Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus (SLU)

You need to go outside the university to speak Spanish, or you can opt to take a lot of courses in Spanish. Its easy to make friends outside the university though, so just go out to some local bars and meet some local spaniards. Metro stop Universidad...I think was the name I can't remember...anyways there's a bar over by the spanish universities and i can't recall the name...but if you just go to where all the spanish dorms are you end up there...CAMPUS that's the name. Big hang out for local Spanish students...SLU students never go there, but I did and its cool. The bartended makes this incredible lemon drink. Also, around September they'll be doing the freshman initiation ceremonies at their dorms and the upper classman make the freshman do stupid things. If you go to local parks during this time of year you'll see it. But be careful in that area while walking around dorms and high rise apartment buildings...people dump buckets of bleach out their windows onto the freshman below.

for those who went to SLU to actually learn spanish, i saw it as a challenge because of the large population of americans at the school. many friends of mine were there for two years and they left knowing just as much as when they arrived...not too much. you have to make an effort to learn spanish because americans are everywhere.

Its pretty tough at times, especially if you are at a pharmacy and need medication-and have to explain what you need in Spanish, but thats all apart of the experience. You have to embarrass yourself a little if you want to get anywhere. Live and learn!

living with a family taught me more than i had learned in the past years of studying here. making spanish friends and going out with them helped me. forget the books, talk to people.

it is easy to be immersed into the Spanish language in Madrid, because not so many Spainards speak English, so it forces you to practice, which is good

All my Spanish classes were in Spanish as well as a few business courses. I loved it and really improved my vocabulary.