Yesterday one of my colleagues sent me a link to the Pueblo Inglés, or English Village, which sounds like is a very interesting idea. The English Village is a small, remote hamlet called Valdelavilla in the province of Soria, about four hours north of Madrid. Spanish people can go there to practice and improve their English. Native English speakers from all over the world can stay there for free in return for talking English all day to the Spanish people. English is the only language permitted there.
The organisation that runs the program in Valdelavilla, Vaughan Village, also runs similiar programs in a few other parts of Spain and Italy.
There are a number of English Villages in Korea, though they operate along slightly different lines as they pay English teachers to provide the teaching and conversation practice for the Korean students.
Does anyone know whether there are similar programs for English speakers learning other languages?
