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News
ABOVE: Students converse in English at Vaughtown's four-star hotel in Gredos. INSET BELOW: The refurbished monastery at Vaughntown. Exchange English conversation for 6 days in Spain
VaughanTown was the brainchild of Richard Vaughan , a business student from Texas who came to Spain to teach English in the 1970s. "After a quarter-century of language training and experience, I realized no matter how many times a person is drilled on irregular verbs, the only way to truly understand a language is to actively practice it," says Richard. This led to the creation of six-day immersion programs which include a cast of 15 Spaniards, 15 English-speakers from all over the world, a Master of Ceremonies to provide entertainment and a Program Director to enforce the only rule: No Spanish Allowed. All this for 15 hours a day, six days straight and no stopping except for your daily siesta. Throw in a mix of activities such as conversations, scenic walks, games, meals plus Spanish music and dancing, and somewhere along the way the Spaniards find themselves blabbing away in English without having to stop, think and translate. The idea was so innovative that Richard Vaughan's project was named the best idea in 2003 by one of the premiere business magazines in Spain . It has earned rave reviews in the media, with travel guides plus major publications and TV stations such as CNN, the Irish Times and the Chicago Tribune all enthusing about the program. These villages have been the subject on dozens of travel message boards, each buzzing about a deal that seems almost "too good to be true." Yet there is no hidden catch. English-speakers chat, play, walk, dine and wine with Spaniards against the beautiful backdrop of the local countryside while Vaughan picks up the tab for their stay. Multinational clients such as Microsoft, Vodafone, Deloitte and Accenture send scores of Spanish executives to these villages--a rapid, intense way to get their top directors speaking English. Over the years, Richard Vaughan's project has attracted 'Anglo' volunteers from all walks of life: writers, doctors, social workers, backpackers, executives, musicians and students. All ages over 18 are welcome, and no teaching experience is required. Conversationists are selected for diversity in character, profession and age. Applications are online at
www.vaughantown.com, and 47 programs are available this year, including a
special young adults week. The designated meeting point is Madrid where
transfers are made to VaughanTown (flights to and from the capital are not
covered by Vaughan ). |
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Over
the last few years, thousands of volunteers have participated in the unique
English language immersion program known as "VaughanTown" after its namesake
Richard Vaughan, English teacher and entrepreneur. Two venues, a sprawling
4-star country-style hotel and a 12th century refurbished monastery, play host
to a non-stop six-day intensive conversation project. English native speakers
from all over the world exchange conversation with Spaniards and in return for
their time and their input, have their full board and lodging covered by the
programme. The Spaniards, meanwhile, get to improve their fluency in the
quickest, most intensive manner possible on earth. Both groups prosper,
exchanging culture, conversation, knowledge and friendship during a very special
week. 