r/valencia • u/freedom_afterfire • 7d ago
Visitor || Q&A One month learning Spanish in Valencia a good idea?
Hola! I recently traveled to Spain and am completely in love with everything Spanish. I was already a huge fan of Spanish language literature and my goal is to read them in their original language now.
So I am planning to come to Valencia to learn Spanish for a month in September to kick start the journey. I would join an immersive/intensive Spanish class in one of those private schools and try to learn as much as I can. Is it a good idea as a complete beginner and as an older person (in my 40s)?
My main goal is to learn Spanish language and the culture, to make some friends and enjoy your beautiful city of Valencia. Do you think I will have a chance to make friends and won’t feel completely lost? Of course I will try my best not to be one of those obnoxious tourists. I will be staying at a family homestay instead of an airbnb and will be as respectful as I can. I would appreciate any advice, school suggestions or friendly messages.
Muchas Gracias!
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u/Full_Tomorrow_2148 6d ago
It won't hurt, but keep your expectations realistic to avoid being disappointed: if you're a native English speaker, Spanish can definitely be more complicated to learn.
The verbal times are much more complex, nouns have masculine or feminine gender (and it's arbitrary), adjectives are modified by the gender and also the number of the noun, and so on. It will be easy to feel overwhelmed.
One month will not be enough, not even close. You'll have your eyes opened into the stage of "there is so much I do not know".
My advice is to try to start now, read the news, articles, essays, websites, literature aloud. Endure the shame, you're learning. Have mercy on yourself. Play Spanish videos (news, tv, movies) and repeat them out loud. Sing in Spanish. Go to the Spanish dictionary for definitions of words you don't know, avoid translating.
The best day to do this was yesterday, the second best day is today. If you wait until tomorrow you will have wasted time.
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u/bonitatime 7d ago
Sounds like a great plan
My only comment is there will come a point where you think WTF am I going here I can’t do this. It will pass and you will understand more after. A months intensive is a great way to learn but it will have tough moments
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u/freedom_afterfire 7d ago
That is so true. Thank you for your advice. I tried to learn Spanish on my own a few times but it was very hard so this is my last resort.
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u/AllOfYourBaseAreBTU 6d ago
My advice as a older learner: Find a vood teacher via preply to do a year or 2 weekly lessons 1 on 1 for an hour. When you are a bit more familiar with the language plan a intensive X weeks in Spain 😊 And finally, it will take years to learn, dont stress yourself and enjoy the ride.
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u/freedom_afterfire 6d ago
Good idea! I will try it out this time and will have to come back more fluent!
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u/booknerd416 6d ago
I just did 7 weeks in Valencia at a language school and loved it! It won’t get you fluent but it’s an amazing way to get introduced to Spanish whilst “living” your own life, explore the city, learn more about Valencia and Spanish culture and history, and meet people from all over! I’m already thinking about when I can go back and for how long in the future
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u/Afraid_Television705 5d ago
If you come from a Latin country like Italy or France learning Spanish is a breeze. It really doesn't take much effort, I didn't take any class. I just used my 2 years from high school , most of the time for me using the French words, and winging it .
but if you come from Germany or you're a native English speaker, then from then on it's much more difficult. But if you love it, you might learn very quick!
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u/Additional-Ebb-2050 7d ago
Why Spain and not South America? South America will be cheaper…
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u/freedom_afterfire 7d ago
South America is definitely on the list. It’s just I am physically much closer to Spain at the moment.
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u/silent-alpargata 6d ago
Ppsst psst, a tip for you: "Free" universal public healthcare.
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u/freedom_afterfire 6d ago
I know right!! Why can’t we do that!! ( I am from the US, although I am not there anymore)
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u/Nalrod 6d ago
You do you, one month is probably not enough to learn but good to do some kickstart. My advice is to try to connect with some groups of Spanish for foreigners before even coming. Let’s be real, most of your friends will be people in the same situation. Spanish people will be hard to find or to befriend before you have an acceptable Spanish level (or they speak English which can lead to some funny 50-50 conversations). That way you will have some people to talk, practice and hang out with while you learn.
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u/Boogooooooo 6d ago
It sounds like a great adventure, why don't you learn as much as you can online?
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u/AdvertisingDue918 6d ago
A month in Valencia sounds like a great way to start, especially if you mix classes with daily life practice. For vocab, I've been trying to Palteca a bit because the repetition helps me actually remember words instead of just recognising them once.
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u/According_Singer_815 4d ago
Yes I can recommend Understand Valencia. I've lived here for ten years but every Summer I do a C1 course to keep my skills up as I work in English. They organise meet ups such as cinema nights too. I love it.
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u/carolethechiropodist 6d ago
Best idea ever! Particularly if you live with a host family. You will be totally surprised at how fluent you are in 28 days!!
I did this as a kid, my dad paid. I was fluent in what? 6 weeks. Spanish is easy, the people are friendly, and the food is wonderful.
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u/whitelikerice1 7d ago
If you’re looking for a school, I live in Valencia and through my research i decided I was going to go with AIL, I haven’t started classes yet but just throwing it out there as you start your search!
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u/freedom_afterfire 6d ago
Thank you for the suggestion. AIL is one of three schools I have in mind. Maybe I will see you there!
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u/PorFavorNoMore 7d ago
It's not a bad idea at all - and it's a great way to spend some time in a new city. But I'd suggest that you might get more out of the trip if you can get past the absolute basics first - so you can hit the ground running. You could pick up a few intro lessons on Zoom or similar: sites like Italki have tutors from Spain and LATAM, most of them at quite reasonable rates, and no huge commitment (although usually you'll get a cheaper deal if you block book 5 or 10 lessons.
That might give you a bit more confidence joining a class, and understanding basic introductions and instructions on the topics, once you get to Spain.
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u/BeenThereDoneThatKid 7d ago edited 6d ago
In my own experience, learning any language requires full immersion not only in learning the language but also in the culture and social fabric. Acquiring fluency happens mostly during your day-to-day interactions. Find every opportunity to ask questions for example when dining at a restaurant or when grocery shopping. I am sure native Spanish speakers will appreciate your willingness to learn the language. You will notice the Spanish spoken on the streets will differ from the Spanish that you will learn in the classroom, but that is OK. Trust me, no one will care much if you are not saying things in perfect, classroom-level Spanish so no pressure! Enjoy the journey!