Learning Spanish abroad isn’t cheap. It’s more expensive than buying 47 bottles of cheap rioja, but significantly less than a trip to the dentist. ESL packages include tuition, accommodation, and sometimes activities. You’re paying for convenience, like ordering a pizza instead of making your own dough. Is it worth it? Only if you actually use the classes.
I’ve seen people treat it like a vacation with a side of studying. They attend one class, then spend the rest of the week “practicing” at beach bars. That’s expensive sunburn. But if you treat the classes like work—showing up, doing the homework, making mistakes—you’ll leave with more than just a tan and a hangover.
What Nobody Tells You: The Awkward Phase
Here’s the thing ESL won’t put in their glossy brochure: you will feel stupid for the first week. You’ll order a drink and accidentally ask for a bath towel. You’ll say “estoy embarazada” (I’m pregnant) when you meant “estoy avergonzada” (I’m embarrassed). It’s horrifying and hilarious. The best schools, and ESL’s top partners, handle this with grace. They laugh with you, not at you. That’s the magic soup of real learning.
Why Learn Spanish Abroad? - Spanish Institute of Puebla Blog
One friend of mine spent an entire lunch trying to tell her host family she was full, but kept saying she was “very pregnant” in Spanish. The grandmother almost cried laughing. They still love her, and she still remembers the word for “full” to this day (llena, by the way).
