Spanish Immersion with Seniors

About the Program

Every year, students suffer through language classes and adults travel across the globe in search of language immersion, often at a high cost. But what if students could improve their grades and adults could get the same immersion experience in the comfort of their own communities?

The Spanish Immersion program offers the opportunity to learn, practice, and remember or improve your Spanish speaking skills through interesting conversations with native seniors from Spanish-speaking countries—all without leaving the area.

Program Goals

The Spanish Immersion program seeks to connect otherwise isolated Spanish-speaking seniors with students to improve their oral and interactive skills. Latin American seniors, aged 55 and up, will be in charge of conversational sessions that provide unique opportunities to learn about other cultures and experiences.

The mission of Spanish Immersion is to improve the quality of life of Spanish-speaking seniors and to bridge them with non-Spanish-speaking community members. At the same time, Spanish Immersion seeks to enrich the lives of all people living in the greater Boston area by increasing the community’s understanding of Spanish language and culture and ultimately by celebrating diversity.

Benefits of the Program

While this has a clear benefit to the students, there are additional benefits to the seniors. A large number of elderly people (many of them Spanish-speakers) in the Greater Boston area suffer from isolation, loneliness, and depression. This can be magnified when your primary language is not English. This program not only incorporates an educational element but also addresses a social need critical to our area. While students and adults improve their oral and interactive skills, the seniors can also earn a modest supplement to their typically low incomes and obtain the personal interaction and contact so necessary to a good quality of life.

Spanish Immersion in Brookline

Spanish Immersion in Brookline offers different kinds of immersion in Latino language and culture in collaboration with the Senior Center.

For more information and to register for Spanish Immersion programs, contact program coordinator Giovanna Tapia at 617-953-7016 or [email protected].

These programs are co-sponsored by the Brookline Senior Center and JPC: Tree of Life / Arbol de Vida.