# Spanish study in Madrid



## Timoteo7 (Feb 15, 2016)

Can anyone recommend (or pan) a Spanish language school in Madrid? Hunting online for *study Spanish in Madrid* or *español para extranjeros* turns up no shortage of candidate schools, but it's hard to separate wheat from chaff. I studied Spanish in Mexico years ago, and remember a wide disparity between teachers and class quality.

I didn't see any recent related threads here on expatforum, so thought I'd check. 

I know that UAM offers Spanish courses, but these are likely too formal for me, as I don't seek a degree.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I always recommend International House who are well known for their Teacher Training for English teachers and they carry on those ideas and methodologies into the Spanish teaching area too.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

There was a thread on this some time ago but I can't find it. I have used AIL in the past and been happy, so too Tandem (but they were pricey at the time - albeit 15 years ago). Other I've heard good things about are Don Quijote, Sampere and ELE. 

BTW How long are you planning on studying for?


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## Timoteo7 (Feb 15, 2016)

Thanks, Pesky Wesky and Chopera. I had seen online material for AIL, but International House was new to me. I'll try to learn more about both.

I have no plans to leave Spain, and expect to study Spanish for years to come. The more I learn, the better I'll be able to participate in day-to-day doings here.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Sampere is well known for translation courses. I've never studied there, but it strikes me as an "old fashioned approach" kind of place


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Sampere is well known for translatiion courses. I've never studied there, but it strikes me as an "old fashioned approach" kind of place


I can't believe Sampere is still around. I studied there the very first time I came to Spain way back in 1979!! 

(They were very good, BTW!)


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Timoteo7 said:


> Thanks, Pesky Wesky and Chopera. I had seen online material for AIL, but International House was new to me. I'll try to learn more about both.
> 
> I have no plans to leave Spain, and expect to study Spanish for years to come. The more I learn, the better I'll be able to participate in day-to-day doings here.


A very cheap option is to enrol in one of the evening courses run by the Madrid council. Here's an example:

Clases de español para extranjeros - Ayuntamiento de Madrid

I think there are several centres around Madrid that run them.

In my personal experience, the intensive courses run by the academies are good for about a month before your brain stops taking in information. I wouldn't book much more than 4 weeks to begin with. Intercambios are good for practicing Spanish, they are often run by Irish bars, but you could also try signing up to meetup.com, where you might find more intercambios as well as things going on in general.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Chopera said:


> In my personal experience, the intensive courses run by the academies are good for about a month before your brain stops taking in information.


It's true that you get to saturation point, different for everyone I suppose, and what you have to do is go out and use it until you "know" that part. In the old days that would have probably meant going out and getting some kind of job, but nowadays it's more likely to be becoming part of a club of some sort or just generally forcing peope to be your friends!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Chopera said:


> A very cheap option is to enrol in one of the evening courses run by the Madrid council. Here's an example:
> 
> Clases de español para extranjeros - Ayuntamiento de Madrid
> 
> ...


yes, they are quite often a good option


going by Timoteo's flags though, s/he's a non-EU citizen, so would need a visa

if s/he needs a student visa, the course will have to be one in an approved college - I doubt an ayto-run course would suffice, nor would informal classes nor intercambios

what's your visa situation Timoteo? (apologies if you've told us before!)


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