Jennifer comes from California. Stefanie comes from Germany. They met in Rincón de la Victoria because their sons ended up in the same class, and now they come back every year.
YouTubeIt started with a family plan
Jennifer found Hablandis four years ago. She was not looking for a summer camp for her son or a Spanish course for herself. She wanted both, at the same time, in the same place. In her words: “I found Hablandis four years ago for a family intensive language program, for me and my son.”
That is what our family course is. Children aged 4 to 16 go to the International Summer Camp from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (teenagers aged 12 to 16 can also choose the full-day camp, until 7:30 pm). Adults take an intensive Spanish course from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, in small groups by level. Everything happens in the same center, so parents are a few meters away while their children learn, play and make friends. The afternoons are yours: the beach, the town, and Spanish practiced together.
Two sons, one class, two families
“When my son was here, he met her son in a class. And then her and I met, and we instantly connected.”
This happens more often than you would think. In the camp, children from abroad learn Spanish and local children learn English, and the mornings mix them. Children who do not share a language find one. Parents who wait at the same door start talking too.
“Every year we meet here. She comes from Germany, and I come from the United States.” We have a phrase for this: where strangers become familia.
An English teacher on the other side of the desk
Jennifer teaches English in the United States. So when she sits down as a student, she notices things most students do not. “I teach English, so it’s very interesting for me to be the student, and I can tell you that the teachers are really good.”
What did she notice? “We learn a lot of grammar. They pay attention, correct us when we need to. They also make learning fun.” Grammar, correction and fun are not opposites. A class can be rigorous and still be a place you want to come back to.
Why families come back
Rincón de la Victoria is a real Mediterranean town, not a resort. People live here all year and speak Spanish in the market, at the bakery and on the promenade. The school, the host families, the beach and the bus stop are all a short walk apart, which makes life easy for a family.
For Jennifer and Stefanie, it also means a friendship with a fixed date in the calendar. Or, as Jennifer puts it: “It’s a really good way to learn a language here.”
Thinking about a summer like this?
- Family Spanish course: children at camp, adults in an intensive course, same center.
- International Summer Camp for ages 4 to 16.
- Questions? Write to info@hablandis.com or call +34 951 936 865.
We like to talk.
Full transcript
My name is Jennifer, and I’m from California, United States. I found Hablandis four years ago for a family intensive language program, for me and my son. When my son was here, he met her son in a class. And then her and I met, and we instantly connected. Every year we meet here. She comes from Germany, and I come from the United States. I’m an English instructor in the United States. I teach English, so it’s very interesting for me to be the student, and I can tell you that the teachers are really good. We learn a lot of grammar. They pay attention, correct us when we need to. They also make learning fun. It’s a really good way to learn a language here.
