Vacation in Translation: Why You Should Try a Language Study Trip

“Some seniors hesitate to do homestays,” Rodriguez says, “but as most of the hosts are also 50-and-over and retirees, if you want to have someone local in your own age group to meet and learn from, you should really choose this option.”

When staying with a Spanish family, “you will literally find yourself thinking in Spanish by the end of even two weeks,” says student Bill Valentino, 76, who has done multiple study trip homestays through Lingua Service since he was 65.

StudyTravel offers “Golden Age” programs for adults 50 and older, with classes in France, Spain and Italy. These programs are “designed specifically for the needs of older students who like to dive into a new culture while learning a language,” says StudyTravel’s Grim, with “teachers specialized in working with this group of students.” Pricing for these two-week programs ranges from about $700 to $1,200 for classes only, with lodging beginning at about $500 for a host family stay.

Fluenz students and faculty members pose together in Mexico City.​​

courtesy of Fluenz

Latin American language immersion programs

The Fluenz program I attended is an example of an upscale language study trip in Latin America. Based in Mexico City, Fluenz Spanish immersion programs are also offered in seven other locations across Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica, with six new destinations coming in 2024.

Fluenz features a personalized teaching curriculum, boutique hotel lodging, meals and exclusive tours. At $6,535 for the week, Fluenz isn’t cheap, but it is inclusive of most meals, airport transfers, tours and private instruction. My Mexico City program included a private evening tour of the National Museum of Anthropology and expert cultural lectures paired with mezcal tastings.

These are not traditional rigid rote memorization classes. “We recognize the brain changes after about age 12,” says Fluenz cofounder Carlos Lizarralde. “So we’ve designed a nonlinear teaching style to overcome typical roadblocks adults may have with foreign languages.” The average age of Fluenz students is about 50 years old.

I concluded my weeklong program with a head full of Spanish grammar and phrases, a deeper appreciation for Mexico City, and a strong desire to further develop my newfound skills.

So whether your language interest is in French, Spanish or Italian, and your travel desires focus on Europe or Latin America, now may be a good time to research and book a language study vacation. It’s never too late to learn, or too early to start planning.