Bildungsurlaub Spanish (group course)

Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC)

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Course description

This course is for you if you like to make the best of your Bildungsurlaub and focus on learning Spanish while travelling abroad.

You will be in an intensive learning environment together with other students in a mini-group of max. 7 students. You will improve your grammar knowledge and enhance your speaking proficiency.

The Bildungsurlaub-course is offered on all language levels: from total beginner to advanced.

Classes are from Monday till Friday. One lesson is 45 minutes. With this group course, you will have six (6) Spanish lessons per day, usually four (4) lessons in the morning from 9am till 12:30pm including a 30-minute break and two (2) additional lessons in the afternoon. Depending on the amount of different course levels at a time group courses sometimes might take place completely in the afternoon. The school retains the right to determine the timetable of the lessons.

In some German states, 40 lessons are required for Bildungsurlaub. For those states, please calculate with 90 minutes extra time in addition for self-study and supervised homework.

If there is an official holiday (see dates when the school will be closed), IIC offers for Group Courses an optional 2-hour “Spanish & Culture“-group class for compensation.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-2 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
30 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 45 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
25 Dec 2024

Class times

Morning session
09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning session
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Lunch
12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Afternoon session
01:30 PM - 03:00 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Sosua.

Class size

Average 3 students
Maximum 7 students

Student age

Age range 16 years old and older
Average 32 years old
(28 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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Photos

  • Hotels offered by Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 1/18
  • Hotels offered by Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 2/18
  • Activities offered at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 3/18
  • Common room at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 4/18
  • Students of Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 5/18
  • Common room at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 6/18
  • Building of Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 7/18
  • Reception of Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 8/18
  • Building of Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 9/18
  • Activities offered at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 10/18
  • Classes at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 11/18
  • Activities offered at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 12/18
  • Students of Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 13/18
  • City of Sosua 14/18
  • Activities offered at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) 15/18
  • City of Sosua 16/18
  • City of Sosua 17/18
  • City of Sosua 18/18
reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 9 reviews
5 stars
6
4 stars
2
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Very nice language school with great teachers and excellent staff"

Martin Müller, student from Germany

I had 2 weeks of private Spanish classes.
The school is close to the center of Sosua and its beach. But it is in opposite to Sosua an island of relaxation. The staff was always very friendly, offered coffee and were ready for a small chat.
My teacher was great and I could always demand what I wanted to learn that day.
I coming back again!
Thanks a lot!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
13 Feb 2023 - 24 Feb 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was an experience."

Patricia Wade, student from USA

The mandatory pretest to determine ability level was ignored. Teacher told me it didn't measure anything and had me do another test of hers and determined me at a very low level and taught me as such. My level determined by the school's pre-evaluation test had been B1/B2. She was teaching me basic information I already knew, such as conjugating verbs in the present and preterite, and teaching me about pronouns.

The speaking domain was significantly ignored. The teacher spoke the most. After four weeks I received a certificate for level C1, which would be a miracle for the most intelligent person. How was the growth to C1 measured when there was not an exit exam? I did not receive what I paid for, nor what I expected. But, I made the best out of the situation.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
14 Jan 2019 - 8 Feb 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja Hölzer M.A. | Lic. Victoriano Perez, Director International Relations | Director IIC Sosua at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
21 February 2019

Add-on Sept2021: The student is continuing to study Spanish with us online to this day. She passed her exam.

RE Feb2019: Thank you for taking the time to share your impressions and providing your review. We appreciate it and we are very sorry that you have been discontent with your class at our school. Indeed, your pretest did not measure your level adequately and we are sorry for the inconvenience. Since we had been informed that you are on C2-level, we had sent out our advanced test; though when receiving your test last minute the Friday before your course start, we, together with your teacher, then considered it more appropriate to ask you to take our other pretest on a more adequate level on site. Accordingly, along our level system (we work along the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages CEFR), your proficiency level was then determined as completed B1/ entering B2-level, showing selectively already skills and knowledge of B2-level (sic! repetitions of subjunctive present and imperfect as part of your course content).

Regarding the certificate: Towards the end of your program, you started working on course content and materials of the C1-level which, considering your total amount of 120 lessons of class and following our course curriculum, places you on a (starting) C1-level. Our certificates for regular courses are certificates of participation, stating the highest course level a student has been working on along the CEFR, though not stating that a student has completed a certain level. This, of course, would require oral and written testing at the end of class, which we do only on request, e.g. for academic credits, demanding an official transcript.

