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Although you will find many Spaniards on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca have an impressive command of English, and you will be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in the main resorts that doesn't offer its menu in six different languages, learning some Spanish will transform your experience of spending time in Spain. It will make you feel confident about interacting with the locals and becoming part of the community, make friends, find work and enjoy social events with people beyond the expat community. What's more, if you decide to venture inland, away from the English-speaking crowds on the Costa, you may find yourself lost without knowing the essentials in Spanish. Learning in Spain Language exchanges If you already have a basic grasp of Spanish, doing an 'intercambio' - a free language exchange with a Spanish person who also wants to brush up their English - is a valuable way to improve. You will find adverts in expat magazines or newspapers such as Sur In English on the Costa del Sol and The Costa Blanca News - and on noticeboards in supermarkets and expat bars. Make sure your 'intercambio' partner is of a similar level in English as you are in Spanish so that neither of you finds the experience too frustrating. Spanish courses If you would rather learn more formally, there is a wide choice of Spanish courses on offer at language schools, from intensive courses with a few hours' tuition every day to weekly conversation classes, from individual tuition to groups, beginners to advanced and from general English to specific business courses. You may wish to enrol on a course which leads to a qualification such as the 'Diploma de Español Como Lengua Extranjera'. For more information about centres that offer such courses, contact the Departamento de Español Para Extranjeros tel. 91 533 5802, www.eoidiomas.com. You could also try the British Consulate in Malaga (Tel. 95 235 2300, email malaga@fco.gov.uk) or in Alicante (Tel. 96 521 6190; enquiries.alicante@fco.gov.uk). Bear in mind that there are also many local language schools in all the major tourist resorts and towns that offer individual classes; group courses with different levels and intensity. How much? There is such competition among language schools that if you shop around you will find very reasonable rates. Expect to pay around 200-250 euros a week for an intensive course of 15-30 hours weekly tuition. The longer the course, the lower the price pro rata. Courses are usually more expensive in summer or if they are business-focused. To find out about local courses, look in the local press and on the internet for adverts. Private lessons If the idea of being in a classroom again doesn't appeal, there are plenty of qualified Spanish teachers who offer individuals lessons - at your home, in many cases - for about 15-25 euros an hour.

Lighthouse Spain - Guiding you to your Spanish Home

Learning Spanish while in UK

There are endless options for learning Spanish before you leave home, geared to suit all budgets, schedules, locations and demands.

If you prefer to learn at your own pace, go to the nearest good bookshop (eg Borders, Waterstones, Books Etc.) and you will find a wide range of teach-yourself Spanish books, which come with accompanying cassettes or videos/DVDs. The long-running and popular BBC courses also link up to TV programmes bbc.co.uk/languages/

Teaching yourself requires discipline and determination, though, and you may prefer the stimulus and sociability of joining a group in a class. Spanish classes are offered by many institutions from adult education centres (one of the cheaper options, though courses tend to be once a week over a long period), to universities and colleges and, more expensive but the most flexible, private language schools.

Look in the Yellow Pages and on the internet for listing of local schools. Also ask the Spanish embassy (0207 235 5555) about available courses.

For details of courses at schools, colleges and adult education centres, see Floodlight www.floodlight.co.uk, (London area only) or Hot Courses www.hotcourses.com, (covers whole of UK). In both cases, you can buy the books with all listings in any good newsagent or bookshop.

You could also contact the Instituto Cervantes in London (0207 235 0353), who offer a range of Spanish courses, including four week crash courses, for all levels and leading to various certificates and diplomas.