Whether Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia or Salamanca: here you find Spanish courses at partner schools across Spain. Choose the destination that suits you and compare schools, courses and accommodation for your language trip.
Which part of Spain suits you?
Our destinations show very different sides of Spain:
- Andalusia – Málaga, Seville, Granada, Cádiz, Marbella and Vejer: mild winters, hot summers, flamenco, tapas and Moorish history. Seville and Granada lie inland and get very hot in July and August.
- Central Spain – Madrid and Salamanca: hot summers and cold winters. Madrid is the capital with its museums and nightlife; Salamanca is a compact student city with one of the oldest universities in Europe.
- The Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands – Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza: beach and city life, warm summers and mild winters.
- The north – Bilbao and San Sebastián: green and rainier, with milder summers and a famous food culture.
- The Canary Islands – Tenerife and Gran Canaria: spring-like weather all year, a good choice for a course in winter.
Accents and dialects in Spain
All our schools teach standard Spanish, and teachers speak clearly in class. Outside the classroom you will notice regional differences:
- Madrid, Salamanca and the north: most people use the distinción – z, and c before e or i, sound like the English “th” in “think”, s sounds like s. Salamanca has a reputation for especially clear Spanish.
- Andalusia: an s at the end of a syllable is often breathed out or dropped (los amigos sounds close to “loh amigo”), and a d between vowels often disappears (cansado → “cansao”). Many Andalusians use seseo (z and c sound like s); in some areas, for example around Cádiz, you also hear ceceo (s sounds like “th”).
- Canary Islands: the accent is close to Latin American Spanish – seseo, a soft s, and ustedes instead of vosotros for “you” (plural).
- Co-official languages: Catalan in Barcelona and on the Balearic Islands, Valencian in Valencia and Alicante, Basque in Bilbao and San Sebastián. You will see signs in two languages, but everyone also speaks Spanish, and your course is in Spanish.
When to go and how to choose
Summer is the busiest season, with the most students and the junior programmes. Spring and autumn are pleasant everywhere and ideal for Andalusia, Madrid and Salamanca. In winter the Canary Islands and the Andalusian coast stay mild. Big-city life? Madrid or Barcelona. A student town? Salamanca or Granada.
Questions about learning Spanish in Spain
Which Spanish will I learn in Spain?
Standard Spanish (castellano) as it is spoken in Spain, including vosotros. It is understood everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world.
Do I need to learn Catalan in Barcelona?
No. Your course is in Spanish, and everyone in Barcelona speaks Spanish.
Is the Andalusian accent difficult for beginners?
Your teachers speak clearly, so you will understand them from the start. Street Spanish is faster, and after a few weeks most students find it good training for their ears.
Where can I learn Spanish in winter?
In Tenerife, Gran Canaria or on the Andalusian coast, for example in Málaga. The winters there are mild.
Should I learn Spanish in Spain or in Latin America?
It is the same language, and you will be understood in both. See also our destinations in Latin America.