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Here are the reasons why you should study Spanish in Spain

Learning Spanish can improve your career, improve your health, help you learn other languages amongst other things. Read all about why you should start learning Spanish today!

Why Study Spanish?
More than 400 million people around the world got Spanish as their native language. That makes Spanish the 2nd most spoken native language in the world. Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela and Spain have Spanish as its national language.

According to the British Council, Spanish is the most important language to learn for the UK. It is also believed that by 2050 USA will be the country with the most native Spanish speakers in the world, even more than Mexico! Instituto Cervantes, the cultural organization that promotes the Spanish language claims that “If we would add the 9.7 million of undocumented immigrants to the total number of Hispanics on the census, the number of potential speakers of Spanish in the United States would rise to about 62 million people”.

It is also one of the most beautiful languages on this planet. If you don’t speak Spanish already, you should probably consider getting on with it… like AHORA (now)!

Here are some MORE reasons why everyone should learn Spanish!

Help you in the Business World

More and more employers around the world are realizing the importance of a workforce that can communicate in several languages. If you have proven to be a capable employee with the right skills and you on top of that speak another language (such as Spanish), you’ll be much more likely to get the job. Many jobs today actually even requires you to speak a foreign language at least at a basic level.

If one of your career goals are to travel and working/living abroad, learning how to speak Spanish fluently will most definitely help you achieve that. The world is becoming more and more global everyday and you will in many jobs meet people from around the world. Even if you just have some basic knowledge of a language, that might be enough to land you the job of your dreams. If you take that knowledge further, becoming fluent will help you communicate better with international clients and negotiate business deals all across the globe. Research has also shown that bilingual employees also often get paid more than those who only speak one language.

The Spanish speaking population is increasing rapidly and you can already see a multitude of career fields, not least in the USA, that need Spanish speakers. Central and South America got a lot of emerging markets and will provide for great business opportunities in the future. Mexico for example is seen as one of the most rapidly growing markets in the world. To be able to “tap into” these markets, understanding the language is crucial.

Easy to Learn

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Spanish is spelled phonetically and many of the words are similar to English. For that reason it has been claimed to be one of the easiest languages to learn. Its pronunciation is relatively straightforward and the Spanish vocabulary is very similar to other Romance languages.

Gateway to learning other languages
If you want to learn other Romance languages, then Spanish can be used as a ‘gateway’ to learn them as well. It has many similarities to other European languages such as Italian, French, Portuguese and Catalan. In fact, several of the languages are so called “mutually intelligible”, meaning that for example an Italian and a Spaniard can communicate (with a bit of effort) even though they have never studied it before. French might not sound very similar to Spanish, but especially in writing you will find a lot of similarities, making it much easier to learn.

The Best Swear Words and Expressions!

The Spanish language got the best swear words and expressions! There are an indefinite amount to learn and Spaniards love to use them regularly. Perhaps the most used swear word in Spanish is ¡Joder!, which means “fuck” or “shit”.

Obviously they differ a lot from country to country. ¡Hostia! is widely used though and means something like “Christ” or “Jesus”. It is a blasphemy and literally means “host”, what the Catholics eat at mass. “Jesus” in Spanish though, can be used when someone sneezes, similar to the English “bless you”. Hostia got many meanings and ways to say it. “Darle la hostia” exactly translated “give someone the host” means “beat someone up”. “Es la hostia” (it’s the host) means that something is great!

Oh well, this was just a tip of the iceberg. Spanish slang is hilarious and worth digging into even if you JUST want to learn that!

Enhance Your Travel Experience and Make Friends Around the World
If you want to travel any of all the countries that speak Spanish, having an understanding of the language will be very useful. In fact, it will enhance your entire experience! You will get a deeper understanding of the culture, history and the physical environment. You will find that many people don’t speak English, meaning you will have a hard time to make yourself understood asking for something as simple as asking for directions or making a hotel reservation.

To speak Spanish with the locals will not only help you making friends, but also discover all those hidden gems of your destination, only known by locals.

Take at least a little time to learn some of the language before going. You will get so much more out of your travels on all levels.

Positive Effect on the Brain

Studies show that being bilingual has many cognitive benefits. Examples of these positive effects are better attention-span and ability to multitask. The reason for this is because your brain switches constantly from one language to another.

But not only that, research has shown that bilingualism can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and postpones the symptoms of dementia. Numerous other studies suggest that bilingualism can also reduce the risk of having a stroke.

