Studying Spanish in Medellín

Our tips

When you go to Colombia, speaking a word of Spanish with the locals not only makes your visit a lot easier but also more fun. Greeting a Colombian on the street, a chat in the supermarket or just chatting on the bus….

Whether you have absolutely no knowledge of the Spanish language, or already have a foundation; there are many language schools in Medellín for every level.

During my trip to Medellín, I chose to study Spanish at language school Total Spanish, in the middle of the lively neighborhood of El Poblado.

How do you begin?
You have the opportunity to learn in one week, the first touches of the Spanish language. You can also take classes for 2,3,4 weeks or longer. When registering on location, a brief intake interview will be done to see what level you are at and whether you would like individual lessons or prefer group classes.

Group or private lessons?
Group classes begin at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. (20 hours per week). In individual classes, you have the freedom to determine your course times with the instructor (10 hours per week).

Private lessons
I myself had the private language course because no one else had signed up at my level of Spanish. For that reason I had 10 lessons spread over 4 days instead of the full week. Because you get 1 on 1 lessons it is quite intensive but doable. Dreaming away and expecting another student to give you the answer is out of the question -:)

Price tag
-Group lessons: from COP650,000/€162.50 pp per week
-Private lessons: from COP700,000/€175 pp per week
-The longer you stay, the cheaper the lessons per week become.

Homework
Classes are held in small rooms with a whiteboard, inside the Total Spanish building. During the course you will receive lesson materials and homework for the next day. Your homework will take a maximum of 30 – 60 minutes per day.

Salsales
In addition to classes, there are also activities offered that you can do with other students. Think of a trip to Comuna 13, Colombian cooking together or a salsa class. The activities are done after lunch.

Activities

  • Every Monday there is a “welcome lunch” for the new students so they can get to know each other and the teachers (COP15,000/€4)
  • City tour (COP25,000/€6)
  • One hour of salsa lessons (free)

Additional activities

  • Comuna 13 and graffiti tour COP35,000/€9
  • Tour to fruit market COP25,000/€6

Participating in activities also keeps you in contact with other students, even if you have private lessons. That’s great! Do you feel like joining activities after the course, but want to do your own thing in the evening? No worries! You are not obligated to spend your free time with other students, you can just do as you please.

Reference for your studies?
The teachers are qualified and the lessons are designed using “The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).” Still, this is not enough to get an exemption for your studies. You can learn Spanish on a recreational level, but you cannot use the course as a reference for your studies. For this, it is better to study at a university in Colombia, where this is possible.

 

Written by Mellijn
 Travel date December 2017 , updated June 2024

#NaarColombiaTips

#Tip 1
 Stay with a host family
A great way to immediately put your new knowledge into practice and to rotate with a local family. Prices including meals are around €150 per week.

#Tip 2
Liever take lessons at home? Then sign yourself up for private online classes. Look here for more info: website Total Spanish language school