Having just arrived in Valencia, choosing a language school was quite overwhelming. After looking around, I finally chose the well-known Hispania, escuela de español. I’ve been taking classes for almost two months now, and I feel I can share my real experience to help others who are considering it.
First Impressions of the School
My first impression of Hispania was that it’s big! It’s not a school in a single, standalone building, but rather a campus made up of several separate buildings in the same area. I almost got lost on my first day of class. The school’s location is great, near the university district, with convenient transportation and a safe surrounding environment. The reception has several staff members who all speak excellent English, so communication is no problem at all. The registration and placement test went smoothly. The students truly come from all over the world; class feels like a ‘mini United Nations meeting,’ creating a very multicultural atmosphere.
Courses and Teachers
I enrolled in the 20-hour-per-week intensive course. Its biggest feature is ‘flexibility’. You can choose to attend classes in the morning or afternoon, and you can even take a class with Teacher A today and switch to Teacher B’s class tomorrow if you feel it’s not a good fit, as long as it’s at the same level. This model has its pros and cons. The advantage is the high degree of freedom, allowing you to experience different teachers’ teaching styles. The disadvantage is that the continuity of the lessons can be a bit weak, and sometimes teachers need to spend some time getting to know new students.
The teachers are generally young and energetic, and the class atmosphere is relaxed. They use a lot of games and interactive methods for teaching rather than just rigidly explaining grammar. Of course, the quality of teachers varies; I’ve had some amazing teachers and some who felt a bit subpar. Fortunately, you can switch classes anytime, so by trying a few, you can always find one that suits you.
Comparison of Courses by Level
Based on my own and my classmates’ experiences, I’ve summarized the features of the courses at different levels:
| Level | Key Focus | Personal Experience |
|---|
| A1-A2 | Daily conversation, basic grammar | Relaxed atmosphere, focuses on speaking, great for absolute beginners |
| B1 | Tenses, introduction to subjunctive | Difficulty increases, requires time to digest, good teacher explanations are crucial |
| B2 | Subjunctive, advanced grammar | In-depth discussion topics, high demand on vocabulary, key for DELE preparation |
| C1-C2 | Refinement, literature, culture | Nearing native-speaker level, mostly consists of debates and in-depth reading |
Extracurricular Activities and Value for Money
The school organizes many free extracurricular activities every week, such as city tours, movie nights, and cooking classes, which is my favorite part. It’s not only a great opportunity to practice speaking but also to meet new friends and quickly integrate into local life. As for the tuition fees, Hispania isn’t the cheapest in Valencia, but considering its size, faculty, and rich activities, I think the value for money is quite good. However, I have to say, class sizes can sometimes be on the larger side. During peak season, a class might have close to 15 students, which wasn’t a great experience.
If you like a learning environment with a high degree of freedom, a strong international atmosphere, and plenty of activities, Hispania is a great choice. But if you’re looking for small class sizes and strong course continuity, you might want to compare Hispania International School with other schools. I hope my review is helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer.
