Why plan a Spanish school gap year? The most common reasons Ecela Spanish students sign up for our gap year programs abroad is to increase professional qualifications, discover new life passions and travel to some amazing places in the process. But before you commit to our gap year study abroad experience, you should first ask yourself what you want to get out of it. Are you looking for a specific kind of volunteer experience? Do you want to master a new language? Or is your goal to become proficient at a new skill?
Each of our Spanish school locations provide students with a long list of activities both in the classroom and out in the real world. So if you’re a recent graduate, in between semesters, changing career paths or just looking to gain new experiences, Ecela Spanish is the place to be. Our gap year study abroad programs are designed for people of any age and all walks of life.
Gap Year Abroad Details
- Choose Your Length – Your gap year abroad doesn’t have to be a full year in length. Ecela Spanish is flexible in allowing students who are interested in this program to plan in accordance with University schedules, work schedules, etc. It’s not uncommon for Ecela students to plan a gap year that’s equal to the length of a college semester.
- Field Exposure & Real Life Experiences – Our gap year programs abroad are one-part classroom work and one-part field work. This means you’ll get tons of immersive, real life experiences with the surrounding culture during your stay. Your gap year abroad can take place at just one Ecela school location or several. Request an information packet today to learn more about what each location has to offer.
- Earn up to 9 College Credits – Depending on the type of coursework you choose to get involved with during your gap year abroad, you’ll have the chance to receive up to 9 weeks of standard Spanish immersion coursework, which is the equivalent to three college semesters.
- Live with a South American Host – Like our other students, gap year students can choose to live with other students in a shared flat or live with a local host family. Housing is included in tuition.
Advantages of Taking a Gap Year Abroad
There are many reasons why Ecela Spanish’s gap year programs are beneficial, and oftentimes, a much better experience for students than the traditional education path:
- Focused Enthusiasm – Compared to the typical high school and college courses where students are forced to receive foreign language credit, Ecela Spanish students are excited to be in class and learning Spanish every day. Our students and staff are less interested in the grade and more interested in the experience. The result is a more focused learning environment with engaging back and forth discussion between classmates and teachers.
- Fully Immersive Spanish Environment – With a Spanish immersion gap year abroad, you can take full advantage of the brain’s ability to learn, process and comprehend a new language from the surrounding environment. Since you’ll be immersed in Spanish culture 24/7, you will quickly pick up on correct phrasings and expressions.
- Supportive Learning Community – At Ecela Spanish, you are not in a course for a grade. Our gap year study abroad students are a diverse group of people who’ve all come to the program for various reasons. In your class, you may have a Brazilian college student, an Australian journalist, a retired German teacher and a businesswoman from Texas. Each student is incredibly respectful and supportive of each other, and the same goes for our teaching staff. Everyone moving together in the same direction promotes a supportive community environment where students can encourage one another to take chances.
- Relevant Studies – Since you’ll have the chance to use your studies the same day you learn it, what you learn in class each day is much more relevant to everyday life. Not to mention, you will be able to take courses that focus on various special interests relevant to your personal career path.
- Intimate Class Sizes – With only a handful of students in each class, you’ll receive more frequent attention and likely be more engaged than you would in a larger lecture hall situation. Between the small classes and Spanish immersion experience, you’ll have constant opportunities to speak – an important area that’s often ignored in traditional Spanish classes and even self-study. You’ll find that as you speak, you will begin to remember more vocabulary. And each conversation you have will give you more confidence both in the classroom and out in the field.
A gap year abroad with Ecela Spanish will not only help you master a new language, but it will also offer plenty of opportunities to explore other interests you may have. Whether it’s healthcare, education, performance arts, social work, or psychology, we can help plan a gap year program that caters to your unique passions and needs.
Our gap year programs abroad are available for all ages and all levels of Spanish proficiency.