Honors Spanish Language & Culture
The Take-Aways
Language & Cultural Proficiency
Come home with a higher level of Spanish and a greater understanding of Spanish culture. Use your STAMP 4S language proficiency pre- and post-test scores to demonstrate your language growth and help you earn a Seal of Biliteracy.
College Credits
Earn 4 college credits toward your future college degree. Take advantage of the credits to stand out on your college applications or to satisfy college language requirements.
Lifelong Skills and Friendships
Return with greater self-confidence, independence, and adaptability. Enjoy a broader worldview and friends of different backgrounds from across the U.S.
60
Hours of Instruction with a Native Spanish Teacher
4
College Credits
1
Life-Changing Experience
The Destination
Welcome to Madrid, the bustling cultural capital of Spain with architectural gems, world-renowned art, fútbol fanatics, and exquisite food.
Madrid is a walkable city with eye candy at every turn. In the historic heart of Madrid, a walk through the shop- and café-lined Plaza Mayor always pleases, including a stop for fried squid sandwiches or churros con chocolate. At the nearby Mercado de San Miguel, more good tastes await in this lively tapas market. Just blocks away, Puerta del Sol, site of the 15th century gate to the city and El oso y el madroño sculpture and symbol of the city, offers a bustling slice of modern-day life. To the west is the enormous Palacio Real with its 3,148 rooms, the largest royal residence in Western Europe. To the east is a 300-acre green oasis—Retiro Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is replete with gardens, monuments, fountains, and even a Glass Palace.
Madrid is also home to two of the world’s best soccer clubs and world-famous art museums, such as Museo del Prado and Reina Sofía, both of which you’ll visit, along with excursions outside Madrid to Segovia and the seaside city of Valencia.
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Madrid.
Weekly Learning Goals
CIEE’s Honors programs offer classes only at Levels 2 and 3. Level 2 is for students who can carry on everyday conversations in Spanish, and Level 3 is for those who can participate in discussions on social and academic topics. In the spring before you depart, you’ll take a language proficiency test and when you arrive on site, you’ll participate in an oral interview. How you do on the test and in the interview will identify the level that is right for you.
Each week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day, you’ll advance your Spanish—through activities and discussions in class and through conversations with locals in the community and at your homestay.
WEEK 1: Settle in and meet your classmates as you explore the Identity Theme. Give information about yourself in interviews, make comparisons, and describe people in a host family tree. For your Project, create and present a Personal Profile.
WEEK 2: Explore Spanish culture during this week’s Creativity Theme. Compare musical performances, express opinions on art, tell what happened in movies, and persuade a classmate to attend a cultural event. For your Project, create a Photo Gallery on Spanish Culture and share it in a conversation.
WEEK 3: Delve into Madrid in this week’s Discovery Theme. For your Project, create and present a Neighborhood Tour in Madrid. Describe the city and what happens there. Role play scenes in a market and restaurant. Report on Madrid’s past and future.
WEEK 4: Consider the impact of your summer during the Personal Growth Theme. Tell what happened in memorable moments and how you felt about it. Make cultural comparisons and persuade a friend to study abroad. For your Project, create a Study Abroad Album and share it in a panel discussion.
Each week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day, you’ll advance your Spanish—through activities and discussions in class and through conversations with locals in the community and at your homestay.
WEEK 1: Settle in and meet your classmates during the Cultural Encounters Theme. Tell what happened on a first encounter abroad. Summarize past and current events in Madrid. Express your opinions as you compare cultural norms and stereotypes. For your Project, create and present a Field Report on Madrid.
WEEK 2: Explore Spanish culture in this week’s Creativity Theme. Describe street art and profile artists, express opinions on magazines and movies, and compare musical performances. For your Project, create an Arts & Culture Magazine and share it in a conversation.
WEEK 3: Continue advancing your Spanish as you delve into the Discovery Theme. For your Project, create and present an Awareness Campaign about a global threat. Give information on its causes and effects, explain solutions, and persuade others in debates, justifying your arguments.
WEEK 4: Consider the impact of your summer in this week’s Personal Growth Theme. Conduct a class survey on experiences in Spain and make cultural comparisons. Tell an original story about a memorable moment and speculate on what’s next for you. For your Project, create a Study Abroad Album and share it in a panel discussion.
Program Blogs
Memorias Madrileñas
A note from the PL: As we say goodbye to Madrid, this week's blog post is a guest post from my student, Kingsley, who wrote about his experience in Spain... keep reading
Gymkhana fun!
Can you believe that there are only two full days left of program? The last week certainly snuck up on us, but our Global Navigators are making the most of... keep reading
VITAMIN SEA - A WEEKEND IN VALENCIA
For our Global Navigators' last weekend in the program, we visited the lovely city of Valencia, on the eastern coast of Spain. Our students had a fantastic time on the... keep reading
Sample Activities
Just Imagine All the Fun You’ll Have!
- Take in Madrid’s impressive graffiti, wall murals, and street performances—all part of the city’s vibrant urban art scene. Make your mark in a hands-on graffiti workshop!
- Bike on cobblestone walkways along the Manzanares River or row a boat across Retiro Park Lake, public spaces enjoyed by madrileños year-round.
- On excursion to Segovia, explore medieval walls, Romanesque churches, and the iconic Roman aqueduct. Ever wonder what inspired the Disney castle? Look no further than the Alcázar de Segovia!
- Taste the different regions of Spain in fun cooking classes where you’ll make dishes such as tortilla de patatas, gazpacho, and crema catalana.
- On excursion to Valencia, hit the beaches for swimming or volleyball and savor Spanish paella. Relax on a boat tour on L'Albufera Lake, and see the ninots, gigantic “dolls” burned each year in a traditional festival.
- Visit the house-museum of Joaquín Sorolla, the “painter of Mediterranean light,” whose shimmering paintings will transport you to tranquil, seaside escapes.
Please note activities are based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when arranging activities is always to enhance your experience.
Dates & Fees
Eligibility
Program open to all current high school students—Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors—who have:
- Completed high school Spanish Level 2 or higher by the start of the program, and
- Attained a minimum ACTFL proficiency level of Intermediate-Low on the pre-program STAMP test that determines language proficiency.
Don’t Meet the above Criteria? See our other Spanish Language & Culture programs in Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Seville, Buenos Aires, and Merida. Pick one as your second-choice program to increase your chances to travel to a Spanish-speaking country next summer. You will be asked to transfer to another program if your STAMP score is too low for the Honors program. Please sign up for the earliest possible STAMP test date. Information about the STAMP administration—including test dates—will be released in the spring.
For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Application Fee
$25
Optional College Credit Fee
$150
Learn more about how to get college credit for your future college degree.
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Summer Session I 2024 4 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $7,250 | |
| Program Summer Session II 2024 4 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $7,250 |
What's Included
Interactive Classes
Housing
3 Meals/Day
(Dietary Needs Accommodated)
All Ground Transportation
(Once In-country)
Optional Flight Chaperone
(Flight Cost Not Included)
Pre-departure Advice and Orientation
Access to Local Phone and WIFI
All Cultural Activities and Excursions
Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection
24/7 Emergency On-site Support
Our Staff
Eero Jesurun
CENTER DIRECTOR
Eero Jesurun, Ph.D. completed his B.S. and M.A degrees from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Eero studied at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid where he obtained a Ph.D...
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