While English is the most commonly-used language throughout the world, Spanish is clearly the second for its spread across the globe. The individual who speaks both languages with ease or, even better, with precision, has the world at his/ her feet and so, for those who already speak English, Spanish is a clear investment for the future, opening up the whole of Spain, all of South America but for Brazil (where Portuguese is spoken) and also other countries as potential homes and business opportunities.

Just as in any other country, language changes from region to region and from country to country, its richness having been built up over the years by way of circumstances particular to those individual areas and so, when learning a language, it always pays to go back to the country of origin to get off to a good start.

Looking at Spain, we can see that yes, different regions have different ways of presenting their national language and so, finding the area which offers the best pronunciation is the key starting point. For this reason, I would recommend Madrid and Salamanca as good places to head for, as understanding the ordinary person in the street is a satisfying feeling and a natural foothold to building one’s confidence.

A university certificate provides that extra oomph, as it gives status to that individual who went that extra mile to reach that point of success. Going to university doesn’t now longer means committing yourself to three or four years and, in fact, you can attend a Spanish language course for as little as four weeks, giving you that sound footing for your future learning and development.

The Complutense University of Madrid offers courses of four weeks to nine months in duration and these courses are tailored for both beginners and more advanced learners.  The short courses start almost all year round, so it’s possible to squeeze one of these into your working life or school-cum-college holidays.

As the capital of Spain, this university in Madrid will offer many contacts and opportunities via its many students  and, having studied in Madrid, you will have learnt the lifestyle of this area, making you somewhat of an insider, rather than a clear outsider who learnt Spanish at a night class in their own country.

Salamanca again offers pure Spanish and its large student population make this city dance with excitement. Like Madrid, it offers courses of varying lengths and varying levels and so it is also a perfect place to start a journey into the Spanish language.

Madrid and Salamanca are both inland and so offer mountainous scenery but, if you are more interested in enjoying Spain’s beaches, Malaga may be your port of call.  While the natives slice the tails off many of the words they speak (e.g. tre for tres (three) and gracia for gracias (thanks)), one can, after time, get used to this idiosyncrasy and still learn on the streets.

Graced with a fluency in both English and Spanish, the world really is your oyster. Job hunting may be over a much larger area but it will become easier, as more and more opportunities show themselves.

So why not start that journey now?