I live in Brazil and am taking Portuguese classes at the local state university in Rio. Among my fellow students is a guy from Pakistan who, while he speaks pretty good English, has very basic Portuguese speaking skills. He is studying Chemistry at the Federal University in Niterói. All of his classes and coursework are in Portuguese.

While he is finding a way to keep up he is exceptionally frustrated with the amount of time needed for him to bridge the language barrior. He reports that he leaves the house early to get to class, studies all day, then returns at night and works late to unscramble all the things he only partially understood during the day. Most of his classmates and teachers do not speak English. He feels rather isolated and exhausted.

As his Portuguese improves he is climbing out of this hole, but it is not without significant investment and effort. He does report liking living here overall and keeps a positive attitude.

I studied abroad in Italy without knowing a lick of Italian. I was taking art classes which were all taught in English, and most of the time I spent outside of class I was with other English speakers. In hindsight I do wish I had taken the time to learn more than, "One scoop of gelato, please," but it is very possible to study abroad without know the local language.

Good luck!

Hi Tajai!

My name is Jeramy and I work with a company that runs several successful study abroad programs in Spain (Academic Programs International - API). Regarding your question, yes it is certainly possible to study in Spain with little to no Spanish background! API in particular offers a number of programs aimed at beginning level students, as well as many courses in English as well.

Have you given thought to where in Spain you might like to study (big vs. small city, north vs. south, etc)? API's programs are in Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Granada, Madrid, Salamanca, and Seville.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance or answer any questions!

Sincerely,

Jeramy