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Language stay with Carmen
My name is Carmen Gómez.
I currently live alone in Santander, although our family house is located in a village 8 km from the city: I frequently go there, where we usually carry out tasks related to the garden and other maintenance tasks for the house, in addition to walking around the area, which is very beautiful. But where I currently live and where you could enjoy a language stay with me is in Santander.
We have two children aged 23 and 25, who are studying at university outside of Cantabria, and come occasionally, but do not live here regularly.
Santander is a city of about 170,000 inhabitants, located in the north of Spain, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. It is well connected to other places by road, train, plane, and boat.
During your stay here, you will have an excellent opportunity to speak Spanish, as it is the language we usually speak. In addition, the Spanish spoken in Santander is the one that is studied when learning the Spanish language without interference.
The apartment where I live in Santander is very well connected to the beaches, the city center, and UC University. We have several high schools, sports clubs, surf schools, theater and cinema schools nearby, as well as a varied offer of cultural, sports, and leisure activities.
One of my favorite activities is walking by the sea, along the beaches, and through all the walkable areas of the city's cliffs, from Mataleñas and Cabo Mayor to the Virgen del Mar and walks along the Costa Quebrada.
In my fondness for this activity, I coincide with my children and other family members, as well as several of our friends.
In addition to these walks, we like to participate occasionally in guided hiking trails, which you could join if you wish, depending on the time of your stay.
We belong to a Franco-Spanish family. Our children speak several languages and have participated in many activities of international programs in various countries. Our family has a lot of experience hosting and mentoring exchange students for academic year/semester/month and summer university courses.
Normally, during the school year, there is usually some student at home for language stays during certain periods of time, so, depending on the moment, I could host between one and three students or teachers who come to learn and perfect their Spanish in the Castilian mode, which is what we speak here.
I am a secondary school teacher. I recently stopped working at the institute. I have also worked as an associate teacher at the university. I am used to teaching classes to adolescent and university students. I know our language well and am accustomed to teaching Spanish to several adult members of my French family, and also to help exchange students who come during the school year and in summer, both in Santander and at our house in the village.
I like to walk, read, write, and visit exhibitions. I make traditional food, Mediterranean diet. I easily adapt to vegetarian and vegan options. When there is a student and/or teacher at home, I like to share the opportunity for conversation around the table during breakfast and dinner time.
Depending on the time of year when the stay occurs, I can accommodate a number between 1 and 3. At certain times of the year, between February and June 2025, the stay will be shared with a student on a quarterly or four-month stay.
Normally, teenagers who come for an academic period enroll in public secondary and high school institutions. In these institutions, there is no school uniform. The biggest expense usually comes from books and school supplies. In the case of a student who wishes to stay here, we would discuss it previously with their family since the prices may vary if they want to choose a concerted center or a public institute.
If you want, you can collaborate in the arrangement of the garden of the house we have in the village, on a completely voluntary basis. In the case of adolescents between 16 and 18 years old, with stays for a year/semester/trimester, participation in internships related to volunteer activities adapted to the adolescent age can be facilitated.
A normal day here unfolds as follows: Wake up, have breakfast, and spend an hour speaking in Spanish, either at home or taking a walk on the beach or around the city, etc. After that, starting at 10 a.m., I attend my training activities, and you can choose from various cultural and leisure proposals that I will have prepared for you based on when you come to enjoy your stay and what you tell me in advance that you would like to do.
In the afternoon, I will accompany you to visit different places of interest, and you can have dinner at home with me. Whatever activity we do in the afternoon will include at least another hour of conversation. If you want, we can expand what I offer to improve your Spanish learning with other types of activities.
To give you an idea of some complementary leisure and free-time activities you could participate in, here are some that students who have stayed in my home have enjoyed: walks, sports activities (surfing, sports clubs, university open sports activities for non-university students), workshops and activities from the Espacio Joven and Jovenmanía, cultural activities from the Botín Center, performing arts school from the Palace of Festivals, film and TV school, activities offered by civic centers, non-formal music school Musiquea, activities offered by libraries such as the BCC, various artistic exhibitions, film library, among others. Also, the museums of the city of Santander stand out, as well as other museums in Cantabria, such as the Altamira Museum and caves and other places of interest, like the Cabárceno Nature Park.
OBSERVATIONS: All these places offering activities in Santander mentioned in the previous paragraph are within walking distance from the home in just a few minutes. There is also affordable public transportation that works very well.
For some activities taking place in locations outside the city, you could go with me if you prefer.
If you want to participate in activities associated with any of the schools (theater, surfing, cinema, music, etc.), they would require prior registration, which I would help facilitate. The payment for the school would be your responsibility.
I can inform you before your stay about the prices of both sports and cultural activities and nature itineraries that may interest you.
I stayed with Carmen for 10 months while I was studying abroad in Santander. I can confidently say that my stay wasfairly enjoyable. Carmen is a very kind and inteligent woman who helped me improve my spanish skills rapidly. I would definitely recommend staying with her, as she is very open and helpful.
From 510 € / week
+33 7 49 08 56 74