University Pathway Express

This was a great experience which greatly improved my Spanish skills, even though I was only there for two weeks. Started at 10 hours a week, but increased to 20 hours the second week because the class was so enjoyable. The facility was in a nice location, easily accessible. The teacher (Maria) was excellent. She is very skilled at assessing each student's abilities and ensuring that they remain engaged in the class. She makes the students comfortable in their participation even as some students are more hesitant than others. This seemed to accelerate the learning process. The group was mixed in ages and cultures, but everyone was very collegial which made the classes fun. Based on this experience, I am hoping to return sometime next year and study there for a longer period. There was nothing I can think of that I didn't like about the program.

I liked the classes, various ways of teaching such as reading, exercises, games and story telling. Adara is also a good teacher, I liked the ways she interacted with the class with humor, made the atmosphere much more relaxing. My apartment was shared with two other people, but was bigger than I expected with 2 bathrooms and a decently sized living room. Only downside is that it`s about 30 minutes by metro from the school, and that the walls are thin.

I liked the classes (I was in B2), the teachers, the location, and the facilities.
Even though I was in Madrid for one week only, everything worked out really well. The teachers were nice and very committed, the curriculum included a healthy mix of grammar, exercises, discussions, and a lot of cultural information about current topics and events. The location is easy to get to by public transport or walking, and there are a lot of nice cafes and restaurants nearby. The facilities are modern and clean, and the class rooms albeit small are big enough for the small group size (we were only 6 people most of the time).
If I have to criticize anything it was the fact that half way through the week a new student was added to the group who only showed up on one day and then was gone again. I felt like this interrupted our group dynamics a bit.
But all in all, I had a really great time and would recommend the school to anyone.

The school was fun and well structured. I really enjoyed the class and it had many interesting activities. Since I only stayed for one week I didn’t join any of the activities but there were fun activities for reasonable price. I chose shared apartment for accommodation, the location was nice and flatmates were good but it was a bit too warm since there were no fans or air conditioners.

I really liked the way of the teachers teaching. It was a great mix of actual lecture and playful games which created a comfortable environment among the group. Everyone was really nice and I really liked that the sizes of the groups were so small, thanks to that you got to know the people in your group really fast which I also believe helped to create the nice environment in the classroom. Amazing staff which all always was happy and smiling and were great help when needed. Amazing program and studies which I truly recommend!

The classes were very personal with attention to every student. The teachers were very patient, nice and funny. The vibe in the classes was very fun, yet I had the feeling that I learned a lot. The school was also very nicely located near the centre of Madrid, and a 20 min walking distance from the accomodation. The apartment unfortunately didn’t have windows in the kitchen, the showers were in the kitchen and there was no air conditioning. But altogether it was a really great (learning) experience and Madrid made it so much better because it’s such a great city.

The location (nice and quiet part of Madrid) was really nice. The class was challenging for me but I learned a lot. I met some neat people. I was happy my wife and I were able to take classes at the same time, even though we were in different levels, so I’m happy that was accommodated. My private lessons with Carlos were really helpful. The staff was organized, too.

For me, Academia Contacto was perfect. They have amazing and really committed teachers. Spanish class were never really boring and they made the lessons always different and interesting. Every problem I had was directly solved and I made super good friends there. I would recommend academia Contacto to everyone who wants to learn Spanish in Madrid.

Classes - small friendly group of students, mostly younger but I didn't feel out of place. All with different reasons for learning Spanish
I would have liked more time but had 7 weeks to practice while walking the Camino Frances and travelling in Andalusia.
Teacher - Melania handled the immersive experience very well, given the class differences in relative age, ability and experience. Good links between culture and language
Location - lovely area, really enjoyed staying in the apartment and being able to walk to the school. Central and I was able to easily access places I wanted to visit after classes.
Facilities - Very small rooms but worked well enough for our group.
Housing - see above. I haven't shared an apartment with very young people (apart from my own kids) for a very long time, but it worked well enough for 1 week. Comfortable and central.
Activities - I was not there long enough to participate and they were probably better suited to younger people.