We are very sorry that you, in the end, felt unprepared for passing an exam you obviously intended to take back home. We would have loved to serve you better. As explained to your agency prior to your booking, we do only DELE exam preparations; these follow a completely different curriculum and testing method, and are available in private tuition only. We do not prepare for other national nor international Spanish exams, in particular not in open group classes as in your course. Though, if we can support you in the further enhancement of your conversational skills, we are still gladly offering you the possibility to continue working with our professional, native-speaking teachers in online skype conversations.

"The teachers were fabulous!! I learned a lot and had an incredible time. Great people."

Shelah Shackelford, student from USA

The classes and teachers were phenomenal! Super engaging and kind. Location was spot on- perfect. Walking distance from the beach, restaurants, grocery shopping, and public transportation.
The facilities were decent but could use some upgrading if possible.
The activities were fabulous and very enjoyable. The housing was livable but could also use updating. (Mentioned bed in other message.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Date of study
1 Oct 2018 - 5 Oct 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja Hölzer, Director of International Relations at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
29 October 2018

Muchas gracias - thank you very much for your review. We are glad to have had you, happy that you loved your class and our location, and appreciative for your feedback on areas of improvement which we work on. Hope to see you again soon!

"Great School"

Hulda Pétursdóttir, student from Iceland

I started out in a group of three people and then went to a private class.
The staff is very nice and accommodating and the excursions that are offered to us are fun.
I don't regret my money what so ever and I'd recommend this school to anyone.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
30 Jul 2018 - 17 Aug 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja Hölzer, Director of International Relations at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
10 September 2018

¡Muchas gracias! Thank you very much for your kind review and are glad that you enjoy being with us - as we enjoy having you!

"Professional teachers, classes outdoors in beautiful surroundings, great and various activitys and excursions - excellent for people travelling alone."

Line Wickman, student from Norway

I had an exellent time here. I did not stay at the apartmens here, but they are really nice. I travelled alone, and met alot of new, interesting people at school. They arrange many excursions which you can choose to participate. This was at great help to see and enjoy nice attractions and places in the area. You can also ask if there's something you would like to do or see, and they will help you.

The school is situated in a beautiful area in Sosúa. I had classes outdoors, with a beautiful view over the green garden.

The classes were simply great. I had a highly qualified teacher for two weeks. He is very professional, with a great sense of humour and a great personality. He quickly evaluates your level of Spanish, and keeps doing so during your classes to adapt his classes for you to learn the best way possible. He uses a big repertoire of pedagogic tools/activities to make variations in class and for you to practice and learn in different ways. The most interesting part for me where the times when we just talked and discussed topics that came up, and new impressions of the Dominican culture - this was a great way to learn more about the country and the people as well as the Spanish language.

I highly recommend this school!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
3 Jul 2017 - 14 Jul 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja from IIC Spanish School, Director International Relations at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
16 August 2017

¡Muchísimas gracias! Thank you for taking the time to post your review. We enjoyed having you here with us very, very much and hope to see you again!

"Very organized and comprehensive"

Elizabeth Barlow, student from USA

Teaching was intense and still fun. School totally took care us--from hotel accommodations to excursions to see the country including seeing whales in Samana! There was great camaraderie among the students from many different countries. In class, our assignments and homework were to write about
ourselves, our country's food, holidays etc. We really wanted to share ourselves and learn about the other students.
It was not boring at all! I learned a lot of Spanish. There was nothing I didn't like and I plan on going back next year.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
9 Jan 2017 - 20 Jan 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja from IIC Spanish School, Director International Relations at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
16 August 2017

¡Muchas gracias! It was great having you and you made such great progress in your Spanish language skills! Hope to see you again. Muchos saludos cordiales de todos aqui de tu familia dominicana de la Casa Goethe/ IIC Spanish School

"Warm welcome, qualified teacher, great teaching materials"

Claire Champion, student from USA

Great classes, teacher and location. N/A activities and housing

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Date of study
29 Dec 2015 - 2 Jan 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja Hölzer M.A., Managing Director at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
08 April 2015

Muchas gracias, Claire. Thank you for taking the time to post your review. We are excited to see you again soon - ¡hasta luego!

