LEARNING LANGUAGES IN SPAIN

Pupils who are interested in learning languages have the possibility to study at an Official Language School (Escuela Oficial de Idiomas) that are providing public language education. These schools are no universities so that the students cannot gain an academic title but they will get a certificate of their language skills after finishing school.

The minimum age to enter an official language school in Spain is 16 so that the pupils have to finish the compulsory second education first. The languages possible to learn at these schools are the official languages of the EU member states, the co-official languages of Spain and Spain as a foreign language.

The language courses are organized in three levels, basic, intermediate and advanced. At the beginning the students have to take an entrance exam to test their level in order to class them in the appropriate course. Students that have already passed the Bachillerato may start at the intermediate level.

The title of the Bachillerato is not sufficient to enter a Spanish University. To study at a University in Spain , the students have to take a university entrance examination. The results of these entrance exams will be taken into account together with the results of the Bachillerato.

Before choosing a university in Spain, the student should decide what he wants to study. Once decided on a subject it is easier to search for universities offering this career. When searching for a Spanish University one should be aware of the differences between Private and Public Universities in Spain . At private universities there are less students in one course what may provide better study conditions. But Private Universities in Spain are not free. The fees depend on each university but they may be quite expensive. Among them you can also find some universities with an international orientation where classes are often held in English. Spanish Public Universities provide also a high educational standard but it is very important that the foreign student is fluent in the Spanish language. It would be a wise decision to visit a Spanish course in Spain before studying at a University in Spain.

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