Learn Spanish in Spain

Spanish language courses in Spain usually take place in a dedicated language school with between 10 and 15 students per class. Your teacher will be a native Spanish speaker, usually from Spain but sometimes from Latin America, with an SFL teaching qualification. Class time is split between instruction time and practice time. You can expect to study grammar, vocabulary, expressions, and Spanish culture.

Students who come all the way to Spain to study Spanish are usually quite motivated and they participate actively in class. They come from all over Europe and the rest of the world. The classroom atmosphere is relaxed and focused on the objective of improving everyone’s Spanish skills.

You can expect to spend at least 600 euros a week for a full-time Spanish course in Spain which includes accommodation, meals, and school books. That works out to 660 dollars per week as of this article’s writing, but please check current exchange rates. Add to that the price of your round-trip flight to Spain (about 1000$), and any travel in Europe that you expect to do before or after your Spanish course.

You should also budget 100 dollars a week for bus fare, meals out with friends, souvenirs, museum tickets, and shopping. Spain is not an expensive country as compared to the rest of Europe. Still, if you add it all up, you can expect a 1-month Spanish course in Spain to cost you about 4,000$ in total.

We have Spanish schools in two very different cities: Barcelona and Malaga. Each has its own flavor and culture that makes it completely unique. One of Spain's largest cities, Barcelona, is home to breathtaking modernist architecture, the vibrant Catalan cultural scene, and gorgeous beaches for sunning and swimming. Secondly, consider quiet Malaga, with warm winters, lovely beaches, and easy access to the beautiful Andalusian countryside. Our schools are centrally-located in all three cities, so whichever you choose, you'll have an amazing time learning Spanish in Spain. 

You have four accommodation options during a Spanish course abroad: a host family, a student residence, an on-campus residence, or arranging your own accommodation. Staying with a host family boosts your exposure to the Spanish language and Spanish culture, which is why we include host family accommodation in the price of all our Spanish courses in Spain.

There are lots of reasons why you might prefer not to stay with a host family, however, so you can stay with classmates in one of our student residences near the school, or in Malaga you can stay on-campus within our school itself. If none of those accommodation options meet your requirements, you can also always arrange your own accommodation with a friend, in a hotel, or in a rental apartment for the duration of your Spanish course.

Spanish courses in Spain tend to be at least 10 hours of lessons a week. They are aimed at either student visitors who want to learn Spanish quickly or recent immigrants who need to learn Spanish urgently. Our Spanish courses begin with the basic course (summer only) with 13 hours of class per week and a focus on oral communication skills such as introducing yourself, handling common daily situations, and interacting with people in the street. Our more popular course options include 18 or 21 hours of instruction per week with in-depth instruction and practice on all Spanish skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).

The short answer is yes. Signing up for a Spanish course in Spain as a true beginner is an exhilarating experience. During the time you’re in Spain, you’ll go from understanding absolutely nothing to speaking Spanish. However, it’s best, as a beginner, to stay in Spain for a while. If you only take a 2-week course, you’re likely to leave Spain frustrated. You’ll have just started to crack the code of Spanish when your course ends. Beginner Spanish courses are much more satisfying if you can stay in Spain at least 2 months. Four to six months will be even more gratifying because you will return home confident in your Spanish and able to speak quite fluently about a wide range of topics.

You’ll take a Spanish test online before you arrive in Spain to get a provisional placement level and then, when you arrive at school, you’ll do a short interview to confirm your level. It’s important that you be in the correct level of Spanish class for you to make efficient use of your time in Spain. Of course, every student has a unique language profile, with some students much stronger in writing or grammar and others much stronger in speaking. Our Spanish teachers have decades of experience testing and placing students. They’ll make sure you are in a Spanish course that’s the right fit for your level and goals.

Any Spanish school in Spain will offer to give you a school certificate attesting to participation in their course. If you successfully complete an entire course cycle (often 6 to 8 weeks), Spanish schools will also provide proof of that. Our Spanish courses include this type of standard certification as well. But there is a more effective way to prove your Spanish level, and that is with an official international diploma. Our schools offer specialized Spanish courses for those preparing for the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE), the Diploma Superior de Español de Los Negocios (DSEN) and the Diploma Intermedio de Español de Los Negocios (DIEN). Depending on your objectives, passing one of these exams and receiving the Spanish diploma to prove it may be your best choice.

Spanish is not a difficult language for English speakers to learn. For a beginner studying full-time in a full-immersion environment, you can expect to be speaking Spanish well within 6 months, and within a year, you’ll have good enough Spanish for the workplace, otherwise known as fluent Spanish. Of course, if you are studying alone or from home, it can take much longer to learn Spanish.

Only European citizens can work in Spain without a visa, but finding a part-time job that fits with a Spanish course schedule can be tricky. Some European students work in the evenings to help pay for their Spanish courses in Spain. American citizens don’t have the right to work in Spain, and it would be impossible to find a job if staying only a few weeks anyway. American students staying in Spain for 6 months or more can sometimes find babysitting or English tutoring jobs for children that are undeclared to help them earn pocket money. Unfortunately, we can’t help you find that kind of job (it would be illegal). The best option to fund your Spanish course in Spain is to save up money at home so you’re sure to have enough to cover your expenses while you study abroad.