Are you planning on living in Spain for your Spanish Language course? If so, living options have definitely crossed your mind.

In this post, we will discuss different ways for you to live in Spain while you study Spanish. There are many options available, each with its benefits and disadvantages.However, through this post you will be able to explore and figure out which is the best living option for you!

1. The first one of your options for living in Spain for your Spanish Language Course  is renting an apartment. This gives you your own personal space. You have access to your own kitchen and have the ability to do as you please without having to follow anyone’s rules. There are many websites you can use to find an apartment to rent Spain. Some of these sites are:

http://www.inmof3.com/
http://www.inmobiliaria.com/
http://www.enalquiler.com/

Keep in mind that “en alquiler” refers to a place that is up for rent.

An apartment is a better option for someone who plans to be in Spain for a longer period of time as many places do not lease apartments for less than a year. Although it can be nice to live by your own rules while you are in Spain, an apartment is a more isolated option. You would not have someone to interact with daily at home to practice your Spanish with unless you travel with a friend and lease an apartment together. And even so, this does not guarantee true linguistic immersion. If your friend is not a native Spanish speaker odds are you would not be taking as much advantage of your learning opportunity in Spain as you could be. You could also find someone in Spain to lease an apartment with, but this can be a risky choice because you are not familiar with his living habits.

2. Another option for living in Spain for your Spanish Language course is an Airbnb. This gives you the opportunity to live with a native Spaniard, helping you improve your Spanish knowledge. This living option also falls on the cheaper side of the spectrum for a traveler and it also allows you to choose the region where you want to live, which comes in handy.

The disadvantage that comes with an Airbnb for someone who seeks to learn Spanish in Spain is that there is no guarantee of the interaction between the Airbnb host and yourself, the guest. Your host might not be home often. Or maybe they are just shy. Or maybe they are always busy. Or maybe they do not speak your native language and are just not interested in trying to understand your imperfect Spanish. Airbnb offers you an affordable living option, but does not guarantee a language learning experience. If cost is your main focus and a true Spanish experience is just an add-on, an Airbnb could be a good option for you. Just do not set your expectations high until after you meet your host because Spanish learning is not guaranteed by the company.

3. The next option for living in Spain for your Spanish Language course is a residence. This is a good option for students who enjoy living in close proximity to other students. Most residences give you access to a kitchen, which means you cook for yourself. You can also easily walk down the hall to see a friend. Residences are typically international living settings so you can easily meet people from all over the world who, like you, are interested in learning Spanish. It is a great option for someone who enjoys having easy access to an international group of people. However, because the residence is so multicultural, it can be hard to reinforce your Spanish language learning. Typically, you will interact with the people in your residence in English, as that is a widely spoken and understood language. If deep Spanish immersion is your goal while you study Spain, a residence might not be the best option. However, if meeting people from all over the world is your main goal, a residence is a better living choice.

4. A hostel is much like a residence. A key difference is that it is made up of more than just students. Many of the students who stay here are traveling but there is no guarantee of who will be staying in the hostel. This allows you to meet people of all ages from all over the world. One advantage and disadvantage of a hostel, depending on your point of view, is that they tend to be much less stable in terms of their population. People typically stay in a hostel for short periods of times so during your stay you can meet many people; however, you they might be very short and superficial friendships. The Spanish learning component is also not as prevalent in the hostel as it could be in other options such as an Airbnb or MyHOSTpitality, as we will find out next.

5. This is probably one of the best options for someone who seeks true Spanish culture and language immersion as well as a cheaper price. MyHOSTpitality is an organization that allows you to organize your own cultural and language experience in a simple and economic way. Through their online community, you can sign up as a guest and find a native Spanish family to live with during your stay. The host-guest model is made up of a guest teaching his host his native language in exchange for free accommodation in the host’s home. Unlike the Airbnb option, MyHOSTpitality guarantees the linguistic immersion by having the host and guest agree on the number of hours you will practice your native language with your host. The rest of the time you can speak Spanish with your host to better your language skills. This option would not be good for someone who enjoys isolation; however, why bother come to Spain to learn Spanish if you will be alone the entire time? The best way to maximize your opportunities to learn Spanish is to interact with as many Spaniards as possible during your stay.

Now that you have been exposed to different options of living in Spain for your Spanish language course, you can look at the advantages and disadvantages of each to see which is the best fit for you.

¡Buena suerte aprendiendo español en España!