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Most of the time, people would brush learning a foreign language off their list of life goals. For them, learning how to speak a language outside their native tongue is not essential. However, this is not true at all. Instead, it provides several benefits more than what you can possibly imagine. These benefits include talking with more people, gaining cultural knowledge and perspective, having access to more information and entertainment, and enhancing your communication skills, among others.

One of the languages that you should consider learning is Spanish. Aside from the fact that there are more than 485 million native Spanish speakers in the world – making it second to Chinese as the most spoken language globally – learning Spanish will also be beneficial if you need to communicate with the language’s speakers at work on in business, or when you travel to a country whose people mainly speak Spanish. There are several Spanish courses Barcelona language experts would recommend that you take.

Nowadays, with the proliferation of virtual learning, gaining knowledge of Spanish via online classes has overshadowed the traditional way of knowing the language when it comes to the advantages. But let us help you decide. In this article, you will be learning the biggest differences between learning the language online and doing it traditionally. We will differentiate them according to seven areas.

Learning Spanish Online Vs. Traditionally 

1. Learning At Your Own Pace

Spanish may appear easy, and while this is true, well, only sometimes. There are times when the language can be challenging and difficult to pick up and follow, especially if you are learning at a pace not ideal for you.

When learning Spanish traditionally, that is, in a face-to-face in a classroom setting, the teacher will keep moving forward and will not usually stop just to focus on what one of the students cannot understand.

Things are different when learning Spanish online. You are not transfixed to learning it with others, so you can study at your own pace. You can pause when you need to and go back to the stuff you did not understand if you feel so.

2. Attention Given

Some foreign language students need attention, especially when there are parts of the lesson that they cannot fully grasp. You mostly cannot have the kind of attention you need in a classroom setting, which is what online learning mends.

One of the most significant advantages the latter has from the former is providing the option to meet with your instructor for more individualized attention after a section of the course. If you have questions or concerns about things you do not understand, you can personally ask them to your instructor.

3. Confidence While Learning

Learning a second language with others in the same room is not the most ideal setting when you want to learn confidently. However, confidence while learning plays a huge role when you need to grasp the course thoroughly. In a classroom, you often find yourself feeling nervous or anxious when speaking a language that’s not your native tongue.

Everything changes when you learn languages like Spanish online. Aside from really learning it at your own pace, you are also more confident since the pressure of applying the language while your classmates are watching is not present.

4. Flexibility In Scheduling

If you choose to learn Spanish traditionally, you are usually bound by the schedule that the school or teacher has set. You need to arrive on time so you do not miss the lesson. However, when you are learning the course alongside other commitments like work, you need a setup where you can schedule this flexibility.

This is where online Spanish courses do their magic. You can learn from the comfort of your home, in a library, or even while on vacation. You can become fully involved in the course even without the presence of others. You can learn through various media — by watching videos or clips, listening to audio lessons, and reading course materials. These make online foreign language classes superior in both time savings and convenience.

5. Advantages From Technology

While traditional classrooms have also begun using technology for the lessons, the availability of technologies you can get when you learn virtually is still unmatched.

Today, various platforms offer synchronous and asynchronous learning. You have the powers of Zoom and Skype that allow the student and the teacher to still be face-to-face, albeit virtually, while interacting for the lesson. Face-to-face learning, usually, is between a teacher and several students.

6. Teachers And Learning Materials

Sometimes, it is best to travel to a country with people who speak Spanish to learn the language effectively. Nevertheless, you will not always have the luxury and the time to do so, which is when online learning saves the day.

If you want great teachers who are native speakers of Spanish, you can via online learning, just like communicating with people from a place miles from you on social media.

Plus, when it comes to the learning materials, they are also instantly accessible with online learning. Most students find it easier to focus without any distractions when they choose to learn Spanish online.

7. Costs

Spanish language courses taught in universities or through private in-person classes can be pricey – and you cannot learn at your own pace.

Alternatively, online Spanish language courses are very affordable and are some of the most efficient ways to learn the language. If you learn virtually, you can just pay for the classes or courses you wish to take. Same sets of lessons, but at different prices.

Effectively Learn Spanish At Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo

Should those encourage you instead choose to learn Spanish online, you can get started by checking out Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo. This institution is a Spanish language school based in Las Ramblas, Barcelona, teaching the language to those who wish to learn it.

Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo has great teachers who can help out with the following:

  • Methodology – What sets apart an excellent instruction from a mediocre one is the learning methodology. Methodology is vital in every aspect of education because this is how teachers present the lessons. Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo considers language as both a system and a social communication tool. Thus, its method is based on interaction.
  • Tips to gain fluency – When you choose to learn Spanish from Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo, it will not take long to become fluent in the language. Its online courses include general Spanish, conversation, grammar, and DELE courses.
  • Preparation for exams like DELE – If you wish to prepare for the Spanish official diploma exam called the DELE, Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo offers preparation classes. Here, you will go through the various aspects of the test, including reading comprehension, listening, writing, and speaking.
  • How to integrate in Barcelona – Since this school is based in Barcelona, you can easily incorporate your learning in Barcelona when you need to use the language here for school, work, or business.

Conclusion

While it may be true that learning a foreign language like Spanish is not as practical as learning how to cook or how to ace a job interview, gaining knowledge about a language outside your native tongue offers tons of benefits, from being able to speak the language when traveling to a foreign land, to fluently conversing with foreign business partners.

In the discussion above, you realized the differences between learning Spanish online and learning it via traditional ways, such as face-to-face. Honestly speaking, both methods are actually good and perfect. Choose the traditional method if you find learning it more comfortably with other people inside a classroom. However, nowadays, when technology has made life easier, online learning may be a further step ahead.

You can find several institutions that teach Spanish online, but if you wish to learn the language with the most effective methodologies in such a way that you can become fluent in no time, use it for official exams like the DELE exam and integrate it when visiting Barcelona, for instance, choose to learn Spanish at Barcelona Escuela Mediterráneo.