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Learn Spanish in Spain while on holiday in the Costa del Sol

One of the best ways to learn to speak Spanish is to travel to Spain and do a summer program in Malaga for adults

When you visit Spain on vacation or you move to live in Spain as an expat, it helps to be able to speak Spanish. Whether you want to pay for your shopping in the supermarket; order tapas and a ‘caña’ (small beer) in a bar; or understand the lawyers, notaries and estate agents when purchasing property in Spain, even a little knowledge of Spanish goes a long way.

See also: Pro tips to learn Spanish fast

Many over-50s in Spain want to learn Spanish from scratch but are put off by their age, thinking they’re too old to learn a new language, or that they can’t find a language school in Spain that is for adults and not just for children.

But it’s never too late to start learning a new language and in fact there are many cognitive benefits for your brain health of learning to speak a different language. You just need the right motivation, an opportunity and a teaching style that is adapted to the way you learn best.

That’s where a travel program to learn Spanish could really help. Located in the heart of the popular tourist destination of Malaga on the Costa del Sol, in the iconic location of La Malagueta near the beach, the Vamos Academy Malaga is a language academy that specialises in classes for adults and travellers, so that you can take a Spanish course while on vacation in Spain.

Skip ahead to learn the 5 top beginner Spanish phrases for travel

At Vamos Academy Malaga, you can choose between private individual classes and group classes for a very reasonable price, and all their classes are tailor-made with the right vocabulary and Spanish phrases that you need to know and which are right for your level.

Going to a qualified language academy that caters specifically to the needs of international students and tourists is the perfect way to combine a sunny, summer beach holiday with the chance to study Spanish at your own pace in a relaxed atmosphere.

It’s suitable for beginners and those who already have some knowledge of Spanish, so everyone can benefit from a Spanish course while in Spain.

Once you’ve booked your holiday to Malaga, just get in touch with Vamos Spanish and sign up for one of their language courses with 20 teaching hours per week, and that’s it! You can choose as many weeks as you want, and they also have crash courses, lessons for kids and classes for seniors that include cultural and social activities too. All you have to do is turn up for your classes while you’re there and, of course, put what you learn into practice after you leave the classroom.

This kind of language immersion is the most reliable and fastest way to learn Spanish and consolidate your language skills, and it also means that Malaga is one of the best places to travel to learn Spanish.

Pro tips to learn Spanish fast

Stay with a host family: Not just for children on an exchange program, there are plenty of opportunities for you to stay with a Spanish host family while in Spain. Being surrounded by the Spanish language in a natural environment at home will help you to feel more confident and comfortable being around the language and using it yourself.
Look for language exchanges: Another good way to boost your Spanish quickly is with a language exchange. There are loads of Spanish people who would love to sit down for a coffee or a beer with you for an hour or two to speak English for half the time and Spanish for the other half. It’s a great way to practise your conversation skills with someone understanding and patient who is in the same boat as you.
Throw yourself in at the deep end: The absolute, 100%, fool-proof, best way to learn Spanish fast is by surrounding yourself fully in the Spanish culture, lifestyle, language and people. Just go out and talk in Spanish to anyone and everyone you can find who will listen to you, even if it’s just for 30 seconds. Don’t worry if your Spanish isn’t perfect, just go for it and your confidence in speaking Spanish, and understanding when other people speak to you in Spanish, will come on by leaps and bounds.

5 top beginner Spanish phrases to learn for travel

“Quiero…” / I would like…
With this one word (literally translated as ‘I want’) you can put it with any noun or verb you wish to learn to ask for pretty much anything you like. Want a coffee? Quiero un café. Want two tickets? Quiero dos billetes. Want to get out of there fast? Quiero irme. And don’t worry about adding ‘por favor’ onto the end; Spanish people won’t take offence if you don’t say ‘please’.
“¿Cuánto cuesta?” / How much does it cost?
This phrase is best learnt alongside the numbers uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco…
“Por favor, ¿lo podrías repetir más despacio?” / Can you repeat that a bit slower, please?
A classic and a basic beginner phrase in Spanish, but one that comes in handy a lot. Some people will be tempted to answer you in English if they hear you say this, but don’t be deterred – go ahead and answer them back in Spanish if you can!
“A ver.” / Let’s see/well then.
A great way to play for time if you’re struggling to think of the right words to say, or your brain needs time to process what the other person has just said to you. Pronounced something akin to ‘a bear’, this is a phrase you will hear Spanish people say all the time, so feel free to slot it into conversation as much as you like, with the added bonus that it will make you sound much more fluent than you are.
“¡Socorro! ¡Ayuda!” / Help!
You never know when you might be in an emergency situation, and if the worst ever does happen it’s good to be able to know how to shout for help in Spanish.