say that the quality of the students was unparalleled and unmatched, except that this would be a lie. It's rare to meet one group of such amazing people, but with LITA I had the privilege of meeting two—the students, and the massive support network. I still text my host parents regularly, who showed me love and attention throughout an intensive and immersive month. All of the tour guides we worked with were excited, passionate, expert Spanish-speakers, and masters of their specific craft—singing, cooking, photography, etc. I miss the banter and rapport of our two group leaders, who helped bridge the gap between Spain and America and kept our group cohesive. And, of course, LITA director Jordan Romm showed immense generosity and kindness before, during, and after the program.

Lita was not only five of the most fun weeks of my life, but my language skills improved exponentially and I returned with the confidence to approach anyone. Lita pushed me out of my comfort zone by forcing me to talk to strangers, live in a totally different environment, and explore my surroundings. I made countless friends that I remain in touch with, including my amazing host family. The program was the perfect balance of spending time with the Lita group as well as the Spanish community. There was absolutely no English with my host family, which really pushed me to improve. Lita made me eager to continue immersing myself in a foreign language. if you are looking for a small, academically-focused, insanely fun summer program, Lita is the one!

I cannot express enough how much this program has influenced me as a person and how it helped to cultivate my passion for speaking Spanish. From the very beginning, Jordan’s communication with my parents and I was seamless and he was always at the ready to answer any and all of our questions. From the minute we landed in Madrid, every aspect of the trip, down to the most acute details, was planned and thought out with such precision and care. Olivia and Ilan took special note to our group’s needs, both individual and collective and made sure that we felt safe while still being pushed out of our comfort zones. One aspect of this program that truly stands out to me that defines LITA and the core of its mission is the homestay. My host family are some of the most caring, genuine and thoughtful people I have ever met. From the very beginning, they instilled a sense of belonging and made me feel like I was truly a member of their family. We still talk frequently and love to reminisce about the jokes and the laughs we shared. Before we arrived in our host town I was extremely nervous to meet my family and live with them for the next 3 weeks. Yet from the minute I stepped off the bus, my host family spotted me immediately and ran over to give me a big hug. We began talking and as soon as I got to know the wonderful people they are, my nerves were instantly put to rest and I knew that these people would always have a special place in my heart. The homestay is the heart and soul of this fantastic program and I cannot recommend LITA enough! I walked away from this experience with a sense of pride, accomplishment, excitement, yet sadness that I would have to leave such an amazing place that helped to foster my love for Spanish language and culture. I cannot express my gratitude enough to such a wonderful program and the truly impactful experience it provided me. I will never forget my summer with LITA and I hope to continue to stay involved in this influential program.

LITA helped me make memories that I will treasure for my whole life. I grew so much as a spanish speaker and even more as a person. I went into this experience pretty nervous about being abroad, my language and being with people that I had never met before, but LITA went above and beyond. I gained so many new skills, had a BLAST with my host family and absolutely adored being in Spain. I enjoyed the fact that the program was small and personal. I really got to meet and get to know everyone in the program. It also gave us the opportunity to travel all around Spain together and go to many more places. One thing that was super positive about my summer was the homestay. We were in a super small town, which was super cool because we could walk all around the town and meet tons of new people and speak tons of spanish!

I’m Nadia
This summer I went to spain with LITA It was the most amazing experience of my life time and I learnt so much. Words can not express how much I love and support this program. On my trip we had the best teachers Olivia and ilan then helped me so much and we’re always looking out for our best interests and pushed us to speak in Spanish and it really helped me and the other students learn. We were always in groups which made us always feel safe. The 3 weeks with my host family was one of the best times of my life, my family was amazing and I am hoping to come back and see them, they are truly apart of my life. It was such a fun experience we had many laughs, jokes and good times and did so many exciting things like kayaking, hiking singing, dancing, , shopping, cooking and so much more. I highly recommend this program because it taught me so much and I made life long friendships and I can strongly say that I feel apart of this amazing famiLITA

I am a 15 year old boy in my sophomore year of high school and this past summer I went on the trip of a lifetime with LITA’s north program. Through LITA, you are truly able to connect with the Spanish culture and see both the rural heart of the country and the large cities. Because this program is very language-focused, my Spanish improved tremendously through the course of the six week program and I left the program speaking so much better than I ever could have imagined. The most influential part of the program is the three week homestay with a family and I loved my family and am going back to visit them soon. The program director does a great job of pairing students with families and after the three weeks, it feels as if you have a new Spanish family. The most important thing I got from this program was a rekindled interest in learning not only Spanish but about the world and different cultures. I can say this program was truly life changing and I highly recommend it to all students with a sense of adventure and a willingness to push themselves to learn more about the world.

I went on the LITA South group trip this past summer 2018, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I gained a new family through my host family that I lived with for three weeks and through my LITA group. My host family was amazing and treated me as another daughter. I gained two new siblings and another set of parents, and saw many new places and tried new things with them. It changed my life for the better. I always felt safe and cared for throughout the trip, and was extremely prepared before the trip, as the leaders and Jordan and Michela were always available to answer our questions. I hope to keep in touch with everyone involved with LITA. I learned SO much Spanish from this trip, and it has helped me a lot at school, as well! I hope that I continue to improve upon my new Spanish abilities, and I hope to see everyone and visit Spain again soon!

The amount of thought and care that Jordan and Michela put into the planning and execution of LITA summer programs is unparalleled in any other student program. From the stunning, rustic casa rural where we began our trip to the incredible home-stay families we lived with, the program perfectly balanced language immersion, cultural immersion, and fun. It was also amazing to see how quickly my Spanish improved as the trip went along. I remember being terrified to ask for ask for a cup of water without ice in Spanish while on the plane to Spain, but now I feel comfortable with my speaking ability enough to hold a conversation with anyone.

The connections I made with the people I met during the trip were unbelievable as well. One moment that I will remember for the rest of my life was the night of my birthday when I played a solo in a concert with my home stay brother's band. Its the moments like these that are so unique to a smaller program like LITA that has the ability to craft an experience unique to the interests of every group and student. I can honestly say that I couldn't have asked for a better experience in Spain.