The academy itself was okay. The teacher was good and helpful. But I didn't think the atmosphere was that great. It was distant and unsociable. What bothered me was that students arrived late and sometimes skipped a day and still had questions about the subject matter from the day/ days before.

Living.
The room was in a good neighborhood and the apartment was neat and rdly complete. However the apartment was in a basement and therefore cold during the day. But in the afternoon the heating came on and it was bloody hot in the room. No possibility to control the heating. The living room where the TV was located was not heated and therefore terribly cold. I could only sit on the couch with a load of duvet over me and feet off the floor. The room I was in seemed clean, but on closer inspection it was not. The doorposts were dirty and there were long hairs everywhere. On the doors on the floor and under the desk. When I had to remove one of the drawers under the bed because something had fallen, I found that there was a huge load of dust under there. No wonder I was suffering froThe bathroom reeked of sewage. I put a plastic bag filled with water on the shower drain and that helped somewhat. Because also from the sink came an unpleasant smell. This too is not conducive to health.
In the kitchen there were two burned pans that could no longer be usedb. I was already cooking so I quickly bought a frying pan across the street and handed in the receipt to Mario, the owner of the school (I was told I should have asked first). I think they should make sure the equipment is in earshot, the other pan was never replaced. m shortness of breath and coughing (I am allergic to dust mites).

Everything was perfect. I had my morning classes with Mayka who’s an incredible teacher and the most wholesome person who I’ve ever met in my entire life. The classes were fun and very useful. In the afternoon I had conversation classes with Diego who’s also an amazing person and teacher. The classes were so much fun and I absolutely loved them. It was a great experience. I actually didn’t want to leave, but I had to come home which is so sad. I definitely want to come back in the future. My spanish skills and knowledge improved a lot during the two weeks, which is why I just took a spanish language exam and I really hope I’ll pass it. Thanks to Academia Contacto, I have a lot more confidence to talk in spanish, which is great. Thank you so much!

I generally found the classes engaging, and felt that the teacher explained well. I felt that things were very well organised and the staff were all really friendly.

One thing that made class difficult was that there were a lot of students, sometimes 12 in one class, with a very wide range of abilities. Tis made it hard for the teacher to explain in a way that suited everyone, and at times I felt the class was not challenging enough for me because of that. It would have been better as 2 classes i think.

if there were activities outside of class i didn't know about it.

Overall, my experience at Academia Contacto was brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed the teaching and I thought it was very organised and I learned a lot in the small amount of time I was there. My class was good fun and my teacher, Lucía, was amazing - good fun as well as being a fantastic teacher. The facilities are great and the is great too. It is an easy walk to the centre. Housing was very easy - easily commutable and friendly host. One slight criticism is my class was quite big (ended up being about 13 people towards the end). I remember reading on the website the classes were not going to be that big, however, it didn't interfere with my learning.

I totally loved the environment of the school even though I only took 10 hours course but still was very effective.

I didn't know what to expect with Academia Contacto but it ended up exceeding my expectations. I wasn't sure if a small school like this would provide the education, I was looking for, but it was actually a great benefit. The professors and administrative staff knew me well and were very attentive to my needs. When I had to make changes to my schedule, the staff was very accommodating. With the classes and my private tutor sessions, I feel like I now have a good grasp of the Spanish language. The only recommendation I would offer is for the school to include outside activities and/or excursions to enhance the learning experience. But overall, my experience was excellent!

The classes were well-planned (in advance).
The teachers I had were patient and kind.
The location of the school was pretty central and easy to get to from anywhere in Madrid basically.
The facilities of the school were new, modern and comfortable.

The apartment I got to stay at in Madrid via the school was ok.
It had no AC and during the hear wave it was nearly impossible to sleep there.
In the street, the garbage collection was around 2am, and it made me fall asleep late...
The shower, kitchen and room were new and comfortable.
The location of the apartment was perfect.

