Program Description | Host Family & Community | Host School | Travel | Orientations & Activities | Eligibility
Program Description
At the crossroads of Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic, Spain has a fascinating history and a wildly diverse culture. There are four official languages – Catalan, Galician, Basque (Euskara), and Spanish – and a variety of local cuisines, lifestyles, festivals, architecture and music. Embrace the diversity and get to know Spain as a local.
As an AFSer in Spain, you’ll live with a host family while studying at a local high school in one of three curricula: Science, Humanities, or Technology.
Your local chapter may organize get-togethers for AFS students or excursions to other cities or regions in Spain. Also, over the course of the program, AFS staff and volunteers will hold orientations to help you evaluate your progress, help with your cultural adjustment, and make sure things are running smoothly.
Language
Spain has four official languages – Catalan, Galician, Basque (Euskara), and Spanish. As Spain is a multi-lingual nation, AFS places students in all communities, including those in which Spanish is not the primary language spoken at home or in school. If you are considering Spain primarily to improve your Spanish, be aware that you will be speaking other languages quite often as Spain boasts many different regional dialects.
70% of the students hosted in Spain are placed in bilingual communities where Catalan, Basque, Galician or Valencian is the primary language spoken in school and by your hostfamily. Despite the multi-lingual nature of Spain, Spanish-language study is compulsory in all schools and many people are bilingual so you will still have the opportunity to practice your Spanish.
The ability to speak these languages, or Spanish, is not a prerequisite for the program but we suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Host Family & Community
Students are placed throughout Spain, though most placements (approx. 60%) are in urban areas. 30% are classified as suburban placements and the remaining 10% are rural. Some students are even placed in the Canary or Balearic Islands!
Host families in Spain, like all AFS host families worldwide, are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Spaniards
Spaniards are more inclined to identify with their particular region than with the country as a whole.
Spanish families are typically open and welcoming, eager to make a good impression. Spanish families—including the extended family—tend to be close-knit, visiting each other frequently and sharing in large weekend gatherings. Family roles are modernizing in Spain, as they are around the world, and more and more women have jobs outside the home; but traditionally, the mother manages the household while the father works outside the home. Because homes and apartments in Spain tend to be small, siblings often share rooms.
Teens
After school, Spanish teens often attend lectures, concerts and sporting events. Soccer (or futbol) is easily the most popular sport.
Perhaps because of the climate and long daylight hours, Spaniards begin socializing later in the day and end later at night than their European neighbors. On weekends, teens often stay out late, going to movies, parties or hanging out together at the local café or town square.
Meals
While each region of Spain has its own food specialties, Spanish cuisine reflects the country’s many historical influences. Generally speaking, Spanish cooking is Mediterranean in style with liberal use of olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes and peppers.
In keeping with European tradition, lunch is the main meal of the day and is served around 2 or 3 p.m. Dinner is at 9 p.m. or later, and most families eat together.
Fish and seafood are abundant, but Spanish cooking emphasizes red meat and pork which are eaten nearly every day. Applicants who require a vegetarian diet will be difficult to place.
Host School
You will most likely be enrolled in a public high school in one of three curricula: Science, Humanities, or Technology. AFS students are normally placed in 4º ESO, 1º Bachillerato, or 2º Bachillerato, which correspond to 10th, 11th and 12th grade. Your placement will depend on your age and your studies at your home school.
Depending on the region in which you are placed, classes will be taught in Castillian Spanish, Catalan (in Catalonia), Galician (in Galicia), or Euskara (in Basque country).
Students attend school Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 2:30pm or 3:00pm, depending on the school.
Check out the Host School FAQ (.pdf).
Travel
You will receive a Travel Notification email about 6 weeks prior to international departure with your international itinerary and detailed instructions for how and when to arrange your domestic travel. At that point, you may book your domestic travel to New York where you will join other AFS-USA participants for a Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Madrid.
International airfare is included as part of the tuition, but it is your responsibility to get from your home town to the Gateway Orientation site.
Your Arrival
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between New York and Madrid, the capital city of Spain. After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to an overnight arrival orientation site in the outskirts of Madrid. After the orientation, you and the other students placed in your region will travel by bus or train (or by plane, if you are hosted off the mainland) to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
Your Return
You travel back to Madrid for a final orientation the night before departure. You will then fly back to New York with the other AFS participants at the end of your program.
Orientations & Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the locally held Pre-Departure Orientation, the Culture Trek online orientation, and the national Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
These required orientations are intended to help you maximize your AFS experience, prevent culture shock and to gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding.
Arrival Orientation
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Madrid. This will be a 1 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective. This is an international orientation so you’ll have the opportunity to meet other AFSers from around the world.
Mid-Stay Orientations
Within the first 2 weeks, you will have another orientation which will be organized at the local level. This will last for 1-2 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first weeks and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
You will also be offered a 1-2 day mid-stay orientation about halfway through your stay. Once again, this will be a time to meet with staff and volunteers, evaluate the first half of your experience, and gain more tips to aid your cultural adjustment.
End-of-Stay Orientation
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
Optional Activities
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Spain. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are not included in the tuition.
Eligibility
To participate in this program, you must:
- Be within the age range upon departure (located in the ‘read more’ drop-down)
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with AFS Medical Evaluation Policies
- Have a U.S. passport at the time of application. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the program end date
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
Participation Notes
Strict vegetarianism will not be accommodated by AFS Spain.
AFS Spain is not able to accept students who have graduated from high school.
The ability to speak any of the languages spoken in Spain is not a prerequisite for the program, but we suggest that you learn as much as Spanish as possible prior to departure.
AFS Spain cannot guarantee a non-smoking environment.
