For those looking to deep dive into the Spanish language, Madrid is the ideal study abroad location. As an international city with a unique Madrileña culture, you can have the best of both worlds in terms of making friends from around the globe and immersing yourself in the Spanish way of life. Whether you are looking to teach Spanish, polish-up your Español or learn the language from scratch, Madrid offers a range of learning opportunities. So, here’s your guide to learning Spanish in Madrid.
Learning a new language opens lots of doors. Not only is learning a language a lot of fun, but it also increases your employability, boosts your confidence and enhances your inter-cultural understanding. The best part is that language learning comes with a lot of socialising. Simply going out for an aperitivo and listening to the Spanish conversations around you can even be classed as revision!
What Do You Study to Teach Spanish to Foreigners?
The Instituto Cervantes is a stand-out Spanish teaching school that offers a range of courses available to all. Not only do they offer courses in Spanish, but they also offer classes in the co-official languages of Spain, that is, Catalan, Galician and Basque.
For those looking to teach Spanish, the Instituto Cervantes also has the opportunity of studying a Master’s degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. The course is aimed at current or aspiring teachers of Spanish who are at the beginning of their professional career. With courses being available both online and in-person, over 16,000 teachers join the Instituto Cervantes from around the world each year.
Is it Difficult to Study Spanish?
It depends…
Learning a new language comes naturally to some and not so much to others. The difficulty of learning Spanish largely depends on your mother-tongue language or the languages you may have already learnt. Spanish is a Romance language so if you are already familiar with the likes of French and Italian, then you are likely to find Spanish more of a breeze.
Likewise, if you are a native English speaker, then you already have the advantage of sharing the same alphabet, sentence structures and punctuation rules as Spanish. This will make the language a lot less daunting compared to if you speak the likes of Mandarin or Japanese that use characters.
No matter how easy or difficult a language may seem, what learning ultimately boils down to is how much fun you find it and how determined you are to get it right!
What Do You Need to Know Before Studying Spanish in Madrid?
Madrid has a diverse population of 3.4 million including 1 million internationals so there is no need to worry if you are a non-Spanish speaker. What you will actually find is that a lot of Spanish people are eager to practice their English, so you may become one to get to know. Being in Madrid is a great time to begin taking language classes. After all, there is no greater opportunity to study a language than when you are within it.
If you are going to practice your Spanish speaking skills, then it’s worth noting that Spain is home to around 10 different dialects and three co-official languages. So, if think you are doing well on your language learning journey and then hear what sounds like Spanish, but you can’t understand much at all, then chances are you are listening to dialect. If you want to return a true Spaniard, then picking up some dialect or Madrileño slang is a neat trick to speak like a local.
Where to Study Spanish in Madrid
There is a range of Spanish language courses available in Madrid, so it’s best to have a browse through our list of schools to see which one best suits you:
If you are looking to polish up your Spanish speaking skills, then it may be worth looking at these language learning tools:
Language Learning Tips for Going Abroad
- Join Language-Exchange Facebook Groups: International hot-spots like Madrid often have lots of Facebook groups that you can join to find people looking to learn your language. This is a great way to make new friends whilst finding people to go on a language exchange with.
- Carry a Pocket Dictionary (Or Download These Apps): No one wants to get caught with no idea what to say and how to say it. Keeping a pocket dictionary or downloading apps like Reverso Context or Word Reference, will be your language learning sidekicks for sure.
- Make Friends with Spanish People: If you really want to get stuck into speaking Spanish, then the best way to do so is by meeting as many Spanish people as you can. Whether it’s by asking you classmate for notes or speaking to the barista in your local café every day, having as much exposure to Spanish will only speed-up your learning.
- Keep Revising Fun: The beauty about learning a language is that, after a certain point, watching your favourite film on Netflix in Spanish is prime revision. Language learning takes time and to avoid burning out keep revision fun and fresh.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes: Making mistakes is part and parcel of the language learning process. Remember that anyone who has learnt a language will have, at some point, made the same mistakes as you. So, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
At Collegiate, our student accommodation is located right in the heart of Madrid, Chamartín. Our residence is packed with fun and unique features such as a courtyard garden, swimming pool, private dining rooms, rooftop terrace and study rooms.
Click here to find out more.