"My Spanish improved lots, and of course yours will too. Try to avoid spending too much time with other American students, as you will slip into English even if you think you won’t."

"In regards to language, I did not really experience any problems with my workmates or other Spaniards outside of what difficulties I expected to encounter going into it. For example, I did not always understand everything that my boss said, but that was not too difficult a problem to overcome. Outside of the internship, communication with everyday people was never a problem. I definitely recommend the "crash course" that was offered before the internship began. It is an excellent way to meet other European students that are also studying abroad ­ I met many of my non-Spanish friends during this class. Some of my classmates extended it."

"To improve your Spanish, try to get to know Spanish students. It is important to have patience and to try to be very outgoing. Remember, everyone already has their own friends and therefore is not exactly looking to meet foreigners. In general, communication was not a problem after having several years of Spanish in school. Overall, it was a great program and I had an amazing time being a part of it. It provides the outstanding opportunity of being immersed in Spanish everyday culture and an incredibly dynamic and vibrant city. I highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to improve his or her Spanish, get to know one of the great European cities and have a great time meeting people from all over Europe and the world."

"I loved Madrid for its history, liveliness, weather and much more. The city is very clean and there are so many beautiful things to see, cool restaurants and clubs to go to and people to meet. It was difficult to get used to the inefficiency of many things and the poor customer service! Your Spanish skills will improve if you want them to. The best thing to do is to just speak and try to forget about all the mistakes you will make at first. Sooner or later the conjugations and the vocabulary will come easier and quicker. Things WILL be frustrating at first, but the more you learn about the language and the culture, and the more friends you make, the better the experience will get."