Information for term Spanish Language & Culture
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenBuild your Spanish skills surrounded by sapphire seas and palm-fringed marinas.
What better way to improve your language skills than in a four-week immersive language program in the beautiful capital of Mallorca? Take language lessons in the afternoon at the ELE USAL building downtown where CIEE is located, and soak up Mallorquin culture and traditions during afternoon activities. Challenge your conversation skills out in the community. Chat with local teens and stallholders at lively markets like the Mercado del Olivar, and order tapas, too. Get some sun along the shore and join a spirited beach volleyball tournament!
Enjoy a cultural experience you can’t get in the classroom as you settle in with your homestay family. Soak in new vocabulary during conversations over breakfast, during day-to-day family life, and on weekend picnics on the beach. Excursions take you to the majestic mountain range of Sierra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the medieval town of Alcudia, located on the northern part of the island. Experience camping with new friends at the La Victoria campsite, nestled in the Bahía de Pollença, with spectacular sea and mountain views.
Follow our Travels:
The Take-Aways
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LANGUAGE GROWTH AND CULTURAL COMPETENCE
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.
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COLLEGE CREDIT
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.
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LIFE SKILLS AND NEW FRIENDSHIPS
Return with greater self-confidence, independence, and adaptability. Enjoy a broader worldview and friends of different backgrounds from across the U.S.
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HOURS OF INSTRUCTION WITH A NATIVE SPANISH TEACHER
60 -
COLLEGE CREDITS
40 -
LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
1
Location & Culture
Click to Open
The Destination
Welcome to Mallorca, an island paradise famous for its beauty and Mediterranean lifestyle.
Located east of the Spanish mainland, in the western Mediterranean Sea, Mallorca is a vibrant tourist hotspot. Palma, the capital, with beautiful seascapes and well-preserved architecture, is quite simply a wonder. For a small island, there’s no shortage of historical, cultural, and culinary attractions. Roman ruins, a Moorish palace, and the Gothic cathedral La Seu—the largest Gothic structure in Europe—are all just a few steps from the shore. Each of the extraordinary landmarks highlights a distinct part of Mallorquin history.
Half of the island’s population—some 400,000 people—call Palma home. The Mediterranean plays a vital role in the local lifestyle. Walking, running, cycling, kayaking, and sailing are everywhere you look. Restaurants are filled with friends and families enjoying meals until late in the evening. Local pastries are some of the most delicious food to have. At cafés, you can’t leave without trying Coca de Trempó, Ensaimadas, and Panades.
The rest of the island features small villages and stone houses among Mallorca’s mountains, valleys, and coves—places you’ll get to explore, too!
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 Palma de Mallorca.Daily Life
Click to OpenDaily Life
Monday–Friday
Each day offers a balance between interactive instruction and cultural activities with time on your own, too. Morning classes and afternoon activities may swap places.
- Breakfast at your homestay
- Engaging Spanish classes with expert language instructors, all native-speakers
- Lunch in the community with your fellow Global Navigators
- Out and about for authentic conversations in the community and a Cultural Activity
- Dinner and evening discussions at your homestay
Weekends
- Overnight or day excursions to top sites
- Quality time with friends and everyone at your homestay
Check out the blog posts to discover more about daily life and excursions on program.
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Carefully-screened homestay
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1 Program Leader for every 12 students and support from local staff
Weekly Learning Goals
WHICH CIEE LEVEL OF SPANISH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Click to OpenIn CIEE classes, Level 1 is for students acquiring basic Spanish, Level 2 is for those who can carry on everyday conversations, 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.
CIEE LEVEL 1 / WEEKS 1–4
Click to OpenEach week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day in class, you’ll learn Spanish through engaging activities and then, in the community, try out your new Spanish in conversations with locals.
WEEK 1: Settle in and meet your classmates as you explore the Identity Theme. Ask and answer questions, give information, describe your favorite things and your family at home and in Spain. For your Project, create and present a Personal Profile.
WEEK 2: Take in the local scene as you explore the Community Theme. Describe places, attractions, and events in Palma. Tell what you want to buy in shops, and express your likes and dislikes in food and fashion. For your Project, create a Photo Gallery of Life in Palma and share it in a conversation.
WEEK 3: Continue improving your Spanish as you delve into the Discovery Theme and, for your Project, create and present a Travel Flyer for a destination in Spain. Give and follow directions, give details of a trip itinerary day-by-day, and describe the destination, the weather, and what to do there.
WEEK 4: Consider the impact of your summer in this week’s Personal Growth Theme. Tell what you experienced in Spain, make cultural comparisons, and participate in study abroad interviews. For your Project, create a Study Abroad Album and share it in a panel discussion.
CIEE LEVEL 2 / WEEKS 1–4
Click to OpenEach week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day in class, you’ll learn Spanish through engaging activities and then, in the community, try out your new Spanish in conversations with locals.
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 Community 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 of Life in Palma and share it in a conversation.
WEEK 3: Delve into Palma in this week’s Discovery Theme. For your Project, create and present a Neighborhood Tour in Palma. Describe the city and what happens there. Role play scenes in a market and a restaurant. Report on Palma’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.
CIEE LEVEL 3 / WEEKS 1–4
Click to OpenEach week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day in class, you’ll learn Spanish through engaging activities and then, in the community, try out your new Spanish in conversations with locals.
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 Palma. Express your opinions as you compare cultural norms and stereotypes. For your Project, create and present a Field Report on Palma.
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
Click to OpenProgram Blogs
Activities
Click to OpenSample Activities
Just imagine all the fun you’ll have!
- Travel back to the 14th century as you explore the unique, circular and medieval Bellver Castle. Climb to the top for sweeping views of Palma, the harbor, the sea, and the mountains.
- Indulge your sweet tooth at Palma’s oldest chocolatería for traditional pastries and homemade ice cream. Cook some Mallorquin dishes of your own, all of it in Spanish!
- Take a scenic daytrip through the towns along the coastal Tramuntana Mountain Range, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
- Enter the Mediterranean marine world at the Palma Aquarium and learn about the more than 8,000 animals and 700 different species.
- Swim, snorkel, kayak, paddleboard, and enjoy the great outdoors at your tent underneath the Mallorcan night sky. Maneuver down a rocky path to the natural beach of Coll Baix. Sail back in a private boat.
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
Click to OpenDates & Fees
Eligibility
- Program open to all current high school students—Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors—who have completed at least one year of high school Spanish. Students who have completed at least two years of high school Spanish may qualify for the Honors Language & Culture program in Madrid or Seville.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
APPLICATION FEE
$25
Optional College Credit Fee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session I 2023 4 weeks | Deadline Passed | Jun 11, 2023 | Jul 8, 2023 |
$6,650 |
| Summer Session II 2023 4 weeks | Deadline Passed | Jul 9, 2023 | Aug 5, 2023 |
$6,650 |
Looking for funding?
What's Included
Click to OpenWhat's Included
Our Staff
Click to OpenOur Staff
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Antonia Ferriol, PhD
Center Director
Antonia brings great passion for teaching, emotional competence studies, and study abroad, having taught Spanish language, literature, film, and intercultural communication.
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Clara Copano
Program Coordinator
Clara worked as a Spanish Teacher at the Instituto Cervantes in Munich (Germany) and has over 3 years of experience teaching at University level and project management.
Ready to change your life?
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