The Spanish Course

I highly recommend the Spanish Course. It was an amazing experience to live in a Spanish family. Fernando is a charismatic teacher and prepared interesting lessons. I improved my grammar, vocabulary and gained more confidence speaking Spanish. I’m particularly grateful for all the work Merche did: recommending places to visit, booking tickets, cooking traditional dishes. The food she made was beyond praise.

Of all the Spanish courses on offer, I can’t see how they could top this one. Fernando leads engaging and relaxed lessons that made me feel comfortable enough to ask questions and make mistakes. Fernando and his family were also the most gracious hosts when they welcomed us into their home for an immersive learning experience. Couldn’t recommend enough!

The Spanish Course is a very good SKE course. Being able to have classes in Spain with Fernando really helps to be more confident with our oral expression. I think it helps to improve our language skills to experience two weeks of Spanish lessons in the beautiful region of Cantabria. The online course is also really well structured and helpful, it’s also nice to have the flexibility to complete the online course at your own pace.

I had the best 2 weeks at the Spanish course. Fernando’s lessons were very helpful and Merche’s cooking and hospitality were incredible!! Such a great experience to be immersed in Spanish culture living with a lovely Spanish family! Would love to return in the future

Fernando and Merche, the hosts, truly made the course experience exceptional with their outstanding hospitality and expertise. The opportunity to stay with them and their family added a personal touch that enhanced the overall learning experience. Each of us had our own room with en-suite facilities and there was a dedicated classroom where we took our lessons each day. During our free time there was the chance to explore the beautiful surroundings, with long walks, bike rides and dips in the nearby river. The town of Puente Viesgo offered bars and restaurants with excellent churros! We also spent the weekend visiting the beaches in Santander and Comillas.

I’m incredibly grateful for the perfect two weeks I spent with Fernando and his family and I would love to return one day!

Wonderful stay with Fernando, Merche and family! We did intensive Spanish lessons in the morning and then had time for further study and exploring the region in the afternoons. Santander is great to visit, as is the surrounding countryside around Aés and Puente Viesgo which is best accessed by bike along the Via Verde.

Did the SKE course with Fernando and it was an amazing experience, the two week immersion course taught me so much and was great to experience life in rural Spain with a spanish family, very eye opening and I will never forget it. Absolutely recommend.

Muchas gracias! The classes were very interesting and Fernando has a way to teach that helped me learn without realising it! The online and in person classes are really well-structured and helped me achieve a new level in Spanish. I recommend!

It has been a joy being a part of Fernando and Merche's family. I stayed with them for two weeks. They are very warm, open, generous and friendly people. Experiencing authentic Spanish life, culture, cuisine and learning the language with Fernando and Merche was an unforgettable experience! The lessons that took place every day from Monday to Friday were well structured, tailored to my needs and abilities and delivered in a highly professional manner. My free time i spent exploring around. There are many places around for walks, enjoying the nature and mingling with Spanish people. I would highly recommend Fernando and Merche and would love to come back. Gracias por tu hospitalidad y espero que nos veamos pronto!

I spent a wonderful week at The Spanish Course and loved every minute. Fernando, Merche and their daughters were very welcoming so any apprehension I felt disappeared immediately. I spoke very little Spanish before going and my lessons with Fernando were fun, engaging and tailored to my abilities. I still have much, much work to do but I learnt so much in a short space of time. Merche's food was incredible and I loved learning how to make a proper tortilla (I have practiced on my family since getting home and they love it too!).

When not in lessons, there is plenty to do. The setting is beautiful and there are many walks from the front door. Puente Viesgo is around 15-20 mins walk and is lovely. I went to the spa and also visited the caves nearby. Santander is an easy bus journey and definitely worth spending a day there. Merche and Fernando helped with recommendations etc and even arranged for me to go horse riding with their daughters which was a wonderful experience.

If you are looking for total immersion in Spanish in a fun and relaxing environment, I don't think you could do any better. I hope to return!

Michael_H, Nov 2022

It was a superb experience. The course is held at Fernando's and Merce's family home. The whole family was most welcoming and even their young daughters Raquel and Victoria spoke good english. Their home had been a traditional farmhouse that they converted into a blend of a comfortable home and language school. The food was excellent. I had a comfortable and capacious en-suite room that faced the warm foehn wind. It could certainly roar in the mornings.
I was very lucky with my fellow guests who were two bright young teachers from the North of England who were very kind to include me in their adventurous outings. The house is situated up a fairly steep hill from the village of Aes and about 2.5 km from Puente Viesgo. We were often assisted with transport by Fernando and Merce.
A leisurely breakfast was served at 0900 hrs and classes were held from 1000 hrs to about 1400 hrs when lunch was served. Particular diets were well catered for. The afternoons/ evenings were free with supper from about 2030 onwards. On occasions there were lively discussions after the meal.

The tuition was very good and I overcame some problems that were impeding my learning of Spanish. I class myself as a beginner although I have attended Local Education Authority classes for some two years.We were provided with course notes. Fernando is a gifted teacher and the classes were informal. There was much emphasis on the importance of correct pronounciation.

