Discover the best places to master your Spanish overseas, and why you should do it.
With almost 550 million native speakers, Spanish is one of the main languages in the world today. It is the world’s second most spoken language, behind Mandarin. It has spread widely to every corner, with more than 20 countries using it as their official. No surprise, Spanish always features highly on lists of the languages most chosen to learn (whether for doing business or for a vacation trip).
Contrary to popular belief, Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. Many vocabulary words are similar to English (although this may vary significantly from place to place) because both languages have – or are influenced by – common roots. That is why one can quickly find words that sound remarkably familiar, many of them being pronounced just as they are spelt (Spanish phonetics are plain and consistent).
Top-rated destinations for studying Spanish
When studying abroad, getting the right destination and environment is essential, as the whole experience will likely take several weeks or even months.
As mentioned above, there are many Spanish-speaking countries worldwide, such as Perú, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile. If you are trying to guess which one is better, you should know that there is no one-size-fits-all for immersion language classes. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, considering the linguistic and cultural differences.
Spaniards have the most apparent Spanish accent of all Spanish-speaking countries – making it relatively easy to learn and understand. The government is also one of the most visited in Europe and is famous for its fascinating history, unique buildings, friendly people, nice weather, and delicious gastronomy. With this in mind, if you are looking to learn the purest and original Spanish from scratch, Spain is the place to go.
Suppose you are thinking about working on your Spanish skills and reaching a conversational level in Spain. In that case, the country has many destinations with excellent abroad programs such as Spanish courses in Barcelona that can offer you a wonderfully immersive experience without too much paperwork as other scholarships do.
With a huge population, Barcelona has all the aspects that a student may expect and want in a study abroad experience: cosmopolitanism, history, architecture, sports, art, and vibrant nightlife. Locals are passionate, kind, and open to helping others learn the language quickly and efficiently.
In terms of lifestyle, there are plenty of things to do, from tourist attractions to sun-soaked beaches and many cultural activities to enjoy all year round. Just by walking through its streets, you might see amazing buildings and artwork and will be able to learn a lot about the rich Catalonian culture. The city has undoubtedly endless opportunities to have a great time.
Therefore, a Spanish course in Barcelona will give you the opportunity of mastering your Spanish skills and become fluent and help you increase your knowledge of the country’s culture, opening your mind in ways you would not otherwise. Interestingly, there are courses for all kinds of students and classes can even take place during summer, offering the opportunity to study the language while spending holidays near the beach (beaches in Barcelona are stunning!).
Studying Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country
Today, learning Spanish can be done relatively quickly. There are plenty of methods: private lessons, reading books and manuals, online courses, exchange programs… However, the killer secret to learning it the best way and accelerating the language learning process is studying abroad in a country where it is spoken.
The immersive experience unlocks new perspectives and allows learning more about the culture of the chosen country, as well as it is way more fun, easier, and faster than other methods.
Let us face it: there is nothing like spending time in a place where the language you want to learn is spoken natively. For this reason, in the short term, exchange students can often handle all types of situations with ease and confidence. Of course, it should be noted that fluency takes time and will depend strictly on each student’s willingness to learn and capacity.
Why is it so important to learn a second language?
One of the advantages of learning new languages is that it helps the brain perform better, making it more adept overall. The learning process is similar to a brain-training exercise. It is a great way to boost general cognitive functioning, increase self-esteem, and acquire socialization skills.
On top of that, mastering a second language provides an excellent opportunity to make foreign friends because it allows one to communicate and be understood in other countries. Of course, to do so, fluency is ideal, but not necessary. Having a conversational level is good enough to meet all kinds of people in all contexts.
Last but not least, mastering a second language, such as Spanish, has massive importance in many different job fields, and it is increasing in popularity around the world. In fact, it is one of the UN’s official languages. Its utility is almost unparalleled. Therefore, improving your Spanish skills will look great on your CV and make you more employable in many different markets, enhancing your career prospects.
The bottom line
Simply put, we have compiled above some of the reasons why so many people worldwide are learning Spanish as their second language in a Spanish-speaking country. The benefits of doing it are innumerable.
If you have been thinking about learning Spanish as a second language to boost your personal and professional life, perhaps now is the time to stop hesitating and get ready for an exciting language journey. A study abroad program can make all this happen. It will put you ahead of the curve and set you apart from the crowd while having fun and meeting new friends.
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