Being able to study Spanish in Spain should be a wonderful opportunity and an enriching experience.
Sure, it should be.
But depending on your general comportment, your time in Spain could prove to be less rewarding than it ordinarily should be.
It would be a right shame to leave at the end of your stay feeling like you could have done more to benefit from the Spanish setting.
Prefer to avoid an inner disappointment riddled with shoulda, woulda, coulda’s..?
Then here is a short list of five things that it would be better that you Don’t do while in Spain in order to capitalise on your time and take advantage of the total immersion Spanish environment.
1. Don’t Create a Circle of Friends From Your Country
This is just such a bad idea. Sure, I could see the appeal. You are alone, far away from home in a foreign country – and whoa! Here is someone who speaks my language, or better, even from my city! What luck!!!! Yes, what bad luck. You may think that this would be a great thing for you. Socially, perhaps. But linguistically? It is the worst thing that could happen to your Spanish. 10 centimos says that you will spend 90% of your time speaking your native language and not practising your Spanish. It is even worse if you surround yourself with a group of people who come from your country or speak your native language. Typically, you all will never get a word in of Spanish which would of course do no good to your progress and be a waste of your time in Spain.
2. Don’t Skip Spanish Class
Er…yeah. You came to Spain to study Spanish remember? It would make sense to actually attend the classes. Not only would it be wise, on a practical level – because you have already paid for said classes. But what’s more, if you attend class, you will surely improve your Spanish and having a better grasp of the language will significantly enhance the nature of the experiences you will have in Spain. You will be able to appreciate the culture and people in a much fuller way which will render things more fun and give you a better time. So stay committed, go to class and try to be “present.” Even if the material may seem difficult at first, just being there will make all the difference in your progress in time.
3. Don’t Stick to Tourist Spots
Okay okay. Yes, you absolutely must see the Real Palacio, sunbathe at La Concha or venture into every little store on Avenida de Diagonal, but the people that you will frequently find in tourist neighbourhoods are – yeah, tourists i.e. foreigners like you, not Spanish people. Which means that you will hear almost every language from around the world and very little Spanish. Even the local staff within the neighbourhood often speak foreign languages to cater to the international clientèle. Hence, to designate these places as your daily meeting points with friends is not a good idea if you are truly seeking to immerse yourself in Spanish and see some real improvement. And on a cultural note, if ALL you do is frequent the tourist areas when you are in Spain, then you will miss out on so much more of the rest of the authentic culture that makes Spain the beautiful country that it is – which would be a pity.
4. Don’t Be Closed Minded
Spain is not your home country. And the sooner that you recognize and accept this fact the sooner you can begin to relax and live in the moment. One of the best things that you can do for your Spanish language learning while in Spain is to open your mind and adopt a positive attitude. Be curious about your new Spanish environment. Ask questions, don’t be afraid to acknowledge that everything is new to you – you are here to discover it all! Make the streets of Spain your classroom. Interact with the locals on a regular basis and explore the country to your hearts content. Every activity that you engage in that reflects authentic Spanish culture will bring you one step closer to your Spanish language learning goal.
5. Don’t Neglect Your Spanish Studies
Sure, you are in Spain which is essentially a huge unofficial Spanish language classroom in of itself. However, it would still be a good idea to take your actual Spanish language studies seriously. Reinforce what you learn from your classes and and take a little time out here and there to study on your own. If you are given homework from class, try your hand at it 
diligently. You could review your notes from class or practice learned concepts on your own. Take the initiative and motivate yourself to try creative ways of practising your Spanish outside the classroom through listening to pod-casts or reading short articles in the newspaper.
Technically, you are in Spain to study Spanish. Yes, the country is extremely beautiful with mesmerizing landscapes, white sand beaches with sparkling blue water and delicious food! But, you are not here for vacation – you are here to study! Keep things in perspective and strike a balance. If you work hard, you will be able to play harder – and in Spanish! Give yourself a fair shot at learning this beautiful language and try sincerely to make some progress. Your efforts will not at all be in vain as all the privileges that come with learning Spanish will not have to stop once you leave Spain.
