The best conversations happened on long walks, not in classrooms
I had four semesters of Spanish at college in Ohio and could conjugate any verb you gave me. What I couldn’t do was keep up with a real conversation between two Spaniards. They speak fast, they interrupt each other, and they use expressions no textbook ever taught me.
The Twenty program fixed that. There are no textbooks and no exams. You spend the day in conversation: one-to-ones, small groups, phone calls you prepare for, presentations, and a lot of time just walking and talking.
My favourite moments were the walks around the venue with Marta, a volunteer who works as a journalist in Madrid. We talked about politics, food, our families and the difference between Spanish and American universities. I learned more about Spain in those walks than in four semesters.
The group was amazing: people from the UK, Germany, Japan, Brazil and Italy, all speaking Spanish as our common language. It felt like a tiny international town.
I came home with much better Spanish, of course. But I also came home with the confidence to apply for a master’s in Barcelona. I start in September.
JACOB MILLER
USA · Twenty program
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