"Learning Spanish in Sosua with a wonderful teacher - Sheilla"

Angela Conchita Isla, student from USA

IIC is located in the perfect area of Sosua. It is very convenient to the airport in Puerto Plata, local beaches along with the beaches in nearby cities, shopping and restaurants, and different types of transit services. The grounds are very nice and are in the local architectural style of the Republíca Dominicana. The housing is fair but could use updating and some repairs.

The administration, although extremely nice and helpful, could do a much better job in providing necessary information regarding local services at the very beginning, making certain that fixtures and equipment are working properly, and having more choices of low to moderate priced activities planned.

I liked both of my professors who were well-qualified. My 2nd professor, Sheilla, was amazing. She used a variety of teaching styles to meet the needs of everyone. Although I ended up being very pleased with Sheilla, I felt that my first week with a different teacher with a very different style of teaching was not very beneficial which made me feel like I did not get a full 3 weeks of studies. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5. I also think that I would have enjoyed learning w/ a more diverse group but overall the other students were nice. Also, I made some wonderful friendships which I am sure will last a lifetime and we will continue to help each other with Spanish.

Overall, I enjoyed IIC, and I am very happy with my Spanish Immersion experience with them.

Thanks much.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
15 Sep 2014 - 3 Oct 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja Hölzer M.A., Managing Director at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
08 April 2015

Hola Angela, thank you so very much for taking the time to give us your feedback also in this review. We are glad that you enjoyed your program with us at IIC and we appreciate your suggestions. This will help us to further improve our services, e.g. as we now provide information on the leisure program and possible independent activities through different channels on site. Infrastructure still is a challenge in our country, but it is improving as well step by step. We truly enjoyed having you here with us and hope to welcome you again soon. Saludos cordiales from the whole IIC/Casa Goethe team - ¡hasta luego!

"Great Time in Sosua, DR."

Valentin Hopf, student from Germany

I really enjoyed my stay there. Had a great time. My teacher was just brilliant, a lovely nice person, including teaching skills and really fitted into this work. The school's student adviser was also very nice and helpful in some orientation and other stuff. Classrooms were okay, the furnishing was a little bad, just plastic chairs, etc. The location and facilities overall were very good and clean. And it's really a beautiful place! That's it.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
5 weeks
Date of study
7 Oct 2013 - 15 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Tanja Hölzer M.A., Managing Director at Instituto Intercultural del Caribe (IIC) responded to this review.
08 April 2015

Hola Valentin, muchas gracias - thank you for taking the time to give this feedback. It was great to have you staying, learning, exploring, laughing, working hard with us and giving us the chance to getting to know you as a truly kind person during those intensive study weeks here with us in Sosua. We hope you will have many chances to continue practicing your Spanish. Muchos saludos de la familia IIC/Casa Goethe

housing

Housing

IIC Spanish School offers the following housing types:
hotel

Economy Hotel (single/ no meals) - (to be booked directly with the hotel)

NZ$ 564
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Sosua
Housing type: Hotel
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, free internet, air conditioning, and garden
Distance to school: 10 - 15 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
NZ$ 564
PLEASE NOTE:
Rates differ, depending on low/high season and availability.

No booking through the school; students make their own bookings directly with the hotel:

-> Tropix Hotel: www.tropixhotel.com
-> Hotel Las Palmeras: www.hotel-las-palmeras.com

No agency commission included.

HOTEL DESCRIPTION:
City hotel centrally located in Sosua El Batey. Shops,supermarkets, and restaurants in direct neighborhood; public transportation just opposite to the hotel. It takes about 10 minutes walking from hotel to school, same distance walking to the next beach.

Interior: Single room with private bathroom (shower/toilet), air conditioning, and TV.
Facilities & Services: WIFI for free. Pool and relaxation area and/or community kitchen/ public restaurant with bar service in hotel area.

Accommodation in single occupancy/ no meals (self-catering).

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PLEASE feel free to ASK FOR REFERENCE if you look for other types of accomodation in Sosua or in Cabarete.

CABARETE - surfers' haven: The town is located 15 minutes by public transport to Sosua. If you like to surf, windsurf, wingfoil or kite board, you may prefer to stay in Cabarete. We are glad to recommend hotels and private apartments of different standards.

Availability check, prices and bookings directly with the location (no agency commission included).
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Sosua based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

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