Spanish in Salamanca, Spain: Spanish Language for High School Students.

Level
For Junior and Senior Students
Minimum age				14 y.o.
Level of Spanish				From absolute beginners to advanced. Students will be placed in groups of similar level.

Classes
Students will take spanish language classes (grammar, conversation, reading and writing) and culture classes (Spanish and hispanic cultures and civilization) 15 hours a week. This is complemented by 10 hours of Workshops and Activities outside of class. Classes in Letra Hispánica are taught by native Spanish professors with University degrees, Master's, PhD's, with many years of experience in teaching foreigners. Max. 10 students per classroom.

Workshops and Activities outside of class
"Recreo" (playtime) activities
Paradiso: Welcome party, Farewell party. Traditional Salamancan celebrations. La ciudad de los prodigios: Tours through Salamanca and visits to the city museums (Casa Lys, with its splendid collection of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, the Film Museum, and the Old Cars Museum, among others), galleries and art exhibits. Señas de identidad: Contact with Salamancan folklore and typical food. Los gozos y las sombras: Afternoon in the Salamancan countryside.
Workshops
These are special classes where the students put into practice some aspect of Hispanic culture, develop their creative capacities and have fun working in a group setting. ¡Flash!: Photography workshop that culminates in the making of an photo album. ¡Ponte al día!: Latest news. ¡Vaya, vaya, aquí no hay playa!: History of Spanish culture through song. ¡No te enteras, Contreras!: Study of the values of Spanish society and situations of cultural shock for foreign students.
One-day (Saturday) Excursions
Price include two trips per month with varying itineraries: Madrid, Ávila, Toledo...

Accomodation
Students stay with a family carefully selected by our experts. Single room, three meals per day and laundry. Students will be able to make contact with their host family prior to their arrival. Host families provide students with healthy mediterranean diet, high in fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds, olive oil, dairy products, fish and poultry consumed in low to moderate amounts and little red meat. Host families also can take care of special health, accomodation and diet needs or preferences. After registration, we provide students with a secure form to telling us about these needs and preferences. The students can ask for a change of family with no need to give reasons.
Period included in the price				A) July Program: July 1st to July 31st
				B) August Program: August 1st to August 31st
				C) July+August Program: July 1st to August 31st

Health and Safety Issues

Health and safety of our students are primary concerns.

24 h. emergency phone number.

Resident tutor assistance, including after-hours and weekend.

Health insurance:

Students from European Union need to obtain in their countries of origin the insurance cover of the Spanish Public Health System.
Other students can choose between bringing their own health insurance (they will need to provide a copy for Letra Hispánica) or asking us for help to get one here in Spain or in their country. The cost is about 35 € per month.
Please look at this link for insurance-abroad oportunities:
http://www.insuranceabroad.com

In any event, whatever happens, Letra Hispánica will assist the students if accident or illness occur and will report their parents or legal guardians.

We provide full information about risks before departure and during the stay.

Chaperone by Letra Hispánica representatives in the airport arrival/departure areas and during the trip to/from Salamanca.

Parents or legal guardians can dictate rules and restrictions regarding students' day-to-day life.

Visa Issues

Passports

Generally, you must have a current passport in order to travel to other countries. Apply early because the process may take several weeks.
For U.S. citizens: in order to obtain a passport, you can apply through most post offices. Proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or previous U.S. passport), two recent photographs (2 inches by 2 inches), and current identification with a signature and photograph (such as driver's license) are required. For more information, please visit this link: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_840.html

Students from the European Union (plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) do not need a passport to enter Spain. It is sufficient with an identity card.

Student Visa for Spain

A visa is a written permission to visit a country granted by the government of that country.
For stays of 90 days or less in Spain, citizens from some countries don't need a visa:

Nationals of the following countries may not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days:
(a) EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and US;
(b) Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep. Of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.

You will enter Spain as a tourist.

Standard items usually required in the visa application for a student visa are:

* Visa application form.
* Current, valid passport.
* One or more passport-type photographs.
* Visa application fee.
* Letter of acceptance from Letra Hispánica. We will provide a copy (via due carriage courier: FedEx, DHL or similar, if necessary).
* Evidence of Financial Support during the period of time you will be studying abroad,
* Parental permission for students under 18.
* You may also be required to provide evidence of medical insurance.

Contact the embassy or nearest consulate of Spain in order to obtain the visa application and information about materials you are required to submit with it.
See a list of Spanish Embassies and Consulates in Foreign Countries Around the World: http://www.magistral-mba.com/consulates.html

If you are planning to stay more than 90 days or your country does not appear in the above list (please see the list), you have to apply for a "student visa". They will issue it for a variable period, and then, with that, once you are in Salamanca, you have to go to get an extension of your "student visa" in the Immigration Office. They will then give you a "Spanish student residency card".

