Valencia (Mediterranean coast)

Program Outline

We have two intensive language courses with eight different levels. The Intensive course is a program with 4 hours of class a day. Classes begin at 9:30am and end at 1:30pm with a 30 minute break. The program progresses through a range of new grammar topics every week but always with a focus on developing your conversational skills. Classes are characterized by a high level of interaction, student participation and situational exercises that help you to express yourself competently in a Spanish speaking environment. Each block of two class hours is taught by a different teacher. Please note that when the school is busy, classes can also start in the afternoon at 4:00pm.

Super-intensive course is a six-hour/day program. This program consists of the intensive course + 2 class hours of additional Spanish conversation training from 2:15pm till 4:00pm to help you improve your oral comprehension and expressive skills.

Location

Our school is located in an historic building in very heart of Valencia next to the Cathedral and the tower of Santa Catalina. Valencia is home to the paella, the Holy Grail and the legend of El Cid. Now with the America’s Cup looming in 2007—the largest sailing event in the world—the city bristles with energy and has to be considered one of the top new destinations in Spain to learn Spanish.

Accommodations

Our school offers a wide range of accommodation able to suit the needs of everyone. Students can choose individual or double rooms in shared flats with other students, a homestay with a Spanish family or stand alone apartments for complete privacy. Housing options are within 20 minutes by public transport from the school. With the homestay option there are two meals a day, breakfast and dinner.

Cultural

Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain with its roots going back to Roman legionnaires who settled here 2000 years ago. The Cathedral is said to house the Holy Grail and the city is the stuff of legends with its famous defense against the Moors by El Cid. Valencia is home as well to one of the world’s leading architects Santiago Calatrava who built the stunning “City of Arts and Sciences” which in itself merits a visit to Valencia. The school organizes weekly culture classes (free) and offers as well daily and weekend activities (at nominal fee).

Start Dates

Classes start every Monday of the year for students with some Spanish ability and every second Monday for absolute beginners. The last week of December and the first of January, the school is closed.

Climate

Valencia is located in the east of Spain on the Mediterranean coast. The weather is warm and sunny in spring and summer (take your beach gear) and mild in autumn and winter. Truly a city for all seasons.

Local Color

Valencia is sometimes called “the new Barcelona” which does not do justice entirely to either city given their own historic importance but it does reflect the new found positive energy that characterizes the Valencia of the 21st century. It is not too difficult to feel at ease in this city where everything in the old center can be reached on foot. With the America’s Cup sailing event around the corner, Valencia is rediscovering the sea and you will find a vibe that is unparalleled in Spain today.

Points of Interest

The cathedral of Valencia is one of the most important and oldest in Spain where allegedly the Holy Grail is housed. It is also the place where the oldest still practicing court rulings can be observed every Thursday when farmers come together to discuss any dispute they may have about the use of water. They have been doing so for more than 800 years. The Albufera area just outside Valencia is where the first Roman legionnaires settled who had been given land as their retirement package. Here they cultivated rice that they had imported from the Middle East and mixed it with food that they had at hand: snails, eel from the lake and rabbit. The birthplace of the traditional paella. The Ciudad de los Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) is a stunning modern complex set in the dry riverbed and houses an IMAX theater, aquarium and museum.

Hot Tip

Do not expect to have early nights. Valencia restaurants often do not open before 10:00pm and bars will not be lively before 1:00am if not later. Enjoy a horchata around the corner from the school at the official supplier to the royal family. Horchata is a milky drink made from pressed tiger nuts which grow abundantly in the area and very refreshing in the warm months.