Vaughan Systems, the largest English language firm in the country, invites you to spend six days in Spain to participate in a unique holiday program where English natives and Spanish professionals lock horns in a fun language-learning experience. Participants 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 program. 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.

We ask the participants to arrive in Madrid the evening before the program starts, Saturday, since we have the Welcome reception at 7pm and due to the early departure of the bus Sunday morning (9:00am). We recommend people booking return flights no earlier than 9pm Friday evening.

VaughanTown offers participants two picturesque venues: a sprawling 4-star country-style hotel at the foothills of the Gredos mountain range in Avila and a 4 star Hospederia de Monfragüe located at the gates of the Monfragüe National park in Caceres. Both venues offer the same instrinsic program in two different and equally enchanting settings. Whether you prefer the modernity of a 4-star complex with amenities such as a swimming pool, spa and sports facilities, or the antiquity of a 12th century monastery bathed in Romanesque architecture with fresh garden produce for your meals, both venues offer the same relaxed and stimulating holiday program.

In VaughanTown, without doubt the single most important benefit is the human and cultural experience that is gained during the week. You will meet around 15 Spaniards and 15 other English-native speakers and spend intense 12-hour days in conversations, dizzily funny skits, theater, games and outdoor activities. For many participants, VaughanTown is a way to get to know Spanish people and culture first-hand which is often difficult when travelling on your own. Founder Richard Vaughan has been featured in CNN, Frommer´s, Irish Times and dozens of international publications acclaiming the uniqueness of the holiday initiative. Vaughan Systems won the "Best Idea" award in 2003.

There is absolutely no catch. Our Spanish clients (think Microsoft, Mercedez Benz, Volkswagen, Accenture, Pfizer..) pay to attend this unique program and we recruit participants from various backgrounds (not English professors nor linguistic experts) to volunteer six days of their time simply conversing with them. This is how our business works. You exchange conversation during the dedicated talking times for your stay during the week.

You will pay for your flights to and from Madrid and any accommodation before and after the program. Our company will cover all the expenses as soon as the program officially starts on Sunday morning. Vaughan Systems provides you with accommodation and three meals a day in either venue, transfers to and from the towns from Madrid and accident insurance during the course of the program. We also invite you to a tapas sampling orientation on Saturday afternoon where you get acquainted with the volunteers in your group.

Over 3,000 volunteers from all over the world have come to Spain to take part in this cultural holiday program: writers, doctors, social workers, backpackers, executives, musicians and students. The variety is endless: participants from over 12 different countries, between ages 18-80, and a healthy mix of temperaments and personalities. Founder Richard Vaughan has been featured in CNN, Frommer´s, Irish Times and dozens of international publications acclaiming the uniqueness of the holiday initiative.

The majority are business professionals from a variety of companies and sectors with an intermediate level of English. Most have studied classroom English for ten years yet lack the practice that comes with living and working in a foreign country. Their use at the workplace is very limited and they find it difficult to understand English spoken by natives and handle a conversation with confidence and fluency. They come from all over Spain and range from ages 25-55.

The VaughanTown program was designed to offer the most intense variety of accents, personalities and conversation topics possible to create a rich, linguistic atmosphere for the Spanish participants. During the week, the Spaniards throw their grammar books out the window and gear themselves up for a real-life language situations that require listening and speaking. Your job? Keep the conversation going through dedicated talking hours, activities, games and meals. You will essentially be a friend to the Spaniards during the week and help them become confident, fluent speakers.

All programs are six days long and run from Sunday morning to Friday afternoon. Although structured, the week´s schedule is very relaxed and allows for participants to explore the countryside, nearby towns and enjoy the venue´s amenities. Each day begins at 9 a.m. for breakfast, and one to one conversations run through to lunch at 2 p.m. . After lunch, participants have free time until 5 p.m., where group activities and one-to-ones proceed until entertainment hour at 8 p.m.: theater, comedy, cultural presentations, karaoke and jokes. Dinner is a nine p.m. after which most participants spend time after hours at the bar. To see the full schedule, click here.

You must be at least 18 years of age and a native Speaker of English. We look for enthusiastic, inquisitive individuals who enjoy sharing their culture and experience with others. You will be open, adventurous, a good listener, a generous conversationalist and a fun-loving personality. We seek variety of ages, nationalities and backgrounds to offer the Spaniards an intensity and richness found in no other English-speaking country on the planet.

Fill up the form in the Apply section of the website and tell us about yourself, your travels, interests and personal/professional background. Our Madrid office will process your application based on your date preferences and how your profile fits into the rest of the group. Depending on which dates you apply for, it may take up to two weeks for us to get back to you. If the date or location is not available, we may suggest an alternative for you. This year we have 47 programs throughout the entire year from January to December.

No. We want to expose our clients to real-life language situations which is where you come in. In VaughanTown, you will not be doing any teaching at all. However, if you are interested in a career in English teaching and would like to move to Spain, Vaughan Systems is the largest in-company English language training firm in the country with offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Santander, Vigo, Valladolid, Valencia and Zaragoza; we constantly hire native speakers to join our team of teachers. No teaching certificate or qualifications are required: we are far more interested in your personal qualities and potential. Visit www.vaughanteachers.com to find out more.

Yes of course! Email us to get feedback from a past participant and we´ll send you an email address of someone living in your country. You may also check the testimonial page to read up on what people are saying about us or the video page to view clips of Anglos on location.

At VaughanTown, you will be doing a lot of walking outdoors so bring comfortable shoes. Most participants come in casual, travel clothing and make sure to bring a sweater even during the hottest months of summer, as temperatures may drop a little at night.

Do you have a hidden talent that no one knows about? Do you play the djembe drums? The guitar? Are you an expert poker player? These are all good things to remember when you think about what to bring. Bring that deck of cards! Bring that guitar/drum set/stamp collection that you want to share with everyone! Remember to bring a camera, some postcards from home or your travels, or any pictures you would like to share. Remember- we will have an ongoing online photo album, so save the pictures and send us a copy.

There are several ways, Taxi, Airport shuttle and the easiest would be to use the Underground (Metro). Line 8 will get you to the Centertown in less than 15 minutes.

The pick up point and the tapas reception are close to each other, both in the center of Madrid. The closest metro stations are Alonso Martinez (lines 4 and 10), Iglesia (line 1) and Bilbao (lines 1 and 4) Here's the map

If you are not an UE, USA, Canada citizen, please contact your embassy. We can send you a letter of invitation for VaughanTown if required.

You will be covered by insurance during the duration of the program. If you are 70 years old and above, we will need a bill of good health from your Doctor and you will need to get your own insurance.

Madrid Barajas Airport

Expect to have a great time! The linguistic journey that our Spanish students embark on at the beginning of the program turns in to a personal one and you will see many changed faces by the end of the week. They will be less timid and scared of speaking English. They will have more confidence in themselves and in their ability to communicate. Above all, new friendships will have been made and new bonds created. You will soon discover that you will be able to travel all over the world and find a friend in every place!