If you’ve got your heart set on hablando español, there’s no better way than learning Spanish abroad. Immersion in the language and culture via Spanish language schools abroad will help you hone your language skills faster than any app or course you can take back home, but it may feel like a big leap to take. It's obvious why studying Spanish abroad is the right move.
Combining conversation partners and immersion Spanish classes abroad can mean big gains for your fluency.
Don’t let that little voice in your head talk you out of it! Spanish is spoken by an estimated 437 million people in at least 20 different countries around the globe. Why not be 437,000,001?
Language schools throughout the Spanish-speaking world are waiting for you. Spanish language schools abroad offer a variety of options including intensive language formats, cultural activities, excursions, community engagement projects, and more.
With so many options and formats to choose from, there’s something for just about anyone. Minimum commitments of as short as just a week or two and options to extend your stay on the fly make it possible for you to stay for as long or as little as you like. You can even explore all of them until you find the one that’s right for you.
Still on the fence? Here are eight reasons to talk yourself into learning Spanish abroad.
8 reasons why studying Spanish abroad is a good idea
1. The world is your ostra
Learning Spanish abroad in Cuba will give you plenty of chances to practice your color vocab
While Spain is one obvious choice—and it’s fabulous, no doubt!—there are language schools across the Spanish-speaking world. That’s a lot of territory, spanning many time zones, climates, and geographical regions.
Maybe you’re looking for cosmopolitan cultural centers in some of the world’s megalopolises. Maybe you seek lush, tropical settings and coastal climes. Maybe the mountains are calling.
There are tons of gorgeous options for learning Spanish abroad. Make the best of it.
- Browse places to learn Spanish in the Caribbean
- Explore Spanish school options in North America and Central America
- Check out Spanish language schools in South America
- View Spanish language schools in Spain
2. It’s budget-friendly (if you want it to be)
With so many Spanish language schools to choose from, you can pick the most affordable option for you.
Research which exchange rates and flight costs are most favorable from your departure point and be real with yourself about just how many bells and whistles you’ll need to be comfortable.
It can be tempting to go for the cheapest option around, but make sure you’re doing your homework and remember: if you’re exhausted, feel unsafe, or don’t have enough spending money to enjoy your new surroundings, you aren’t preparing yourself to do your best.
Related: Where's the Best Place to Learn Spanish in Mexico?
Language schools can be aimed at different audiences and experiences. Find the one that balances your flow of dinero with other important factors, such as your previous travel experiences, sun sensitivity, or love of endless hot water.
3. Immersion is the best way to learn
There’s no better way to learn a language than by being surrounded by it. The big reason why it’s harder to learn your second or third language later in life than it was to learn your native language isn’t age. It’s timing.
When you’re two years old, you don’t have many responsibilities beyond trying to get “mama” and “dada” just right. As you get older and have school, jobs, a social life, it gets harder to carve out that dedicated time to letting your brain just be a sponge and soak up all the language it can.
By choosing to learn Spanish abroad, you’re choosing to immerse yourself in the language every day, That will get you a whole lot closer to toddler levels of absorpción.
Head to the “motherland” and take Spanish classes abroad in Spain!
4. It’s good for your brain
If your brain is like a muscle, then adding another language to your repertoire is like putting another weight on the barbell. Speaking multiple languages requires that you know how to manage multiple vocabularies, grammars, and even cultures, and can switch back and forth between them at a moment’s notice.
It’s a real workout! Recent scholarly research shows that this mental exercise can have positive impacts on your cognitive function later in life, so investing in learning Spanish abroad now can have big payoffs in the long-term. Your future self will thank you for this.
5. Eat your heart out
The food is as varied as the geography in the Spanish-speaking world. As in many cultures, Hispanic cultures place great importance on sharing food as a way of sharing with loved ones, celebrating important occasions, and transmitting cultural traditions across generations.
While you’re learning Spanish abroad, you’ll have plenty of time to find the best [taco, paella, pupusa, asado -- you name it!] you’ve ever eaten. If you really want to make the most of your immersion, take advantage of the opportunities food presents for language learning.
Make new friends and don’t eat alone! Making and sharing meals are a perfect time for conversation and intercultural exchange. These interactions can also introduce you to a lot of vocabulary you might not encounter in a classroom.
6. So many different people
One of the big differences between studying abroad and choosing to learn Spanish abroad at a language school is the people.
While study abroad programs are often based at universities and offer very structured programs for students from a particular university or region, Spanish language schools, on the other hand, are open to more diverse kinds of students.
You could find classmates of all ages and from all over the world. This is especially good if you aren’t currently a university student yourself, but even if you are, this kind of variety could be just what you’re looking for.
If you’re worried about finding the right #squad for you, it’s good to inquire about a Spanish language school’s typical student body before enrolling.
[It's never too late! Learn More About Language Schools for Mature Adults]
7. Who doesn’t love a challenge?
There’s more to Mexico than meets the eye. Uncover it’s magic while attending language schools there!
There will probably be moments when your time learning Spanish abroad feels like anything but the best. Spanish language schools owe part of their success to the immersion that accompanies them, but that can be exhausting at times.
Let the hard parts be part of what you savor about this experience. The metaphorical friction of it all seems to be part of what grinds the Spanish into your brain. Everyone who’s ever learned a new language has been through some challenging bits before the conversations start flowing.
Stick to it when the going gets tough and you’ll be wearing the scars and your new regional Spanish accent of choice with pride before you know it.
8. Join the club!
An estimated 52 million U.S. citizens and permanent residents speak Spanish. That includes nearly half of Californians, a quarter of Floridians, and almost 20% of New Yorkers.
That makes it the country with the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico—bigger than any other country that counts Spanish as an official language.
And by all estimates, that number just keeps growing. That means learning to speak Spanish isn’t just useful for when you take to the friendly skies.
It’s an everyday kind of skill! Bring those language chops back home and you’ll be able to engage more deeply with more members of your own community, enrich your own life from those new relationships, and finally feel legit enough to try that neighborhood pupusa place everyone’s been talking about.
Convinced? Get matched with 5 Spanish Language Schools abroad for FREE
Next steps to learning Spanish abroad
Stay focused on your language learning goals & you’ll be using advanced Spanish in no time.
- Pick a destination. Figure out what you can spare in the budget department. Think about what time of year you’ll be going. What kind of weather are you hoping for? Do you like a big city or something more quaint? It’s good not to play it too safe. Learning abroad is at its best when you’re outside of your comfort zone, but do your homework at this juncture so as to set yourself for success.
- Decide how long you plan to stay. A couple of weeks? Months? Maybe even a year? The received wisdom on language learning is the longer the better, but any time you can spare is better than none at all. You can always extend your stay, or come back again later, of course. Still, having a sense of your timeline will help to identify the best Spanish school for you.
- Figure out how much support you need. Can you find your own housing or would you like that to be arranged for you? Do you want to find a host family or live on your own? Are you looking for group outings and organized extracurriculars or do you cherish your free time?
- What about all the logistical stuff—travel arrangements and ground transportation, local on-site orientations, health insurance, meal plans, the works -- decide how much of this you want pre-packaged and how much you want to figure out on your own? There are Spanish language schools for all of this and more, so ask the right questions and then choose accordingly.
Related: 11 Best Spanish Speaking Cities Abroad for Language Classes
You’re almost ready to learn Spanish abroad
Have a blast while learning Spanish abroad!
Now that you’re armed with all the motivation you need to learn Spanish abroad (and some great comebacks for any naysayers you encounter on your journey), it’s time to take the next step. ¡Sí se puede!
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