*I haven’t personally tried this program, so all info is from off of its website and testimonials rather from my own experience.
The Diverbo program offers native English speakers the opportunity to experience Spain while all of their meals and hotel accommodations are paid. This is in exchange for use of their conversational English.
When I first saw this program, my jaw dropped. It seemed too good to be true that I could get a week’s worth of a hotel stay somewhere in Spain just for speaking to people in my native language of English–something I love to do anyways!
What’s the program?
The Diverbo program offers Spanish speakers a week of total immersion of conversation with English speakers. Their website claims “Volunteers can enjoy a free week at one of our English-speaking villages. Our venues host English “talkathons” every week and we sponsor native English-speakers to be the protagonists!”
What’s included?
Hotel accommodation in a double room, and all meals for the week. There are also social programs put on in the evening after the days’ activities. The hotels are in different areas around Spain, and vary in type. There are also a few locations in Germany.
What are the requirements?
1. Be a native English speaker
2. Have a conversational personality
3. That’s about it.
You don’t have to speak Spanish to participate–in fact, they prefer that you don’t speak Spanish, since it will be easier for everyone to only converse in English.
Diverbo seems intent on finding conversation partners from all walks of life. You see, you don’t have to have any degree or qualifications in teaching (or any degree at all!), you just have to have a conversational personality. You will be doing a lot of talking, after all. The website claims that activities change every hour, with “one-to-one conversation periods…mealtime discussions, group session, and evening entertainment.” See an example of a typical schedule here.
What’s the catch?
The tours all depart from Madrid/Barcelona/Munich, so you are responsible for your travel costs there. Depending on where you are, this can vary in price. Perhaps this might be steep if you’re buying a ticket from the States just for this one week. But if you’ll already be traveling around Europe in the summer, or you’d like to build a vacation in Spain and just “work” for one week of it to have your accommodation paid for and to cut down on costs, it might be easier to get to the program than you thought.
How can I apply?
Go to the Diverbo site to apply. They ask you to tell you a little bit about yourself–your hobbies, why you’re interested in the program, etc…This is the chance to let your personality shine through!
Also, since the program is only a week long, and the Schengen zone allows you to be inside for 90 days, you do not need a visa if you’re just coming for the program. In fact, why not make this part of a longer vacation?
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Would you like to talk your way into a free week in Spain? Let me know in the comments below!
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