Which Spanish Course?

So, what type of courses may you choose at a language school? There will of course be variations from school to school, but I’ll list some of them.

A course in “General Spanish” will focus on normal use of the language in day-to-day situations; examples are conversations, shopping, going out, telling about something you have experienced, and discussing different topics. If you are an absolute beginner this is the type of course you should start with. The higher level you achieve, the more advanced and diverse will the topics and vocabulary become.

Depending on the school, you will normally be able to choose between 20, 25 and 30 hours a week of this course. With 20 hours a week it will take you from 6 months to a full year to reach an advanced level. If you’re not an absolute beginner when you arrive you will have a placement test the first day to ensure that you are placed in the right group – according to your level.

When looking at a language school’s website, this type of course will usually be called “General Spanish”, “Standard Spanish” or “Intensive Spanish”.

Once you start reaching a higher level of Spanish, you might consider obtaining an official recognition of your skills. The D.E.L.E. exams are given by Instituto Cervantes and have three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

If you ever need to prove your Spanish skills, typically if you apply for a job or to a university/college, a D.E.L.E. would be handy – as this is the only official certification of General Spanish skills.

Many language schools offer preparation courses for one or more different levels of the D.E.L.E. Most schools will offer courses for the middle level (intermediate) as this is the one in most demand. The first exam is deemed to be too easy to have much value, and the third is relatively difficult, while the middle certifies that you can communicate with a sufficient level of Spanish in most situations.

The preparatory courses can last from one to twelve weeks. If you are an absolute beginner, an idea could be to start in a General Spanish course in January, and then, in either March or April, when you have a good fundamental understanding of Spanish, switch to a D.E.L.E. preparation course. The exam is in May and November.

A course named “Academic Semester” is actually just another name for a long-term General Spanish course. You will normally learn exactly the same, and find yourself in the same groups/classes.

If you are looking for programs that will give you academic credit in your own country, you may obtain credit for both courses labeled “General Spanish” and “Academic Semester/Year”. What this depends on will normally be the content of the course and the accreditation of the school.

Many Spanish language schools in Spain have agreements with different US Colleges about US College Credits or with for example CSN in Sweden (for financing of the studies).

If the course hasn’t been pre-approved by your home-country school, you can obtain a syllabus/course description from the school and hand it in to the right person at the institution you currently attend. If the Spanish language school is accredited by either Instituto Cervantes or CEELE, you shouldn’t have any problems receiving credits for your studies.

As I spoke about in the section “Why Spanish?” Spanish is becoming more and more important for the world of Business. As an answer to this, several language schools offer “Business Spanish”, “Commercial Spanish”, “Spanish for Professional Purposes” or courses with other similar labels, all aimed at the same market; business people and professionals.

The courses are usually 1-2 weeks long of normal intensity (4 hours/day), or more long-term with for example 1-2 hours/day. In the latter case the idea is to combine the business course with a General or Standard Spanish course to really have an intensive learning experience.

There are some language schools which specialize exclusively on business people. These programs are tailored, very intensive and very expensive.

There are by no means as many schools that have programs specifically tailored to doctors and nurses as for business people, but the number is rising. If you are willing to pay a bit more for private one-on-one lessons you would find that several schools can help you.

This is one of the more popular specialized Spanish courses there is. Since Spanish has become so popular, there are more and more students who are interested in learning it at high schools and colleges. This also leads to the fact that many teachers whose native language is not Spanish find that they need to update their skills, or maintain their level, by going abroad.

There are many different programs to choose from, and you shouldn’t have to look long before finding a school who offers what you want. The courses will be differently designed, but it will often target high-school teachers by looking into what they specifically might need to teach Spanish to youths.

This can be quite an experience for a young person! You have several schools which offers complete packages, consisting of 15-20 hours/week of Spanish in smaller groups, family stay, full board plan plus a whole range of activities like tennis, horseback riding, sailing, etc., etc.

The exact content of a program depends on the school and the age of the students, but everything is tailored to ensure that s/he can learn as much as possible and have a lot of fun at the same time. To go abroad and get friends from all over the world in a safe environment like this can have a tremendous influence on his/her personal development and goals later in life. You certainly expand their cultural horizon with huge leaps.

A program will normally last from one to four weeks and take place during summer. The most typically targeted age group is from 13-17, although there are programs for children all the way down to three years.

In many cases, a program like this can be perfect if the parents also want to go. Then both can learn Spanish and enjoy themselves.

Although all Spanish immersion programs and courses, except the junior programs, are open to all ages – and people of all ages actually are doing this – there are also many in their 50s who feels that it would be good to get away from those youngsters (people in their 20s) now and then

Therefore some schools have started to offer programs or courses specifically tailored to people in their 50s. This means that younger people simply aren’t allowed!

You’ll learn the same in a Golden Age course as in a General Spanish course. The only difference is that your group mates will all be in theirs 50s or older.

A Golden Age or Best Age course will often be accompanied by a specifically tailored activities and cultural program as well – just to ensure that you have as good a time as possible.

There are probably a million combination courses at all the different language schools. A combination course will normally be General Spanish for x hours + an activity or a special interest subject in Spanish for x hours.

Examples of the former are Spanish + golf, Spanish + Scuba diving, Spanish + sailing, Spanish + wine tasting, Spanish + Flamenco etc.

Examples of the latter are: Spanish + literature, Spanish + art, Spanish + history, etc.

In the latter case, you will in other words learn about literature, art and/or history in Spanish in addition to following a General Spanish course. Normally this will require a Spanish intermediate level.

If you can afford this, there is no quicker way of learning Spanish. Here you can decide your own schedule, and, more importantly, the content and have immediate and tailored feedback. The classes will progress as you progress – never more quickly, and never more slowly.

If you are living in Spain for an extended period, you could also take a part time course over an extended period. For example four hours/week over six to nine months. That way you will get some structured input at school and a whole lot of practice in your everyday life living in Spain.

But, you can't live in the streets while studying , so on the next page I'll talk a bit about accommodation while attending a Spanish Language School in Spain.