Spanish Language Schools in Colombia

Colombia is famed for turning out stunning beauty queens, but the most beautiful of them all is Colombia itself. Stretching from the Pacific to the Caribbean, divided by the equator, and claiming everything from deserts to tropical grassland, Colombia is unrivalled in diversity. Lap up Caribbean vibes on the sandy beaches of Cartagena one day, drink coffee straight from the verdant plantations of Armenia the next, and get lost in the Amazon the day after that.

When it comes to studying Spanish in Colombia, the perennial favorite is cheerful Cartagena. Wildly colourful and flawlessly beautiful, this town is the embodiment of Colombia’s so-called magical realism. It’s hard not to smile when wandering through the streets, beneath blue skies and balconies dripping bougainvillia. On top of Spanish courses, Cartagena does the finer things in life well; you can lounge on white-sand beaches all day, stroll around the Old Town walls at sunset, and dance until dusk at one of the rooftop bars.

A few hours down the coast sprawls hot, chaotic Barranquilla. Like a troublesome second child, Barranquilla has to fight for attention from visitors, being outdone in the beauty stakes by its lovelier neighbor, which it does by throwing the best party to be had in all of Colombia. When South America’s second largest Carnaval kicks off every year, festive fever takes over and the whole city becomes one giant street party. If you want to learn how to dance as well as speak Spanish, this is the place to be; four days of eager barranquilleros teaching you cumbia, champetta, and vallenato will have you shimmying in the streets with the best of them. 

If you can’t handle the heat of the coast, the cool green cradle of the Andes makes concentrating on your Spanish studies a little easier. High-altitude and high-octane, Bogota is a beautiful collision of colonial and cosmopolitan. It is the kind of city that gives up its secrets slowly, so the longer you stay, the deeper you’ll fall under its thrall. Between the cobblestoned La Candelaria district, the gorgeous views from Cerro de Monserrate, and an endless number of world-class restaurants and boutique cafes, you’ll have plenty to keep your feet occupied and your taste for culture satisfied. 

Colombia is making huge efforts country-wide to improve economically, socially, and politically. Significant investments have been made in education and teacher training, so take comfort knowing that whatever the selection, you’ll be given excellent instruction in your Spanish courses in Colombia. 

Spanish language schools in Colombia are common, and tend to be the most efficient providers of courses. These schools offer a variety of Spanish language courses that cater to different students’ fluency levels, needs, and interests. Classes often stick to a regular schedule, with around four hours of class a day starting every Monday. One of the best things about dedicated Spanish language schools in Colombia is that they cap the number of students in each class at around seven or eight participants, which is ideal to get more one-on-one time with your teacher and boost learning experiences. There’s also the bonus of getting to know a tight-knit group of new international friends, which makes the regularly-organised outings for city sightseeing tours all the more enjoyable. 

Another popular option for the big kids are Spanish language courses offered through universities. These Spanish courses will have more structure, more specific time commitments, and a real Columbian college campus to lounge in during class breaks. Another nifty characteristic is that, usually, successful completion of Spanish language classes in Colombia can be counted toward college credit back home.

Accommodation is generally organized through program providers. Homestays with local Colombian families are common and an excellent way to put all of your fresh new Spanish skills to use. Colombians love to talk, and you will never be allowed to answer ¿como estás? with a simple bien, gracias. Expect to have fully-detailed discussions about your day with your new mom and to answer plenty of questions about your home country from your new siblings.

Español Colombiano is as diverse as Colombia’s landscapes. While the Spanish heard in Bogota is reputedly the clearest in the world, almost every region (and there are many) has its own distinct accent. Paisas from Medellin speak with an altogether different lilt to costeños from Barranquilla, meaning the Spanish you learn will be largely dependent on the region where you are based. Not to worry though, if you pick up on any regional colloquialisms it will only make you even more popular with the locals. 

The lazy rhythms of the Caribbean creep into coastal Spanish. “S” and “D” are simply dropped off the end of words, and in Cartagena they do away with “R”s as well. In the highlands, speech tends to be more conservative, with frequent use of usted, even among family and friends (if you’re unsure whether to address someone as tú or usted, always play it safe and use the latter). Just to confuse things further, in Medellin and surrounding areas, vos is used in colloquial speech instead of tú. It is generally only used in casual spoken conversations though, so this is unlikely to crop up in your Spanish courses in Colombia. 

Colombian Spanish is renowned for its use of diminutives; it seems that everything can be small and cute to a Colombian speaker. They throw -ito and -ita (and sometimes -ico and -ica, just for fun) on to the end of almost every word. Verbs and prepositions get the diminutive treatment, as well as nouns and adjectives, transforming corriendo (running) into corriendito (scurrying) and junto (next to) into juntico (right next to). Sometimes one isn't even enough and they will add two diminutives together just for extra emphasis. If someone is yelling Váyase ahoritica mismo! at you should probably take them seriously and get out quick. 

Colombia is still very much a developing nation, and given its shaky history of conflict, it is only just starting to emerge on to the tourism world stage. Subsequently, English is not as widely spoken as it is in other, more widely-traveled Latin American countries. While this may not feel like a good thing as you struggle your way through the airport and your first taxi ride, you will quickly come to appreciate it as you notice your Spanish language skills improving exponentially. Don’t worry if you mess it up at first. Since Colombians are less accustomed to foreigners and they are more endeared toward uncouth tourists, they love hearing extranjeros trying to wrap their clumsy tongues around Spanish words. 

Do take note that studying Spanish in Colombia has more hurdles than just verb conjugations. As well as dealing with a country that is still saturated in corruption and crime (watch your phone), there are some pretty big cultural adjustments you’ll have to make. Being in a hurry is the equivalent of having a bad attitude, and dashing past someone without an effusive greeting is considered far more impolite than arriving late to class, which might be why your teacher is hardly ever on time and why schedules are fairly fluid. Everything, from your Spanish language lessons to just going to the supermarket can be slow, frustrating, and sometimes just plain bewildering. Let go of the idea that everything has to be done quickly and efficiently, and learn how to be remain infinitely patient. Tranquilo is a word you will come to know well. 

Forget everything you saw on Narcos. Colombia is making momentous movement toward peace, and it is nowhere near as dangerous as your Mamá thinks it is. With its pure passion for life, Colombia will teach you not only Spanish, but also how to dance like you have extra joints, sing like Shakira, and make the most out of whatever it is you happen to have. When you get back home, you won’t be able to stop telling everyone about how great this country is (frequently yelling “It’s Colombia, not Columbia!”).