Kilometro zero is where it all begins. Did you know that Madrid’s famous Puerta del Sol square is the exact point from where the length of every motorway in Spain is measured? Hence the name, “zero kilometres”, and the reason why we’re starting our journey through Spain’s cheapest and best city language schools right here…
1. Madrid
Madrid is Spain’s cool and chilled out capital city – think grand old buildings and classical art museums like the Prado, combined with fashionable outdoor café terraces, rambling street markets, and vast green parks.
Madrid’s most famous university, the Complutense, offers Spanish courses to foreign language students at very generous prices. To take advantage of the cheapest prices you need to consider a minimum one-month stay. The 4-week intensive summer courses are available from 1351€ (£796 or $1351) and the full-year courses are particularly cheap at 3197€ (£2624 or $4453). See more Complutense courses and prices here, or read on to find out about shorter (and cheaper) courses in other exciting Spanish cities.
Complutense University is a good name to have on your CV, and adding to the allure is the immense international campus that sees hundreds of thousands of students pass through every year, and a student card which allows you to access all the campus faiclities, including the sports grounds, libraries and over 36,000 acres of forested and green areas. The only downside is the university’s somewhat antiquated classrooms and slow bureaucracy, but if you can put up with those, the buzzing campus environment and the excitement of being in Madrid will not leave you disappointed.
2. Barcelona
Barcelona and Madrid are often seen as rival destinations when it comes to studying Spanish in Spain. Which city is better? Well, it’s hard to say, since each metropolis has such a different feel. Where Madrid is classical and fashionable, Barcelona is quirky and cool. Apart from the Gaudi architecture and world’s most avant-garde fashion scene, Barcelona also enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate and has city beaches, which National Geographic claims are some of the world’s best.
Camino Barcelona is a school that leaps out – both for quality and price. This is easily one of the most popular language schools in Spain, because the teaching is of an excellent standard, there are lots of fun social and cultural activities, and high quality onsite accommodation. Enjoying 10 out of 10 positive student reviews, you really can’t go wrong with prices starting at 276€ (£227 or $385) for 2-week courses including 20 Spanish lessons each week.
Additionally, Camino Barcelona is located right in the centre of the city, so you can easily walk to many of the main sites. The school building has everything you need for efficient learning, including modern audio-visual and computer equipment, and WiFi. The school has been going since 2006, and is now one of the most respected private language schools in Spain.
3. Valencia
Third on our list is Valencia – appropriately also Spain’s third-largest city. The home of paella, sandy beaches, and some of the most spectacular modern architecture in Europe, Valencia is a superb city destinations for foreign Spanish language students – not least because it is much cheaper than Madrid and Barcelona. Apart from the city’s charming old quarter, the harbour, and the awe-inspiring Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia also has a thrilling nightlife scene.
Hispania Valencia is a cheap language school, yet offers solid Spanish language education and lots of fun activities. The prices are particularly good if you’re planning to stay between 2 and 8 weeks. For a 2-week course that includes 20 lessons each week, the price is 261€ (£214 or $363). There is also a 10% discount on all 2014 courses lasting 8 weeks or longer.
The school was established in 2002 and through investment in its facilities and teaching staff, now enjoys an excellent international reputation. Hispania Valencia has 10 classrooms, a library, lounge areas and terraces for students to relax, as well as a cafeteria. In addition, this school has a great activity schedule in the high season – although the downside is that during winter there is much less going on. But if you book a course during spring, summer or early autumn, you’ll get to do exciting stuff like flamenco dancing, student dinners and excursions almost every day of the week.
4. Seville
Seville is Andalusia’s regional capital and the birthplace of flamenco dancing. This city is a perfect choice for language students, because of its traditional Spanish cultural offering, cheap living costs, historic sites and excellent eating-out and nightlife culture. In particular in summer, you can enjoy Seville’s many outdoor riverside bars, cafés and restaurants, and a happening nightlife scene. Thanks to very little foreign influence, Seville is the perfect place to discover a slice of authentic Andalusia.
CLIC Sevilla consistently gets high reviews from its students. While this is not the cheapest school, CLIC Sevilla is nevertheless one of the best schools in the whole of Spain, making it one of the best value-for-money options if you want to study Spanish in an exciting city environment. A two-week intensive Spanish course including 20 weekly lessons costs 312€ ($256 or £434) and a full month’s course including 30 lessons per week (that’s six Spanish lessons every day from Monday to Friday) costs only 942€ ($776 or £1315).
CLIC Sevilla’s teaching staff is highly trained, not only at degree-level Spanish linguistics, but also in didactics. The facilities include a computer room with internet access, audiovisual equipment, a library and sun terraces and a garden. This school emphasises the importance of practicing Spanish in social situations and exploring Seville, so there are many organised tours of the city, culture classes, social evenings and a conversation exchange programme.
5. Malaga
Although situated on the sunny Costa del Sol, Malaga has nothing to do with the tourist hoards of its neighbouring cities. On the contrary, Malaga has always retained its traditional Spanish character. With a beautiful old historic centre, a newly modernized port development, excellent museums and galleries, and no end of trendy tapas restaurants, chic shops and grand turn of the century buildings, this is a city that charms Spanish language students with its history and culture. When it comes to living costs like food, transport and rent, Malaga is also officially the cheapest destination in the whole of Europe.
Malaga Plus belongs to the international language school organisation called Idiomas Plus. They have been around since the 1980’s, so this school really has experience in teaching Spanish as a foreign language. A 2-week intensive course that includes 20 Spanish lessons each week costs 274€ ($203 or £344). The school also offers a discount for small groups of 3 or more students booking together. This applies to all courses in 2014, so if you’re planning on travelling and taking a Spanish course with friends this year, Malaga Plus would be a good bet.
The school’s location is also charming and unique. The school is set in a group of typical Andalusian buildings in Malaga’s old fishing district, Pedrogalejo, and is only a 5-minute walk from the beach. The teachers undergo constant training and improvement programmes and the school has excellent facilities, including all the mod cons like WiFi and audio-visual teaching aids. The location is also perfect for beach sports, which the school often organises for students, alongside other social and cultural activities like parties, tapas evenings and dancing.
We hope you enjoyed this article listing five of Spain’s best city destinations and the best cheap schools in each one. For more information about Spanish courses, visit the UniSpain website and blog – we are specialists in Spanish language courses in Spain and work with over 40 officially registered schools in the country, with guaranteed discounts.
