Is this a stupid idea? Learning Spanish in Spain.

[DandelionDahlia]

The DC want to learn Spanish this summer.

They’re 13 and 10.

I’m happy to take them to Spain (DP can’t take holiday then).

I can’t drive and we like town/city not countryside.

I actually speak good Spanish but am a bit shy and have a comedy English accent. DC speak basic Spanish, they can hold a conversation.

I have 2 options and would REALLY value any feedback.

1. Two weeks in Castelldefels near Barcelona, language camp for the kids during the day (it’s called Don Quijote), lessons in the morning, activities in the afternoon, sleep in a holiday flat with me at night.

Advantage: not too scary. Fun place by the sea. Plenty for me to do during the day while they’re in camp.

Disadvantage: we are pale and don’t love the heat. Also will they just talk English all day? Also will they hear lots of Catalan and get confused?

1. A northern town - maybe Santander? Gijón? Bilbao? And a daily holiday camp aimed at Spanish kids. Something sporty or cookery. Sleep in a holiday flat with me.

Advantage: much cheaper. Cooler. The possibility of actually talking Spanish to Spanish kids.
Disadvantage: not sure their language level is really up to it. Hard to find and book from the UK. Feels like a leap into the unknown.

What would you do?
Any other options I’ve missed?

No ambition to be a translator starting at 67 but it seemed polite to ask Google to translate my fish prep requirements into Catalan, when we were in Catalunya. Or is that wrong?

Mind-boggling. Native Spanish speaker, from Valencia, bilingual, also Catalan. The mere idea of learning a regional language, any, over Spanish has made my day. Ludicrous unless you want to live there (the place where the regional language is spoken) forever and ever and don’t mind restricting yourself socially and culturally even when living there. Learn Spanish AND the regional language afterwards.

@LaBrujaPiruja IF I were going to live in Spain, or Latin America, or any other place where Spanish is spoken, then clearly it would make sense to learn Castellano. If I were organising a course for a young person, exactly the same -- especially as any exams would be in the official language.

But as I don't speak either language, I asked Google Translate to translate into Catalan because that was what I mostly heard spoken in NW Spain (which I was visiting for the first time, and loved). And from that I discovered that there's quite a bit of overlap with French as it is spoken in the Midi, which I do speak reasonably well. So I was being a bit ... flippant.

Just put them in classes near where you live.