So you want to learn Spanish, but you don’t know where to start. Is learning through an application enough? Do you sign up for once-a-week Spanish classes in the language academy near your house? Or, do you move to Spain to learn Spanish? Though moving to another country to learn a language can be quite a big leap, it’s one of the best ways to do so. In this article, we talk about the benefits of learning the Spanish language through a culturally immersive experience that will change your life for the better.
So you want to learn Spanish, but you don’t know where to start. Is learning through an application enough? Do you sign up for once-a-week Spanish classes in the language academy near your house? Or, do you move to Spain to learn Spanish? Though moving to another country to learn a language can be quite a big leap, it’s one of the best ways to do so. In this article, we talk about the benefits of learning the Spanish language through a culturally immersive experience that will change your life for the better.
First things first
Before we go over the five reasons to learn Spanish in Spain, let’s first talk about EBC’s Road2Spain programme. After all, answering the question of how is just as important as answering the question of why.
Learn Spanish in Spain with the EBC Road2Spain programme
The EBC Road2Spain programme will get you a one-year Spanish student visa. It also includes the EBC Trinity CertTESOL course, which will certify you to Teach English as a Second Language. So you are a Spanish language student from 9:30 – 13:30, and you are an English teacher from 14:00 – 18:00 or even later.
You will take our 4-week intensive online EBC Trinity CertTESOL course, which is an Ofqual Level 5 accredited course. The certification you will receive is accepted and recognised by the British Council, which works in over 100 countries around the world. So basically, getting Trinity CertTESOL certification helps you widen your horizons when it comes to finding English teaching jobs around the world.
Furthermore, EBC graduates get access to our lifetime and worldwide job placement programme. Oh, and did we mention that it’s FREE? This invaluable service is included on the course fee you paid, no hidden extras here. You can look at it like some sort of safety net. With the quality of your certification and the EBC job placement programme, you can opt for a change of scenery at any point in your career.
How it works
Now, let’s talk about the Spain part of the EBC Road2Spain programme. After you take the online 4-week Trinity CertTESOL course, you will learn Spanish with a Cervantes Institute-accredited Spanish language school. The Spanish language school will send you the invitation letter, which you will need to get your Spanish student visa. You can read more about that process here. Just make it a point to set aside enough time in between finishing the CertTESOL course and having the required documents, so you can apply for your Spanish student visa.
You will be studying the Spanish language for one year in Spain. And the best part is that you can also work as a Trinity certified English teacher. You study Spanish and earn money as an English teacher simultaneously. By the time you start your Spanish classes in Spain, you will already have your CertTESOL certification that is accepted and recognised by the British Council and worldwide recognised and established language schools. Your new friend, the Trinity College CertTESOL certificate, will really come in handy when getting an English teaching job in Spain.
Spanish immigration law changes
Furthermore, because of the new changes to the Spanish immigration law, Spanish student visa holders are now allowed to work up to 30 hours a week. And the best part is that anyone with this visa can work directly with the document. Companies no longer need to go through the hassle of applying for a permit to allow Spanish student visa holders to work.
Basically, the Road2Spain programme is a win-win situation. You get to live in Spain for a year, while teaching English as a foreign language. Another big perk in the Road2Spain programme is that Spain is part of the EU and the Schengen zone, which means you will be able to travel around the EU hassle-free! No extra visas needed, as your 1-year student visa allows you visa free entry into and exit from Spain.
Now, let’s talk about the why. Why learn Spanish in Spain? Well, here are five reasons why you should.
Learn Spanish in Spain: Step into an immersive experience
One reason why you should study Spanish in Spain is because doing so will give you a real immersive language-learning experience. There’s nothing quite like moving to another country on your own. You can read about the insights of Beatrice, one of our Road2Spain graduates, here.
Moving to Spain will give you the opportunity to really take in the Spanish language. Though it may be challenging at first, you will find that constantly being surrounded by Spanish-speaking people will increase the speed at which you learn.
After all, from supermarkets to restaurants, and even to bars and clubs, you will find that you can learn new things everywhere you go. You will learn so much more about the Spanish language by moving to Spain than by sitting in any classroom. Living in Spain will give you the complete immersive experience.
Learn Spanish in Spain: History and language
A second reason why you should learn Spanish in Spain is because it will allow you to get to know its history on a much deeper level. History, culture, and language are all intertwined. There is no separating them. To understand Spanish on a deeper level, you must understand the history of the Spanish people. You will also learn about the Spanish culture, which is a melting pot of influences from different civilisations.
Living in Spain makes it especially easy to travel around the country. By doing so, you will be able to understand its history and culture on a much deeper level. Getting to know Spanish people from different parts of Spain is also a great way to expand not only your connections, but also your Spanish vocabulary. Fun fact–a lot of Spanish provinces have their expressions that don’t always make sense to people from other provinces!
Learn Spanish in Spain: Travel and explore
A third reason why you should learn Spanish in Spain is because you will get to unleash your inner travel junkie. The Road2Spain programme is perfect for people who like to travel and explore different cultures because it gets you a one-year Spanish student visa. This document will allow you to travel within the Schengen Zone.
If you’re worried about travel expenses, remember that you will have your Trinity CertTESOL, which means you can teach English and earn during your one-year programme. Getting enough hours in will equal extra money, which you can use to explore countries around Europe.
Spain also has quite a lot of long weekends spread throughout the year, so booking tickets in advance normally means cheaper prices. Plus, travel within Europe is quite cheap anyway, so it’s very doable! Who ever thought that you could learn Spanish in Spain, get Trinity CertTESOL certification, and fulfil your European tour dreams all in the same year? Or, as some of our roadrunner graduates have commented – if you wanted, you can be in 3 countries in a day! BENELUX (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg). Simply awesome! Of course, to see these countries and the beauty and history in each one of them, 5–6 days are recommended. The BENELUX analogy is here to show how doable travel is in Europe.
Learn Spanish in Spain: Work as an English teacher
A fourth reason why you should learn Spanish under the EBC Road2Spain programme is because it will help you become an even better English teacher. You will be learning Spanish for one-year in a different country. This will give you an edge in your English classes. How? Well, you will be able to relate much better to your students. Whilst you don’t need Spanish to teach English, if you understand Spanish, you will know where your students´mistakes are coming from. Because you know Spanish, you can address their issues faster.
As you learn Spanish, you will become more aware of the challenges that language learners face. Because of your own experiences with learning Spanish, you will be able to anticipate your students´challenges like fear of making mistakes in front of others, pronunciation, grammar or false cognates or false friends as they are fondly referred to.
Also, as someone from outside of Spain, your students will naturally be curious about you, and you can use this to your advantage. Curiosity leads to class participation, and class participation helps students learn better and faster. It’s also a great way to build rapport with your students. After all, we are all human. Often times, you will find that when you share personal experiences, you make others feel safe enough to do the same. Now imagine getting your students to do just that in English!
Learn Spanish in Spain: Personal growth
Another reason why you should learn Spanish in Spain is because it will help you grow as a person. Life is all about learning and growing. The two go hand in hand. When you learn, you grow, and as you grow, you learn.
Uprooting yourself from your home and moving to another country just might be one of the scariest things you will ever do in your life. However, it could also end up being one of the best decisions you ever made. Though the initial leap will take a lot of courage, you can rest assured that what is on the other side is always better than what you leave behind. Imagine all the new experiences, people, and memories that are waiting for you!
If you’ve been looking for a sign to take that leap, take that risk and go after your dreams, this article just might be it. So, why don’t you just go for it! Don’t worry, we’re here to catch you. Talk to us today!