Overall the school was excellent. Irene was a fantastic and enthusiastic teacher who made all the classes fun and engaging. The housing was very central in Madrid and provided easy access to everything. I met tons of great people there and it was an amazing experience.

Прекрасные преподаватели, дружелюбная атмосфера, отличная подача материала. Удобное расположение и расписание занятий

I loved my experience at Academdia- although I had some background in Spanish, there were several things I didn't understand prior, and I felt so comfortable asking questions when need be. My teacher Sergio was lovely, you could see he genuinely cares for his students.

My time in Madrid at Academia Contacto was incredible.

Initially, I was only supposed to do two hours a day, but once I got to Spain and realized how bad I was at Spanish, I added the other two hours that made up a "full" class for the day. Even though the classes were four hours, I never got bored. There were many days when I lost track of time and was surprised that class was over. My teacher, Lolita, was fantastic. Her classes felt more like a bunch of friends hanging out instead of a traditional boring language class.

The classes are completely in Spanish and I couldn't understand much of what was going on for the first few weeks. I also wasn't very comfortable speaking. Even though it took me a bit longer to get what was going on, Lolita would always explain things slower or differently when I didn't understand something important. There was no pressure for me to speak before I was ready, which gave me the space I needed for my comprehension to improve enough for me to fully participate in class.

About halfway through my time there, I added one-on-one conversation classes to help with growing my vocab specific to my interests. The one-on-one was incredibly helpful in boosting my confidence in speaking. Every week my teacher, Andrea, and I would choose the topics for each day and then we would just talk about them. It was very relaxed and, just like the other classes, it felt like friends just talking from day one.

The location of Academia Contacto is very central and close to a couple of different metro lines. The facilities are really nice as well. I was a big fan of the air conditioning during the heat waves that hit Madrid since my apartment didn't have air conditioning. I stayed in two different apartments, the first being about a 20 minute metro ride from the school and the second being a 10 minute walk. The second was way nicer than the first, mostly because my room had more space and a huge window.

I didn't get involved with any of the school's activities, so I can't speak to them, but I can say that there was always someone organizing something or a group going out to do something after class. Activities were never hard to find even if they weren't necessarily organized by the school.

The best part of this whole experience by far was the people I met. It was stressful and lonely to go to a new country where I didn't really speak the language, but having Academia Contacto there to encourage making friends and feeling comfortable with whatever Spanish level I had made all the difference. Between the other students at the school, my roommates, and the teachers I had, I made many friends that I continue to keep in contact with.

I can't recommend Academia Contacto highly enough!

¡Muchísimas gracias por todo!

I spent three weeks of vacation in Madrid and this time included 10 hours of Spanish class each week. It was a very nice arrangement to be able to be a tourist and a student. I felt like I got to know the city and the people better than if I were just a tourist. I enjoyed the school very much, it was in a great location and they were very flexible with placing me in a class that suited my learning level and preferred meeting time. I was pleased with the progress I made in learning Spanish during that time and I look forward to continuing my studies. If I'm ever in Madrid again, I plan to study again at this school.

The classes were structured well and not overpacked with students. This was great as it enabled for more participation from everyone and, at the same time, helped us getting to know each other better more quickly. I also took afternoon individual classes. These were excellent too as they were tailored to anything I wanted to learn or topics I was struggling with.

All my teachers were amazing. They were kind, funny and very knowledgeable. This made learning really interesting and enjoyable the entire time. I liked the variety of activities they used for teaching, especially the class Kahoots!

My apartment was located 30 minutes away by foot, or 20 minutes by tube. Although a little far, I actually enjoyed traveling to school in the morning as I got to see different parts of Madrid that I wouldn't have seen if located closer. I shared an apartment with two flat mates who were all very nice. The apartment had everything except for AC in the bedrooms. Luckily we had AC in the living room, but having it in the bedroom would have made sleeping in the Madrid heat a bit easier XD.

