Here in Girona, if you don't know even a speck of Spanish, consider yourself in trouble! Despite its growing popularity among tourists, the Catalan city is far from the cosmopolitan metropolises like Barcelona and Madrid. The international community here isn't as well-developed as in those cities, meaning most, if not all of the people you'll wind up meeting here only speak and understand Spanish. What will you then? Learn a bit of Spanish yourself! Fortunately, this city has its own schools and institutions that will teach you the language until you reach maximum fluency!
Up! Idiomes
Thanks to its central location along Passeig General Mendoza, Up! Idiomes is a language school that's easy to get to via public transport. That alone is already a huge ace among students who, either don't have their own cars in Girona or are not too familiar with the areas in the city. However, perhaps the biggest reason why this school made it onto this list is that it's a Spanish school through and through. It's not like other places where they also teach other languages, here, it's all about Catalan Spanish all the way. You'll have no choice but to speak the language while you're here!
Centre Acadèmic Accés
Another school with a very fine strategic location, Centre Acadèmic Accés is one of the most effective language schools in Girona. It's located right smack in the city center, near a ton of shops, hotels, cafes, and the like. And they use this to their full advantage! Part of how they teach their students is by going on 'field trips' wherein you get to know more about Girona as you learn the language spoken here. It's a great way to better familiarize yourself with Spanish since you're able to listen and apply what you've learned along the way.
Escola Oficial d'Idiomes de Girona
Now here's a more internationally friendly language school that not only teaches Spanish but other languages as well. But don't think that just because different courses are offered here that there's anything lacking with their own Spanish classes. Students can still learn a lot of Spanish in their intensive and extensive courses. Many are even grouped to corresponding levels to help make the programs more adjacent to their current capabilities. And while it's not exactly a standard
international school in Girona, it's certainly one of the most well-respected of its kind here in the city.
Catalan Business
Despite its rather 'official'-sounding name, Catalan Business is a warm and friendly place for adults and kids to learn Catalan and Spanish. This is the only school on this list that focuses heavily on the former rather than the latter. In any case, the school upholds a welcoming environment to ensure the comfort of their students, especially the youngest ones. They understand that in order for people to learn and eventually become fluent in a language, they have to do their best to help them feel comfortable while doing it. Only then will they be able to confidently speak and understand it themselves.
Trivium Estudi
Another school that also offers lessons on different languages apart from Spanish and Catalan, Trivium Estudi is arguably the most modern out of all of them on this list. They make good use of technology and the digital world in teaching students how to speak and understand the language. There are even classes where all of what the students do is tinker with computers and listen to spoken Spanish and Catalan. While the approach may be too reliant on technology, it nevertheless succeeds in instilling a good sense of the language in the students.
If you ever have plans to living a life in Girona, you better make learning how to speak and understand Spanish a top priority. The best thing you can do is to enroll in any of these top language schools in the city to help you out!
