Spanish regional governments collaborate on the guide

From Friday, the guide will be available to download from the websites of the respective Youth Institutes within the governments who will act as intermediary, or education agency, between the 14-to-30 year old students and the various language schools.

“There is a growing interest in languages in Spain. And because of the high unemployment levels, many people are choosing to go abroad,” said a spokesperson for the Madrid Youth Institute. “Offering these courses is helpful to immerse students in the culture and language of the country they choose.”

The spokesperson told The PIE News that the schools included were selected through various methods: contacts, meetings at language fairs, and each time a new region joined the programme, they brought in their own contacts.

“At the beginning we didn’t offer Chinese, Arabic or Portuguese”

Originally the governments of Valencia and Madrid collaborated on the project but each year more regions have become involved.

“Between all of the regional governments, we had about 2,000 participants last year [in the TIVE programme],” she said, and explained that language schools new to TIVE can be included for a trial year. “If everything goes well, they stay on [the programme].”

First published in 1989, the guide has evolved with students’ interests. “We have added new programmes every year depending on demand,” she added. “At the beginning we didn’t offer Chinese, Arabic or Portuguese.”

The 2012 guide provides profiles on language programmes in 17 countries including the US, UK, Russia, China, Morocco, Ireland, Malta, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Portugal, and South Africa. How to apply and application deadlines are provided as well.

As an extra incentive, Youth Card holders will receive a six percent discount on course fees.