Glossary | Estudia-España

The words you meet when you look for a Spanish course abroad, in plain language. Where you see a term with a dotted underline on our site, tap it for a short explanation; this page has the longer version.

Bildungsurlaub

Bildungsurlaub is paid educational leave for employees in most German federal states, usually 5 working days a year (some states use other names). The course has to be recognised in your state, and you apply to your employer in good time. Courses marked Bildungsurlaub on our site are approved in the states shown on the course page.

Booking request

A booking request is how you book with us: you choose a course, dates and accommodation and send the form. It costs nothing and does not bind you. We check availability with the school and reply within 2 working days. You pay only after the school has confirmed your place and you have accepted our offer.

Course materials

Some schools charge for the textbook or workbook of your course, often per level. When the school requires the materials, the cost is already included in the prices on our pages. Optional materials are listed as a separate line on the school or course page.

Half board, full board, self-catering

Half board means breakfast and dinner, full board means three meals a day, and self-catering means that no meals are included and you cook for yourself. In a host family the meals are usually served at home. In shared apartments and student residences you normally cook yourself. Each accommodation option on the school page says what is included.

High-season supplement

Some schools and accommodation providers charge an extra amount per week in peak weeks, mostly in summer and around holidays. The booking calendar marks high-season weeks, and the price summary shows the supplement before you send your request, so you see the total first.

Host family

You live in a room in the home of a local family and eat the meals you booked with them, so you hear and speak Spanish every day outside the classroom. Each accommodation option on a school page lists the room type and the meals. Tell us about allergies or food preferences in your booking request.

Intensive course

The intensive course is the standard group course at most schools: about 20 lessons a week, Monday to Friday, usually in the morning, which leaves the afternoons free. Part-time courses have fewer lessons, super-intensive courses 25 to 30. Prices on our pages are for one week of a standard intensive course unless the page says otherwise.

Lesson

A lesson is one teaching unit at the school, just under an hour; the school sets the exact length. We always count lessons, not clock hours, because that is how schools sell their courses. A standard intensive course has about 20 lessons a week, which is around 4 lessons a day, Monday to Friday, usually in the morning.

Level test

On your first day the school checks your Spanish with a short written test, often followed by a short chat. The result only decides which group you join, so there is nothing to pass or fail and nothing to prepare. Complete beginners start at the first level and usually do not need the test.

Levels A1 to C2

Schools describe language levels with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). It runs from A1 (complete beginner) through A2, B1, B2 and C1 to C2 (near-native). You do not need to know your level when you book: complete beginners start at A1, everyone else does a short level test on day one. It only decides your group.

Price on request

Some schools send us a price only per enquiry. If you see "Price on request", send a booking request anyway: it is free and non-binding. We ask the school for the price and reply within 2 working days.

Reservation fee

The reservation fee is your first payment. You pay it to us after the school has confirmed your place and you have accepted our offer. It is part of the total price, not an extra charge, and you pay the rest directly to the school before the course. The reservation fee is not the school's own fee: that is the school enrolment fee. Cancellation rules are in our terms and conditions.

School enrolment fee

Many schools charge a one-off fee when you enrol, also called an administration or booking fee. It is the school's fee, not ours, and it is already included in the course prices on our pages, so you do not pay it twice. It is a different thing from our reservation fee.

Shared apartment (flat share)

A room in an apartment that you share with other students, usually from different countries. The kitchen and often the bathroom are shared, and you usually cook for yourself, so meals are normally not included. Room type and age range are shown with each option.

Start date

Most group courses start every Monday, and you stay for as many weeks as you like. The calendar in the booking request shows the real dates; public holidays and school closures are left out. Camps and some special courses have fixed start dates, and some schools let complete beginners start only on set dates. These are marked in the calendar.

Student residence

A residence hall for students, usually close to the school, with single or double rooms. Some have a shared kitchen, some a canteen. Meals, room type and the age range differ from one residence to the next, so check the details of each option before you choose.