IF YOU WANT TO STUDY SPANISH IN SPAIN, CONTACT US AND WE WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE BEST SPANISH SCHOOLS ALL AROUND SPAIN 🙂

Study in Barcelona, Spain

Are you thinking about studying in Barcelona? Think no more, just do it! Barcelona is one of the most vibrant, exciting and beautiful cities in the world! From the culture, the food, the lifestyle, the beach, the architecture and the nightlife – Barcelona got it ALL! 

Barcelona is considered one of the top study destinations in Europe and it’s easy to see why – it provides the perfect combination of culture and fun. We will in this blog post list a few of the reasons why we loved studying here 🙂

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us 😀

Key Facts about Barcelona

Barcelona got a population of 1.5 million people, the 2nd largest city in Spain. However, the city centre feels small and almost everything is walkable, one of the many things we love about the city. It is the capital of Cataluña and the history goes back over 2500 years. The main language is Catalán, but people here are bilingual and also speak Spanish.

 

Beach & Weather

Barcelona got almost 5 km of beaches and the most famous one “Barceloneta” is situated right in the city centre. Because of the great weather almost all year around, we’re positive you will spend a great deal of your time on the beach here. Even in winter it never really drops below about 10 degrees Celsius. 

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Rich in Culture

Barcelona’s culture is something that brings tourists here from all around the world. We still haven’t heard anyone not absolutely amazed by the architecture here, like Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell and the old parts of the Gothic neighborhood. The Catalan culture is something you will feel throughout the city as well, not only language wise. Make sure you don’t miss the main festivals Sant Jordi and Festes De La Mercè. Cataluña was also the home of the cubist and surreal artists Picasso and Dalí. If you’re into art, you will not be disappointed in the scene in Barcelona. 

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Food is something super important for people all over Spain, not least the people from Cataluña. Across the city of Barcelona you will find some of Spain’s best cuisine, both in markets, small bars and bigger restaurants. Some of our favourite Catalán dishes are Escalivada, Botifarra and Crema Catalana. 

 

International Vibe

Barcelona is definitely the most international city in Spain. You will meet people from around the world who are here to either study, travel or work. There are also lots of international companies based throughout the city. Barcelona has been called the new “Silicon Valley” for all its international startups. So, if you’re looking for a truly international study abroad experience, Barcelona is definitely for you.

 

Nightlife

Barcelona is infamous all over Europe for its dynamic nightlife. From restaurants to bars and nightclubs, the choices are endless. Also, because of the city’s great weather – there are lots of outdoor activities too. One of the best areas for clubbing is Port Olimpic, whereas the Gothic Quarter and El Raval are better for restaurants and bar-hopping.

 

Cost of living

The cost of living and studying abroad in Barcelona is fairly cheap, especially if you compare to other cosmopolitan European cities like London, Paris or Milan. Eating and drinking out is affordable, but the accommodation is something that has become more expensive. You can also save money as a student in many ways. For example, students can get unlimited bus, tram and metro travel for three months with a T-Jove card for only €105. The “Bicing” is another great way to travel around the city. For €47 per year only, you can get access to the city bikes and there are 420 docking stations stations everywhere! Barcelona is very bike friendly, the streets are flat and the city centre is very small so you can get to most parts within an easy 15 min bike ride. 

 

Are there any university programs in English?

A lot of students ask us if they can study in English or if all programs are in Spanish or Catalán here. The answer to that is YES, you can study in English! You will be surprised with the scope of courses available in English, especially for master programs. The undergraduate degrees in Barcelona tend to be taught in Spanish, but there are definitely options in English too. 

You can read more about your English speaking bachelor programs here:

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Here you can read more about the English speaking master programs:

Click Here

 

Do you need a Student Visa?

For students who come from outside the European Union you need a student visa (Type D student visa). To apply for a student visa, you will have to submit the official documents to the Spanish consulate closest to where you live, showing that you have been admitted to a university program amongst other things. 

Please read our full guide on how to get a student visa to Spain here:

Click Here

 

Do you want to work while you’re studying?

If you come from an EU country, you can work anywhere in Spain as long as you have your NIE (Spanish ID number) and Social Security number.  

For non-EU members, it becomes more complicated. You will need a special permit. In this scenario, you are only allowed to work part time (maximum of 20 hours per week). You will have to find an employer though, that is willing to go through the process of hiring you legally. These jobs can be difficult to find. 

If you perhaps got a “practical work placement” as part of your studies and the company has an agreement with the University, you will not have to apply for a work permit.

Good luck with your future studies here in our beautiful Barcelona. We would love to help you make your dream of studying here come through. Just pop us an email or give us a call directly and we will help you – each step of the way 🙂