Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)

This experience allowed me to acquire a very good level in Spanish and English because my classes were a Postgraduate in International Marketing on both languages so that I am at ease in a professional situation with both languages. Moreover it brought me maturity and allowed me to build better my future professional project. I have now a more critical point of view of Marketing Strategies and developped my creativity in a certain way during the course.

I learnt spanish while working in spain. so I had an overall knowledge of everyday phrases. as I had not done any course and had not studied before in spain I did not have very business specific vocabulary. within the first three weeks one learns almost all the necessary vocabulary to follow courses and taking exams was not a problem.

the adminstration things in the first couple of weeks (choosing courses, handing in forms, getting id) was the hardest since i hadn't studied spanish for over a year. get some help from the erasmus assocation or the international office. i learnt most spanish at home talking with my spanish flatmates, but there are also courses run by the university.

At the university you also have the options to take calsses in English but I would not recommend it. You leran quite a lot listening to Spanish in all your classes. People were very friendly. Group-work with Spanish people so you get to know more people and really learn Spanish.

I went to junior high and most of high school in Malaga... the academic auto-didactic system I am already use to. This is why I did not have a problem with communicating or changing my studying system. Although, I do know of colleges that struggled at the beginning.

Taken courses in the local language is definetly a good way to learn the language. BUT, practice and grammar is very important which has to be more focused. Implying, that one should force itself to currently speak the local language even though many international students are around.