Language Courses Abroad

Welcome to the Language Courses Abroad/Spanish Study Holidays web site and to the world of language travel !!

First of all, we would like to explain something about who we are and the service we offer. We hope you will agree, once you have visited this web-site, that if you are considering studying a language abroad - whether it be for just one week or several months - we provide a range and standard of language course which is second to none.

About us

Spanish Study Holidays was founded in 1991 by a team of language teachers, as an advisory service for students who wished to study Spanish in Spain.

We only sent our students to carefully selected schools, those which had been visited by us and which met the very strict criteria we set: highly-qualified and experienced native tutors, small group sizes, well-equipped schools using modern teaching techniques, carefully selected host families and a good standard of self-catering accommodation.

The students we sent were so pleased with their courses that they asked if we could recommend similar schools in France, Germany and Italy. As a result, 'Language Courses Abroad' was established, dealing with language courses in these countries.

We now have schools in both Europe, Latin America and Asia all of which meet the very demanding criteria outlined above and offer a wide range of courses and types of accommodation. If you are interested in studying Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Greek, Portuguese, or Chinese we will provide you with expert advice and enable you to choose a school and course which is suited to your particular needs and interests.

Our directors and expert team of experienced Language Travel Advisors visit our schools personally, so we’re well placed to offer you the best advice on which location, course and school to choose!

FIYTO, ALTO and GWEA Membership

In September 1999 Spanish Study Holidays became a full member of FIYTO (Federation of International Youth Travel Organisations) and ALTO (Association of Language Travel Organisations). Such membership is only granted to well-established and financially stable companies, with a proven track record of providing a high quality and professional service in the field of international youth travel.

In 2002 we became members of GWEA. This organisation regulates companies who send students on work placements and work experience around the world.

Our FIYTO/ALTO/GWEA membership is your guarantee that you are dealing with a professional and well-respected organisation.

Courses

We aim to enable our students to learn as much as possible in the time available to them, whilst at the same time ensure that they have a thoroughly enjoyable experience that they will want to repeat!

Our students come from all over the world, so there is a wonderful 'international atmosphere' at all our schools.

Whether you are coming for just one week or for several months, we want you to feel at the end of your course that you learned far more than you had imagined possible, and that what you have learned is not just theory, but a practical ability to communicate in the language, to understand and to make yourself understood.

Learning a language in the country in which it is spoken is, of course, a far more effective and rapid process than studying a few hours a week in your own country. It is also an opportunity to mix with local inhabitants, come to a far deeper and intimate knowledge of the people whose language you are studying and gain an insight into their culture.

For further details, click on the links below:
  Spanish Courses in Spain
  Spanish Courses in Latin America
  Learning French in France
  French Courses in Switzerland
  German language courses in Germany
  Learning German in Austria
  Our Italian schools in Italy
  Studying Portuguese in Portugal
  Portuguese Courses in Brazil
  Russian language courses in Russia
  Learning Greek in Greece
  Learn Chinese in China

If you are interested in American College Credits, please see the American Credits page.

There are 'Club 50+' courses (55 years plus) which are specifically designed to meet the needs and interests of the more mature student, as well as 'Summer Schools' for the younger learner. The majority of our courses are for adult learners of any age, who may also choose to study 'Business Language Courses' or 'Examination Preparation Courses' (D.E.L.E. in Spain, C.I.L.S. in Italy, D.E.L.F. in France and Z.M.P/Z.O.P in Germany). There are also specific A- Level French/Spanish Revision Courses and courses suitable for 'A' level students, as well as a wide range of special interest courses.

Teaching Approach

Our schools employ only highly qualified native tutors with proper training and experience in the teaching of their language to foreigners. Group sizes are small and the teaching approach is student-centred. Modern 'communicative' teaching techniques are used, with students learning the language through using it, and not just 'studying' it passively.

Learning a language is a practical skill, which anyone is capable of, and which is best acquired by intensive practise and maximum exposure to the language. At the same time, the importance of grammar is not neglected, with frequent grammatical explanations being given in order to reinforce and deepen the students' knowledge of and ability to use the language. Finally, of course, language learning must be fun and non-threatening if it is to be effective. People learn much better when they are enjoying themselves and so our teachers do all they can to ensure that the lessons are both serious and intensive but at the same time very enjoyable!

Accommodation

It is very important to us that our students are happy in their accommodation, whether in host families, self-catering shared student apartments or in private studio apartments. Some of our schools also have student residences, while others offer 'executive suites' and 'superior apartments' for those students who require a higher standard of accommodation. Host families are carefully vetted by our schools. In addition, all our students complete confidential student questionnaires, which we then use to ensure, as far as possible, that students of ours are placed only in families in which previous students have been happy. A 'host family' can be a married couple or a single person, with or without children. If a student is unhappy in a host family, they will be moved, without question. Please note that accommodation is normally available from the Sunday before a course starts until the Saturday after it finishes. If you need to move into your accommodation a day or two earlier or leave a day later, this can often be arranged, though you will be charged for the extra days.

Travel to our schools and airport transfers

Though we do not arrange transport, our U.K. office staff will be pleased to advise you on how best to travel to our schools. In most cases, we are able to arrange for students to be met at the airport on arrival and taken to their accommodation. Charges for this service vary, depending on the school.

Please do contact us with any questions that you may have, or order a free copy of our brochure for further details.

Our experienced Language Travel Advisors know our schools well and will be happy to answer any questions that you may have regarding our courses.

Please contact us with your questions.

By e-mail: info@languagesabroad.co.uk
From the UK: 01509 211612
From Europe: 00 44 1509 211612
From the USA/Canada: 011 44 1509 211612
From other countries: Dial the 'international code', plus 44 1509 211612
Our normal office hours are 9.30 - 5.30 Monday to Friday and 10.00 - 4.00 on Saturdays.