I spent several afternoons practicing my Spanish in the local shops and interviewing for teaching positions at nearby English language schools. My teacher remained at my side, critiquing my performance after each encounter. If you are lucky, your teacher will include you in some aspect of his or her home life, such as a birthday party or a home-cooked meal. All the schools I attended used the grammar-translation teaching method. There appear to be little interest in more modern approaches.
Teacher quality varies.
The more advanced your Spanish language skills, the better chance you will have to get one of the school s senior and most skilled teachers. Many schools take on charitable activities in their neighborhoods, and you may find yourself volunteering to teach deprived kids or helping on a construction project after classes. Except for the roundtrip airfare, the language study vacation is extremely economical. Use the weekends to see other parts of the country and, if it seems worthwhile, skip some classes to see more. Your instructor gets paid anyway and may offer to go with you if you pay travel expenses.