Studying Spanish in Spain

Hi there

I am in desperate need of help as I just cannot make my mind up!

I want to go and study Spanish in Spain, but cannot decide which town/city to stay in. My first idea was to go to a small beachy place like Nerja or Tarifa, but then thought as I am going in October-november it might not be much fun so then thought of going to perhaps Seville or Valencia to get the full experience.

I do not like big cities but also get a bit restless if the place is dead with nothing to do.

Would also be most grateful if anyone who has studied in spain could recommend a course provider. Have looked at Quality Courses, which seem pretty good but how can one be sure?

I have a serioius problem with making decisions, as may have been noticed....

Thank you in advance!!!

Sus x

You don't want to be in a small beach resort in November, I don't think. Spain CAN be very wet in November!

An important consideration for learning Spanish is the number of tourists. You will probably find meeting locals etc easier in less touristy places (ie Valencia probably better than Sevillla). A smaller place could be an advantage for that too, but then of course if there aren't a lot of tourists, there is unlikely to be a school!

Well Quality courses do courses in Murcia, Cadiz, Nerja, Tarifa, Almunecar, San Sebastian, Santiago de Compostela, Salmanca, plus the bigger or more well known places like Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Granada, Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Barcelona, Tenerife etc....

Thanks for trying to help though!!!!!

I think you're probably better off with a small school rather than a chain. Tho perhaps someone else here has direct experience of these guys? I'd recommend the Carmen de las Cuevas in Granada.

Cádiz is a nice smaller city. Some people like it a lot (like me), others not so much. Otherwise they're all relatively large places. If you're going to the south coast I'd go for Málaga rather than Nerja, Almuñécar etc. in November.

Thanks Suiko

Just found a link to K2 International in Cadiz, ever heard of them? Seems quite good value and if Cadiz is a nice place then why not go there?

I like it. Lots of atmosphere. It's slightly seedy perhaps, but for me in a good way. Don't know the school. I would really look for personal reccos tho rather than picking something off the web - start a thread on here! There are lots of fairly shoddy operators in this field.

A possible disadvantage might be that the accent is one of the most difficult in Spain!

Only difficult if you know something different!

What do you mean by seedy? Would one have to wory walking home alone at 2 in the morning? Cannot be bothered with all that, I like to be able to move around freely at any time of night!

Found a good website, Estudia Espagna which offer discounts on various course providers, will chec that out and then get recommendatios!

Thanks again!!

Sus

You never have to worry about being out at 2am in Spain - it's the busiest time of day! :-)

By "difficult", I meant that they have a very strong accent and don't pronounce like it's written in the book!

The problem with the accent in Andalucia is that people tend to not pronounce half of the consonants. That is why it is easier for a foreigner to learn Spanish in for example Salamanca, where people articulate much better.

You might take a look at this Sussie

Teachers at K2 all have neutral accents - I took a course there and it was fantastic - very personalized service. Cadiz is very safe. The seedy look comes from the weathered buildings which give it lots of atmosphere IMHO. Gaditano is just Castellano pronounced with heart :) No, I haven´t come up with that myself....

Navajo's a "local" who knows her stuff - I'd go with that one

I know Cadiz pretty well and I happen to know that school.The school is family run, by two sisters, good atmosphere.
Estudia Espana might have a discount on that school too - worth checking.

Cadiz is big enough to give some nightlife and small enough not to tire you out like big cities do. The food is fantastic, too. If you decide on Cadiz you can PM me for more info.

My first post on this forum!

I thoroughly recommend Granada. A small, but varied city. Old and new, vibrant yet peaceful. The Alhambra. Barrios of Albycin, Sacaramonte, Realejo, more...more...more. The snow capped Sierra Nevada. Beach a short coach ride away. A city with a population of just 250,000 (of which 60,000 are students) it feels more like Five or, Six very different towns clumped together.

The large student population means a) plenty of quality language schools and, b) a very lively and international social scene. Great clubs as well as the tourist tapas bars and shows. Very cultural city with plenty of free entertainment. It really does have everything. You can easily avoid picking-up the local accent as you learn Spanish.

And, it is cheap! Rooms in shared houses available from €80/month. For a more central and comfortable room you're looking at €130/month. Single bed flats from €240/month. Drink with free tapas (a Granada policy) from €1.40 - €2.40.

You would be foolish to learn Spanish anywhere else ;)

Sevilla or Granada... would be your best bet. I lived in Sevilla for 2 years and I am not a big city person but loved it there. it is a quaint city. I loved it

Hello Sussie,
I'm planning to study spanish in Spain for a month this June with my husband and I'd like to know more about your experience. Where did you end up going?
I'm thinking about going to Valencia and attend the Don Quijote course.
I look forward to hearing back from you or anyone else that have studied spanish in Spain!

Thanks,
Lea

Lea, I think you can assume that the original poster has now abandoned this thread if you look at the dates. I sggest that you start a new thread with an appropriate title, including the name Don Quijote.