Learning Spanish Abroad

Top destinations for learning Spanish abroad: Barcelona

There’s no doubt that more and more Spanish language students are choosing Barcelona as the destination for their Spanish language course abroad, and, considering everything Barcelona has to offer, that’s no surprise.

I’m not going to waste my time here reminding you of everything that Barcelona has to offer - it’s one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in Europe, with concerts, opera, museums, exhibitions, dance, sport, great places to eat, etc., etc. So, if you’re looking for the most exciting destination, you probably can’t beat Barcelona (although Madrid gives it a good run for its money).

However, Barcelona is not for everybody. Before you take the plunge, remember the following:
Barcelona is a large city, with all the problems of a large city - if you tend to feel oppressed by large cities, think twice;
Because it is a large city, your accommodation is likely to be a good way away from the school and you’ll waste a lot of time (and money) every day just travelling in and out;
It is also more expensive than other, smaller, towns in Spain;
The language spoken by the natives of Barcelona is not Spanish, but Catalan. The local TV, radio, films, newspapers, etc. are all in Catalan, not Spanish (and Catalan is a different language, it’s not a dialect of Spanish). If you ask for family homestay accommodation, your school will make sure you’re placed with a Spanish-speaking family, but you must be prepared for the fact that the language you will be surrounded by in the street will not be Spanish.

Don’t think that my intention in this posting is to put you off going to Barcelona for your Spanish language course. I’ve known many students who have been there, thoroughly enjoyed it, and learned as much Spanish as students in other Spanish cities. The only thing I want to do is make sure you know exactly what you will be getting if you choose to go to Barcelona.

And their football team has just won the Spanish League!