Listen
Train your ear for pace, pronunciation and the Spanish you’ll actually hear in Spain.
Revive Before You Go™Practical Spanish preparation for study abroad in Spain
You've studied Spanish.
Now get ready to actually use it.
A practical Spanish refresher for students who studied Spanish but feel rusty—built for fast speech, Spain-specific accents and the everyday conversations waiting after arrival.
Not a course for credit. A smart, supportive way to arrive ready to participate.
01 Arrive ready to participate—not just observe.
REVIVE: Refresh what you've learned.
•SURVIVE: Handle the everyday moments.
•THRIVE: Make the most of your time abroad.
01 / The real gap
The classroom-to-real-life gap
The classroom prepared you for Spanish.
This prepares you for Spain.
Former study-abroad students often felt confident before departure—then less prepared once they faced fast speech, unfamiliar accents, regional expressions and everyday communication.
That is why Revive focuses on listening, processing, responding and recovering in real moments—not another round of grammar.
Built from real feedback. Shaped by former study-abroad students and Lily’s extensive experience living, studying and traveling in Spain.
02 / What changes
Not more grammar. Real-life preparation.
From translating in your head to staying in the conversation.
Process
Build the calm, practical habits that help you make sense of what you heard—without freezing or translating every word.
Respond
Practice speaking in small groups so useful language becomes easier to access in the moment.
Recover
Learn what to say when you miss something, make a mistake or need a different way to explain.
03 / The program
Practical by design
Prepare for the conversations between the landmarks.
Short listening and cultural-prep lessons reactivate what you already know. Live small-group sessions turn it into real speaking confidence.
01
Meeting people & making friends
Introductions, invitations and keeping a conversation moving.
02
Getting around
Metro, trains, directions and the small questions that keep a day on track.
03
Food, shopping & daily life
Ordering naturally, asking for what you need and understanding the response.
04
When things don’t go as planned
Clarifying, solving everyday problems and recovering with confidence.
05
Spanish from Spain
Accents, useful expressions and cultural cues that other courses may not cover.
This is for you if...
You took Spanish—but it’s been a minute.
- You can read more than you can comfortably say.
- You worry native speakers will talk too fast.
- You want to connect with people, not retreat into English.
- You want practical preparation without adding another academic course.
What it isn’t
Not more grammar.
Not for college credit.
Not a promise of instant fluency.
It’s rehearsal for your life abroad.
It’s a guided reactivation: the right practice, at the right moment, for the experience ahead.
Meet your instructor
Hola, I’m Lily Barcelona.
Spanish became my passport to go beyond the borders of my ordinary existence. I built Revive Before You Go™ so students can step into Spain ready to connect, participate, and grow.
I have seen it again and again: students can know a tremendous amount of Spanish and still hesitate when it is time to use it. This is the practical support I wish every student had before departure—culturally informed, low-pressure and built around real life.
MA in SpanishIllinois Licensed EducatorCreator of Revive the Spanish You Once Knew®
For parents
A small investment in a more confident landing.
Study abroad is a significant investment. This focused preparation helps students use the Spanish they already know in the everyday moments that build independence, belonging and cultural engagement.
Revive Before You Go is an independent program and is not a university course.
Questions, answered
Before you pack.
How much Spanish should I already know?+
This is a refresher for students who have studied Spanish before—even if the last class was a while ago. It is not designed for complete beginners.
Is this another academic course?+
No. There are no grades or college credit. The focus is practical listening, speaking and cultural readiness for real life abroad.
What if I’m nervous to speak in a group?+
That’s exactly why the groups are small. Sessions are supportive, structured and designed to help you take manageable risks before you are doing it abroad.
Is this only for students going to Spain?+
The founding program is Spain-specific, with attention to Spanish accents and daily life there. Future versions may expand to other Spanish-speaking destinations.
When should I take it?+
The ideal window is the four to six weeks before departure, when your preparation is close enough to use right away.
Your experience starts before takeoff.
Arrive ready to say yes:
To the invitation. To the conversation. To the version of study abroad you came for.
Join Revive Before You Go Founding cohort · $189