ocsenold2000

Hi everyone,

I'm a Vietnamese and going to study abroad in Spain this Sep, I'm so confused to choose a place for my Spanish studying first.

1. I don't have a huge budget to study in Marid nor Barcelona
2. I've read many articles from the internet, most of people recommend Granada is a great place to study Spanish bcoz this place is beautiful, student life and cheap. But some told me the Spanish here is heavy accents, it's difficult to a beginner like me, and not very convenient ahead to big cities (means I have to pay more for transportation).
3. I've talked to my agent and they suggest Cordoba, a beautiful town (of course), developed, good education and cheap as well. But I aslo see no discussion or sharing of this place. Can't imagine how is it, how is the Spanish here, the weather, economy....

May you give me some advice?

Thanks

Holly

lincasanova

Both places will have the Andaluz accents in the street.. either replace will be a beautiful place to study Spanish. Salamanca a and Valladolid have the central pure Castellano accent in the street AND in the classes AND in the families.

I suggest you Iive with a family if you really want to be forced to practice what you learn. If you hang out with all the English speakers for drinks and coffee you might as well just get a private teacher in your home country and learn the basics THERE.. where you do not pay for a room , board and flights, and come to Spain when you have the confidence and ability to already converse a bit. Otherwise I find so many students are tempted to socialize ( because they cannot converse in Spansih) with other foreigners in a common language that is NOT Spanish.

I hope you find what you are looking for.

In the winter of course it will be a bit warmer in the South but Granada itself is surrounded by mountains and has a great ski area. So if you like skiing, perhaps Granada would be fun.

You could also look into Valencia, which I don´t think is so expensive as Madrid or Barcelona. There are many wonderful schools here and you have the beach 10 minutes from the city or 5 minutes fem some of the schools and families.

Egbert

You can't go wrong with either. In both places you will have an equally hard time understanding what you hear. It takes a few months for it to really sink in. Both cities are great places. Granada will get colder around November but it has tons of international students.

travelhog164

Have you considered the Balearic islands Mallorca has many tourists so the accent is easy to understand and many people in bars and restaurants helped me with pronunciation and vocab. Prices there aren't bad either. I stayed in a typical Spanish village and it was a great place for me to learn, I would definitely recommend it to people looking for somewhere to stay and learn Spanish. Let me know if you want to know the place I rented, I think I still have the email with the link to the website.

ocsenold2000

Wow, thank you for all sharings.

@lincasanova: yes, I think I will have a homestay when I study in Spain

@travelhog: thank you for your nice reply, I expect to study within Spain than . But I will check with my agent about language schools there first to see how is the fee .

@Egbert: do you have any advice yo me: which is a good place to study Spanish, cheap life expense within Spain? My agent sent me a list of univeristies in Valladolid, Cordoba, Leon, Malacal, Alicante, Almeria, Granada.

I also want to do part time jobs, is it easy to have one?

Holly.

lincasanova

you cannot work here unless you are from the European Community or have a work permit tied to a specific job/company before you come.

You could TRY to give private language lessons in your language "under the table" to people in their homes but you cannot work legally .

I think you should also look at the WEATHER of are you will be studying if that is important to you. Some people do not like rain or cold for so many months.

Also decide if you want to be near a large city for more cultural rings to do and better travel connections.. or in a smaller town where you can walk almost everywhere.

ocsenold2000

Hi lincasanova,

Your advice and sharing is so useful to me. Thank you very much for that. Are you living in Spain now?

Holly

lincasanova

yes.. for many years and also in education for foreign students. You will be happy anyplace you go, I am sure. Just think of ALL parameters. Not only the language.

ocsenold2000

Yes, to be honest, I'm still thinking which is a good place to study Spanish now, a place not too cold (My Vietnam is a tropical country, I don't expect to live in a big city but it should not a boring place). I did think of Cordoba or Granada and now....really don't know which place to consider haha.

Is there any suggestion for me, pls?

lbauer

Hi!!

I recommend you Tenerife. The Spanish they speak there is easy to understand and the weather is lovely. I chose Desilena school because it is in front of the beach. The teacher was fun and I loved the lessons. Tenerife is quite a cheap place and I could do a lot of activities in my free time.

I hope this helps you

cruiseluv

I would suggest you also consider Salamanca. Its the quintessential university town and its beautiful. Its Spanish program for foreigners at the University of Salamanca is very well regarded.