Spanish Language · Spain

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Spanish Language Courses

Global Student Experience provides study abroad programs in Europe, Australia, Argentina and the UK

There is nothing quite like being able to speak the lingo wherever you go. Not only is it a rewarding experience, but also advantageous and in many cases even a necessity. And when working or settling in Spain, it couldn't be truer.

For people wishing to work in Spain, knowing at least some Spanish is very desirable when not essential. In fact languages have become quite important in Spain, as businesses are seeking to open their doors to foreign trade or to cater for the tourist market. There are also plenty of foreign owned businesses, and people that know Spanish as well as another language such as English are able to link between communities and markets. It just takes a little bit of Spanish to increase the number of jobs available to you and your chances of getting one, and if you're close to fluent the whole Spanish sector becomes available to you, with the added bonus that you're already fluent in your native language.

If you have thought about settling in Spain, you may be lead to believe that it's possible to get by without any Spanish, and depending on circumstances and where you go, this may or may not be true – but even in a best-case scenario, 'life in the colony' means missing out on a great deal of wonderful experiences. Like I said, that's a best-case scenario; the norm is otherwise. At some point, it's quite normal to need to go to the doctor, have dealings with the bank, police or any other Spanish official bodies. These are things that occur in everyday life and that we take for granted when communication isn't a problem; but for those who don't know any Spanish, this could quite easily mean hiring the services of an interpreter or someone to take care of matters.

You may have noticed a campaign to boost tourism that has as its slogan "Al turista, lo mejor de tí" – which would roughly translate as: "Give your best to the tourist". Campaign or not, in the past Spanish people have tended to treat tourists and foreigners with warmth, being the perfect hosts to their guests; that is, until they've overstayed their welcome or abused their host's hospitality. This is one of the reasons why living in Spain should not be a case of 'extending our holidays indefinitely', that sort of attitude can and does lead to resentment.

Making the effort to learn a bit of Spanish and Spanish culture, apart from a fun experience in its own right, is well worth the effort. Spaniards love to see people take an interest in their culture and they respond really well to people that make the effort to speak Spanish, no matter the level or mistakes made, and there are times that it can even motivate them to 'go that extra mile' when dealing with foreigners.

Whatever your reason for learning Spanish, be it for work, for settling in Spain, tourism or just for fun, then UniSpain have a range of Spanish courses, a website that offers programmes at universities and private schools in different parts of Spain. What's more, they'll offer you advice and help you find a course that is suited to your needs; and you'll even end up paying less than booking directly through the schools. You might also want to take a look at the homepage of one of the largest, if not the largest Spanish school in Spain, AASS have schools all over Spain, www.academiaadventurespanishstudies.com. In my opinion, working and/or living in Spain means adapting somewhat to the local way of life, whether out of necessity, respect or even, why not, just plain interest. Even when you're not going to settle abroad or you decide to move on, another language on the CV always looks great, especially one such as Spanish which is spoken by more than 500 million people and is an official language in 21 countries worldwide. And that's also a lot of tourist destinations!

For me, living in Spain and taking that step to become an integral part of the country has been, and still is, an enriching experience, even almost 18 years after first arriving. So, what are YOU going to make of your time with us in Spain?

Lucan Baldacchino
Benalmadena - Malaga