I recently wrote about my time on a Spanish immersion trip at Expanish Madrid. Today, I want to share some practical advice for anyone planning their own immersion trip.
1. Arrive with some working knowledge of the language
One thing I tend to see on Reddit is people planning an immersion trip with the intention of “starting from zero” and hoping that the immersion trip will help them make the quick gains in the beginning.
While that approach can work, I don’t think it makes the most of your time.
If you only have a few months (in my case, I had just two weeks), arriving with at least basic conversational skills and a grasp of foundational grammar will dramatically increase what you get out of the experience. Even if you still test into an A1 level, you’ll engage more deeply with your classes, your host family, and the world around you, than if you arrived with only a few words.
Plus, the progress you’d make going from A1 to A2 through immersion alone is progress you could realistically make at home through self-study or a local class (all beginning progress is quite “quick” in comparison to the later advances)—so why spend that time on basics you could have covered beforehand?
2. Consider a homestay (Seriously)
Homestays aren’t for everyone, and I’ll be the first to admit that staying with a stranger’s family as an adult can feel like an odd choice. It might seem like something better suited to teenagers or college students on a gap year.
To be fair, I’m a medical student and still very much in a collegiate mindset, so the experience felt pretty natural. My host family gave me a home base to return to each evening, people to share meals with, and daily, unscripted conversation in Spanish. Their children, in particular, were fantastic (and humbling) conversation partners–kids don’t slow down their speech for you, and they have absolutely no hesitation in correcting you on the spot.
That said, homestay experiences do vary. Talking to classmates at the immersion school, I heard from some people whose host families barely interacted with them, and I think there is an element of luck involved on the type of family you get placed with.
Still, I think it’s worth trying at least once, if only just to see if it’s for you. For me, my homestay experience was the reason I made huge strides in my language learning.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Switch Classes
Placement tests at immersion schools can leave a lot to be desired.
My placement “test” was just a simple 15-minute casual conversation with the academic director–I pretty much just introduced myself and talked about why I am learning Spanish, which I don’t think is enough to gauge someone’s level. Once I got into the classroom, it quickly became clear that B1 was a little too easy for me.
Given that I had limited time and wanted to feel challenged, I asked to switch to another class.
If you’re in a similar situation, don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself. Immersion programs are generally flexible, and the staff want you to get as much as possible from the experience. Pushing yourself into a slightly uncomfortable level is where learning happens.
4. Do everything in the target language
I had a lot of free time to explore the city during my trip. While it was easy to seek out English language tours, guides, and experiences, I tried to do it exclusively in Spanish.
Yes, there was some anxiety — what if I missed the guide saying where to meet or what time to be somewhere? But it never turned out to be a real problem, and I also managed to meet native Spanish speakers who were more than happy to converse with me on some of these trips.
Whatever your target language is, seek out opportunities to use it in the real world. Book the tour in the target language, order food without switching back to your L1.
This is also, by the way, another reason tip #1 matters: you’ll enjoy these moments so much more if you show up already able to hold a basic conversation.
Have you done an immersion trip, or are you planning one? I’d love to hear your experiences and tips in the comments below!