Back on the seafront the Promenade des Anglais is the place to see, and be seen - the perfect place to sip a cocktail and spot the big names returning from the Film Festival in neighbouring Cannes. Taking a language course here is the perfect way to avoid high prices and overbookings but still be in the middle of all the action.

1. Brush Up On Your Verbs

Informal 2nd person singular: use 'vos' instead of 'tú' > no stem change but an accent on the
last syllable:
tú hablas > vos hablás
tú puedes > vos podés
tú vienes > vos venís

Angela Walker: Individual Spanish & Dance Course in Havana, March 05

“I absolutely loved Havana and didn't want to come home at all. The place has so much atmosphere and charisma and the Cuban people are amazing. All the people
I met who were on the course were great and I had no trouble making friends from the moment I got there. There is something about Havana that cannot be put into words and I was very very sad to leave.

The accommodation was absolutely fine and the Cuban family that I stayed with were very very nice and treated me like a daughter. The food, though very basic in Cuba, was good. To be honest I think staying with a family in Havana is the best way as with having all the Spanish lessons, salsa lessons and generally enjoying yourself, you don't have time to think about going out to eat.

I enjoyed everything, but especially the music and the salsa dancing as for me this is what I remember most about Cuba. The Cuban people, though they have nothing, have a vitality that is amazing. It makes you realise that money isn't everything and that living life to the full is how it should be. I loved the people - my Spanish teacher, the salsa dancing teachers and the family I stayed with. The other people I met doing the course were also really nice and I've made some good friends.”

For more info on Angela's Spanish & Dance Course in Havana >>

Lisa Gerard Sharp: 2 Week Italian & Cookery Course in Siena, Italy.
March 05

"Just to let you know that the Dante Alighieri Siena school was excellent, both for the language side and the cookery, not to mention the atmosphere, which was welcoming, personal and fun, and the young, committed and enthusiastic staff who made everyone feel at home. I was very sorry to leave.

The school occupies an historic palazzo in a charming part of Siena, which is convenient for the city sights. Typical activities include cultural visits, excursions outside Siena, talks, films, theatre and dinner with the whole school. Lunch at school provides another opportunity for mixing with one's fellow-students, and practising the language as it's often the only language in common, and students were keen to speak it as much as possible.

Siena is the ideal place to learn - everything is on a human-scale, and relaxed, especially out of season. The city is romantic, evocative, feminine, low-key, easily walkable, with kind local people who have the time to chat, not to mention the profusion of rustic inns, with great food at very reasonable prices.

The cookery course was equally impressive, with various superb Italian and Tuscan dishes and full dinners taught by (and eaten with!) the outstanding Serena, an entertaining, passionate, talented chef who has also taught cookery courses in the UK, so knows the British background. The course was easily comprehensible in Italian, as she cleverly piched it to different levels and always checked students understood, and encouraged them to perfect the dishes with personal tricks of the trade."

For more info on Lisa's Italian & Cooking Course in Siena >>