Aes , the local village, has a small supermarket by the roundabout. The main facilities are found in Puente Viesgo including a 4 Star hotel with the best Spa I have ever visited. The cave paintings are well worth a visit but the cave floors are very slippery and there are few handholds. We were assured that the churros of Los Terrazos were renowned and they were very good. Everywhere we went people were friendly and helpful. I want to go again and I think having a car would increase the range of places to visit as public transport is rather infrequent. A great experience and whole heartedly recommended both for improving one's Spanish and experiencing life in a Spanish family albeit one who spoke english well and put one at ease by their informality and friendliness.
I cannot recommend the experience too highly.

We really enjoyed our week's stay with Fernando and his family. The lessons were interesting and fun. We went out exploring the Cantabrian countryside in the afternoons. Merche provided us with fabulous meals which we ate with the family and other students, and I had a lesson in how to make a tortilla. We benefited from the immersion in Spanish and would love to go back again. Nos lo pasamos bien!

My wife and I have just returned from a week with Fernando, Merche, Raquel and Victoria. We were welcomed into their home like family members and spent a wonderful week practicing our Spanish and exploring the area. Fernando is an excellent teacher and Merche also helps with advice and corrections. We met a number of their relatives and friends which added to the experience. It's a beautiful part of the world with great walks and some wonderful prehistory to explore. Puente Viesgo is within easy walking distance along the Via Verde path along the river and offers several bars, restaurants and a spa. Here you can meet other hispanohablantes to continue improving your Spanish. A week of total immersion with very little English heard or spoken and an experience we will never forget. Muchas gracias por todo.

Thank you to Fernando and Merche for a wonderful week spent in their beautiful home in Puente Viesgo. They were both very welcoming from the start. It was a brilliant way to learn Spanish, as you can immerse yourself in the culture at meal times and during free time as well as the Spanish lessons. We were even able to go horse riding, to visit the famous spa and we even saw a Fiesta in a neighbouring village. Thanks again for such a brilliant experience!

This course should be at the top of the SKE courses from the DfE website. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to brush-up on their Spanish, whatever their level. Combining online courses with an on site intensive course is a game changer. By being immersed in a true Spanish environment in a "home away from home" truly is the best way I have found to get up to speed, fast. Being part of an authentic Spanish family and setting enables you to get to know the language but more importantly the local lingo, the culture. If you want to learn Spanish, improve your language skills because you lack regular practice, then what better option? I am very happy that I have stumbled upon this course. I was after a course that combines theory and practice. I am glad to have taken part in that course. You will learn the tricks to tackle common and tricky grammar mistakes made by British or European native speakers when learning Spanish. I particularly enjoyed learning how to correct my mistakes, how to use simple tactics to avoid these mistakes in the future and how to best pass on your skills. Last but not least, the surroundings are idyllic, peaceful. You will learn the imperative tense with a lovely dog called Ukra and Alexa! The weather is full of surprises in a good way. It is Spain so the sun will be there to boost your mood and learning. Local specialties will delight you and your taste buds every day. You will come back with a much improved Spanish command and feel closer to this wonderful culture and rich, beautiful language. Nothing beats staying with an upbeat Spanish family to elevate your language skills. Being exposed to Spanish 24/7 will force you to speak and use a wide range of vocabulary. Seize the opportunity to attend this course and learn from experienced teachers who care about your success and want you to do well. I am back feeling motivated to pursue learning and improved Spanish language skills and teaching techniques that will serve me and my students well for years to come. Thank you the Spanish Course team.

Fernando and his family are so welcoming. The rooms are clean, tidy and comfortable. We were taught how to make paella 🥘 by Fernando and Merche taught us how to make tortilla de patatas. I make the latter every week now. My kids love them! Lessons were taught from Monday - Friday. Fernando is a fantastic teacher! Thank you for a brilliant week! Gracias 😊

I cannot recommend this place enough. After initially feeling slightly apprehensive about staying with a family, my fears were immediately cast aside as the whole family are so very welcoming. They are a lot of fun , very interesting and make you feel at home straight away.
We were lucky to have lovely rooms to ourselves with ensuite bathrooms and a key. The house is large with a classroom and outside seating areas for eating each day. The home cooked food was absolutely wonderful .
The lessons were from 10 am till 1pm each day , Fernando and Merche are very interesting, keen,
excellent teachers and followed a clear , well constructed booklet with speaking, listening and written tasks which I found very enjoyable.
Once the lessons were completed, there was plenty of time each day to explore the beautiful surroundings. The family have bikes to borrow and in the bottom of the valley is the old railway line which is now a cycle/ walking/ running path often running alongside a picturesque river.There are plenty of interesting places to stop off; a monastery, waterfalls, parks, villages and bars to name a few.
Puente Viesgo is a beautiful village nearby with a handful of good bars and restaurants to try. There is also the Gran Hotel which has a fabulous spa where we spent a relaxing afternoon. The caves above the village in the pointy hill are also well worth a visit , aswell as the geographical features there are also the oldest discovered cave paintings in the world!!
The whole week was just fantastic and I would love to return.

Fernando and his family were incredibly welcoming and offered courses at all levels. Highly recommend this homestay course!

I would strongly recommend to anyone who would like to visit Spain or learn Spanish at this great place and the beautiful people inside and out. 100out 100 for the location and for the hospitality 👌😍

Really really good. I strongly recommend it.