Transportation
Madrid-airport transfer to student accommodation in Salamanca or viceversa.
Modalities and remarks	Dedicated Letra Hispánica Bus: Organized by Letra Hispánica for groups (min. 15 students). Reception/farewell in the airport arrival/departure areas.	Free Service for groups (min. 15 students).
	Dedicated Letra Hispánica Taxi: reception/farewell in the airport arrival/departure areas. Max. 3 passengers per car.	Price per journey: 230.00 €.
	Mandatory Chaperone Service for students under 16: Chaperone by Letra Hispánica representatives in the airport arrival/departure areas. This service is mandatory for students under the age of 16 travelling to/from the airport to/from Salamanca on public transport or private bus (not applicable to the dedicated taxi services since these have Letra Hispánica assistance). Special Note: Students aged 16 and 17 need parental permission to use private bus or public transport without the assistance of Letra Hispánica representatives during their airport/Salamanca and viceversa transfers.	Price: 122.00 € per passenger.
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Salamanca

Salamanca. Tormes River

Friendly Salamanca: With a population of 170,000, it's a safe and peaceful city. You can placidly travel through the city from edge to edge in 30 minutes. The people are open and friendly to travelers. From the words of Cervantes, who knew the city well, "Salamanca enchants the will because once you have experienced its placid character, you have to go back".

Close Salamanca: 200 km from Madrid and 100 km from Portugal. Near Salamanca you will find other important cultural sites, "Human Heritage cities" (Ávila, Cáceres, Segovia and Toledo) and also natural spots with incalculable value, like the region of the Arribes del Duero, and the Sierra de Francia.

Collegiate Salamanca: Salamanca, in the past called "the castilian Athens" and "the little Rome", has three universities with more than 40,000 students. The public university was founded in 1218. This tradition has been vividly maintained for you can find many libraries, theaters, cinemas and art exhibitions. Students have also many opportunities for leisure in the bars, cafes, pubs, discotheques, restaurants, gyms, and other sporting events.

Salamanca Old University

Salamanca, by night: The city does not close at night because student activity is always alive. In the early hours of daylight one can continue the "movida" in bars and clubs, listening to "la tuna" on the terrace or tranquilly walking along the illuminated monuments.

Monumental Salamanca: Declared "Human Heritage City" by UNESCO, Salamanca possesses a variety of historic buildings unique in the world. The rock of Villamayor with its unmistakable hues, has given origin to the famous expression, "Salamanca, ciudad dorada." Of special interest are the magnificent Plaza Mayor, the two cathedrals and innumerable convents, palaces, and churches.

Humanist Salamanca: From the "Cantigas de Alfonso X el Sabio", passing through the famous author of the first Spanish grammar, Nebrija and authors Fray Luis de León, Fernando de Rojas, Garcilaso, the anonymous author of Lazarillo, Góngora, Espronceda, to Unamuno, Carmen Martín Gaite and Torrente Ballester, among many others, Salamanca has always been closely related to Spanish language, philosophy and literature.

Salamanca, center of culture: Declared "European Capital of Culture for the year 2002", today Salamanca is experiencing a great flourishing of activities and cultural artistic offerings in a renovated and cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Spain Map

Letra Hispánica
Please visit our web site

Kris, Carolina, Inés, Sara, Lyndsey, Ava, Jamie and Rebeca, students from the 2004 High School Program.

We are a middle-sized and person-oriented institute. In courses of language and culture (art, history, literature, cinema...), the ratio teacher/student is about 1:2

Classes in Letra Hispánica are taught by native Spanish professors with University degrees, Master's, PhD's, and many years of experience in teaching foreigners.

We give emphasis not only to learning language skills but also to Spanish and Hispanic cultures, both "high culture" and "popular culture".

We have many activities outside of class so that the student gets involved with Spanish life.

Our courses have validity in American universities and, if you need credit for your studies, we would be glad to talk to your advisor or the person in charge of transferring credits.

We are an Accredited Centre of Instituto Cervantes.

The list of our collaborators includes chief figures in the fields of Spanish arts, literature, philosophy, etc.

Prices are very affordable and apart from the basics, they include activities without additional charge.

We are located in a historic building in the center of the city of Salamanca.

2003 Program

Alana, Sophie, Kate, Ana, Catherine, from the 2003 Program.

Prices
July or August programs: € 2,290.00 July+August program: € 4,000.00 Deposit (refundable): € 120.00
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Items included in the price	Tuition (25 hours per week), max. 10 students per classroom. Lodging in host family carefully selected by experts. Single room, three meals per day and laundry. Period included: A) July Program: July 1st to July 31st B) August Program: August 1st to August 31st C) July+August Program: July 1st to August 31st Free internet access. Two one-day trips per month. 24 hours emergency phone.
Items NOT included in the price	You can expect expenses such as: air fare and health insurance, books (about 36.00 €) and personal expenses. For individual students, please add the cost of the transfer from Madrid´s Barajas airport to Salamanca and viceversa (see above: Transportation).

Registration and Information
To register, please use our on-line secure registration form To get additional information: info@letrahispanica.com Deadline for registration: June 1st, 2009 - July 1st 2009, for August program

Instituto Cervantes Accredited Centre

Dates (School Period) See also Accomodation Period
A) July Program: July 1st to July 31st 2009
B) August Program: August 3rd to August 31st 2009
C) July+August Program: July 1st to August 31st 2009

Letra Hispánica School of Spanish Language and Cultures, Salamanca, Spain

Letra Hispánica
School of Spanish Language and Cultures, Salamanca, Spain