Don Quijote Salamanca

don Quijote was established in 1986 and its first school in Salamanca in 1989. We are exclusively geared towards teaching Spanish in Spain and Latin America and have become the leading specialist in this field. We use our years of experience, together with your wishes and preferences, to constantly fine-tune our services. don Quijote operates its own schools in Spain and Latin America, giving it absolute control over the quality of the courses. The don Quijote school in Salamanca is located in the heart of the old city centre. The building is 100 metres from the famous University of Salamanca and just two minutes away from the magnificent Plaza Mayor. The school is a beautiful restored 16th-century monastery. You enter the school through a lovely courtyard. This courtyard and the garden divide the school into three parts: the offices, the cafeteria and the classrooms. The main building has 3 floors, 17 classrooms, a recreation room, a library, a staff lounge and three offices.

The province of Salamanca (population 363.000), situated in the South-west corner of Castile & León on the borders with Extremadura and Portugal, covers an area of 12,336 sq. km (4,763 sq. m.). Lying on Spain's Northern Plateau (meseta), it forms part of the Duero river system where Paleozonic soils, poorly suited to cultivation, have resulted in a landscape of pastures, dotted with trees and bushy undergrowth. Winters tend to be relatively long, with minimum temperatures averaging around 6ºC (42.8ºF), while the summers (between May and September) are marked by average highs between 26ºC -32ºC (78.8ºF-89.6ºF). Nights can be cool, something which should be borne in mind by the traveller. Salamanca could never be said to be an exceedingly wet province (annual rainfall: 300-600 mm/11-23 inches), except in the Southern mountain ranges which receive over 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rain. This difference favours a great diversity of plant life, with holm oaks on the eroded flat lands, bushes and thicket in the foothills, and sizeable swathes of forest up in the mountains (sierra). Many a writer has evoked the stands of holm- and cork-oak, the thorn encloures, the slate walls and stone markers, a phenomenon that still endures to this day in the Salamancan countryside (Campo Salmantino). In brief, this is a terrain of pastures, of extensive grazing, where ranching coexists in perfect harmony with the local plants and vegetation. Yet not all is farming and livestock rearing. Industry assumes a high profile in the provincial capital of Salamanca and in smaller cities such as Béjar, while the service sector also plays an important role, particularly in education and teaching. The University of Salamanca is a century-old seat of learning of major importance which even today can claim to be one of Europe's most renowned universities. The origins of this UNESCO World Heritage City hark back to Celtic times. Salamanca boasts an international reputation as a centre of Spanish learning, and a long tradition of Spanish studies. Besides, Salamanca is large enough to offer the advantages of a big city while at the same time, it retains the friendly atmosphere of a small town while it is the perfect place to go out at night and have a good time.

At the don Quijote schools we use an interactive method of teaching based on learning by practice. That means that grammar is covered – after all, one of the key building blocks of any language- as much as possible by using practical situations. Speaking and actively using the language is central to the continuous interaction between teacher and student. don Quijote has refined the communicative teaching method by constantly evaluating and applying students suggestions. Successfully implementing the interactive method totally depends on the personal attention your teacher is able to give you. Our groups never have more than eight students on all intensive and super-intensive courses. We determine the make-up of the group according to students’ abilities. The first day of the course begins with an oral and written test. (Although, if you know you are a beginner, you will start directly in a beginners group). We work with six levels, fixing the goals for each based on our experience and in accordance with the curriculum of the Instituto Cervantes.

It is good to know that most of the host families have worked with us since the beginning. The families know from experience what the role of a host is. Accommodation in a host family allows you to get the maximum out of your course. Nowhere else will you so directly experience real Spanish life. Nothing could be better to help improve your language skills. The word “family” should not be taken too literally, because your family could also be just a single parent who takes in students because he or she enjoys the company. You wouldn’t be the first to go out together, or to keep in contact with your family after your return home. You can choose from a room with breakfast, half-board (breakfast and you can choose between a cooked meal in the afternoon at about two o’clock or light dinner at ten) or full-board (breakfast and two meals). It is obvious that you will have to adjust a little to the rules of the house. Remember, too, that locals have different eating habits. Apart from that, you are free to do what you want. You will be given your own keys, so you can come and go as you like. During your home-stay you will be able to receive phone calls. Sudent Flat: You share a student flat with four or five other don Quijote students. We always do our best to accommodate you in a student flat with different nationalities. However, the common language typically becomes English. We suggest that you should reach an agreement with one another speak as much Spanish as possible. The student flats are not very luxurious but they have all the basic facilities (a bed, chair and wardrobe). Each student flats has a living room with TV, a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine and iron. In student flats there are no telephones available. You can make phone calls from one of the many phone boxes. You share the kitchen and the bathroom and, together, keep the house clean. Shared areas are cleaned once per week.

The number and diversity of excursions to interesting places in the vicinity at the weekends is great. There is no question of a standard offering. The students have an important voice in the excursion destination. The excursions, for which you will pay a nominal fee, only go ahead if a sufficient number of people take part. The activities and excursions are announced weekly in the office, where you can go with any queries or to put your name down. Sports enthusiasts can really enjoy themselves at don Quijote: aerobics, basketball, fitness training, golf, hockey, swimming, football, tennis, horse riding and much more. Ask in the office about practising individual sports.