The school had all the facilities needed for a nice learning environment.

I had seen a sign for after school activities, however they weren't talked about and didn't seem to be running. I didn't mind too much as I was going out around Madrid with my flat mates, but it would have been nice if these afterschool activities had been organised / available.

Overall, I really loved my stay at the school, so much so that I extended 1 week stay into a two week stay! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who would want to improve or learn Spanish.

I was only there for two weeks. The class wasn't too hard and the teachers I met were all really nice and dedicated.
I think it can be important to know English well and maybe another similar language like French or Italian, just so it's easier to learn, but if not, the teachers were so patient.
The school was pretty central and I had an accommodation that was close, which was super convenient. The people that hosted me were so sweet.
I still think of the time and wish I could have stayed longer
Thank youu<3

Teachers and atmosphere are super nice.

Good and engaged teachers ensured learning. I can recommend the one to one lessons. The school is well organized and they make sure that you get the necessary details. The only thing that was a bit frustrating was the poor acoustics in the classrooms. The housing provided through the school was fine.

I took classes for a total of six months and I learned a lot. I thought my teacher was very good at her job, but I would have enjoyed having a different one sometimes just because I enjoy change. Having the same teacher four hours a day for six months was a little exhausting. I found everyone else to be very welcoming and the textbooks were comprehensive.

I loved to be in Madrid with Academia Contacto. My first teacher Alba was super fun. Never got bored in her classes. My second teacher Paola was fun as well and she taught me a lot. The house I stayed in was nice, it was a bit cold. Sometimes the heater didn’t work but the location was good. Our landlady Palmira was really attentive and took good care of us. The location of the school was great. It was quite central.

Our teacher, Laura created a dynamic competitive and fun group, while also taking on board our individual goals. With her guidance in just 4 weeks I gathered enough knowledge to follow simple conversations.
The location is very central and easy to find. The interior design of the academy is nice and welcoming, however there was an ongoing issue with the projectors that have the life of their own. These technical glitches took some minutes away from learning (hopefully an easy fix).
Altogether it was a very nice experience, thank you all!

There is really nothing bad I can say about Academia Contacto. Everything, from the location to the classes and teachers, was absolutely amazing and was the biggest help I have ever received in my Spanish studies.

I was taught by Lola in my group class, who was simply the best, she was so charismatic and always full of energy and her classes were very interesting & enjoyable. Additionally, she was also extremely clear and precise when explaining complex topics such as Spanish grammar, which I always struggled with beforehand, but thanks to her teaching I now understand completely. I then had an hour of one to one teaching everyday with Alba, in which we focused mainly on my spoken Spanish. I was dreading this the most as i hadn’t properly spoken Spanish in a very long time and I thought i would feel under a lot of pressure.

However this was not the case at all, Alba made me feel so comfortable and by the third day I was having full on conversations and debates with her without any problems, she made me feel confident in speaking Spanish again and was someone I will never forget. The school is an incredible way to immerse yourself in Spanish language and culture, while making friends from all over the world. It was also basically at the heart of Madrid which made it easy to explore the city after classes and was also easily accessible to everyone via public transport.

Academia Contacto are also reliable and organised when catering to everyone’s individual needs and are great in finding the perfect accommodation and transport for each student. I stayed in a house with a lady called Norka, who was lovely and very welcoming. She only spoke Spanish which was great for practice, and I felt very at home in my two weeks stay with her. Both breakfast and dinner were included, but if I wanted to eat dinner with my friends instead or go out at night it was never an issue with her.

In general, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is looking to learn Spanish or who wants to expand their horizons a little bit, it was truly an unforgettable experience that I would definitely like to do again.

While I did not stay in the provided housing I did enjoy my experience taking language classes at Academia Contacto. I had never learned Spanish before and my teacher was helpful in getting my class through the basics in order to learn helpful phrases.