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EF Language Year Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

EF Language Year Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

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EF
4.95 · 22 reviews
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EF

 4.95 · 22 reviews
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Location
  • Spain
    • Barcelona
Term
Academic Year, Fall, J-Term, Spring, Summer, Winter
Subject Areas
Architecture Arts Business Cultural Studies Digital Media Global Studies Hispanic Studies History Language Studies Linguistics Photography Sports +2
Payment plans

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Housing
Apartment Dormitory Host Family
Language
Spanish

Pricing

$13,890
Price Details
Twenty Two Weeks:
Your choice of course, with 26, or 32 lessons per week (40 min/lesson)
Your selected EF Accommodation (Upgrades Available)
A range of meal plan options, depending on your accommodation and preferences
An action-packed schedule of activities and excursions led by EF Activities Managers
Language level assessments, progress tests, and certifications
Access to EF Campus Learning (including six months access post-program) and EF Campus Connect to enhance your studies and help you easily manage your trip. Free Wi-Fi available on campus
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Classes Meals Visa Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare
Jun 11, 2026
Mar 02, 2023
Wish List
50 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Learn Spanish in Barcelona with EF Language Year Abroad—an immersive, multi-term journey designed to help you gain fluency and cultural insight for academic and personal success. Join our accredited program in Spain’s most dynamic city, where Gaudí’s architecture, Mediterranean beaches, and tapas nights set the stage for language mastery. With flexible intakes in September, January, April, and June, your experience is fully customizable—from two to four terms and small classes and native-speaking instructors this creates a dream Gap Year.

Your program includes tuition, housing, meals, and activities, plus the chance to personalize your academic focus with Special Interest Classes that enhance cultural fluency. Live like a local, connect with students from 100+ countries, and benefit from structured mentorship, community engagement, and a final capstone project to showcase your growth. A truly life-changing blend of Spanish fluency, global connections, unforgettable adventures

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

Students appreciate the supportive staff, engaging teachers, and strong sense of community across locations like Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Program Highlights

  • Study topics that align with your career or passions. Enhance your CV to succeed as a global citizen.
  • EF Language Year Abroad offers flexible intakes in September, January, April, and June
  • Book excursions to Madrid, Málaga, Costa Brava, Andorra ski resorts & more
  • Choose to reside with a local host family or in the EF Residence, an international dorm.
  • EF students hail from over 100 countries around the world.

Video and Photos

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EF students admiring the unique Barcelona architecture
EF students exploring Barcelona
EF Barcelona school building
EF Gap Year students in class
EF students enjoying time at the beach in Barcelona
The lounge inside EF Barcelona
An EF Barcelona residence

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Bringing sustainable practices to the heart of our business starts with understanding the full scope of our carbon footprint. To do this, we joined forces with a global leader in carbon accounting and voluntary climate protection projects: myclimate.
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EF Language Year Abroad students prepping for exams

Official Exam Prep

Prepare for officially recognized language exams - DELE is the only exam for non-native Spanish speakers officially recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture. These exams, recognized around the world, enhance your resume and pave the way to university acceptance and international careers in many diverse fields.

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Program Reviews

4.95 Rating
based on 22 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 95.45%
  • 4 rating 4.55%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.7
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.95
  • Safety 4.8
Showing 17 - 22 of 22 reviews
Jackie
27
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Attract your inner Spanish!

Jul 28, 2016

Being in Barcelona with EF really brought out a side of me I never knew! I came home being more outgoing and more informed about the world outside my little bubble at home. This program is truly unique and different from others. EF forces you to open up in so many great ways, you're pushed out of your comfort zones and you reach goals you didn't even knew you had. I have traveled before but EF had helped me view the world in a different light, in a more respectable and unique way that I'll constantly use everyday.

What would you improve about this program?
Focuse more on helping the students to get to know each other more. Helping students create a friend basis with their classmates. (More activities, ice breakers, etc.)
134 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Read my full story
Tobias
30
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great year

Jul 11, 2016

School was great, especially the teachers were fun and engaging. Barcelona is a great city to live in, and going to the school there was great because of all the activities and the awesome staff. It was very easy to get settled in.
The night life was great too, as Barcelona is one of the true party hubs in Spain, where you can find a load of different clubs and bars depending on your taste.
The school is placed perfectly around the centre of the city.

133 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Ida
31
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Ef Barcelona

May 29, 2016

After nine months in Barcelona i feel like a different person, i learned soo much! Before i left i was really nervous, about the school, the people, the country, but already the first day at school i felt like home. I met the most amazing people, that i know will be my friends for life! If you are thunking about going abroad, i can honsetly recomend ef barcelona, the teachers are amazing, and the city is beautiful. Also, i want to add that if you are a bit shy, and wish you could become a bit more extroverted, this kinda course is the thing for you, at least it worked wonders with me!

125 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Josephine
28
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

EF Barcelona

May 29, 2016

I wen't to Barcelona for a gap-year after finishing highschool. I could not have recieved a warmer welcome from the lovely EF staff. From day one they made me feel at home and were always there to help me. Engaging in a basic everyday conversation in Spanish has definitely become a lot easier.

I loved the trips that the school organized daily and the trip to Madrid was definitely a highlight.
Participating in these trips made sure that I got to know the city and got to know my fellow students. The welcome drinks that were organized every Monday were also fun and a great way to get to know everybody. I also loved the trip to Porto Aventura, one of the best amusement parks I have ever been to.

The residence (Anna Ravell) was very clean, had a great location and had good facilities (kitche, tv-room, terrace). The rooms were slightly small though.. However, as most time was spent on the the rooftop terrace, this wasn't really a problem. This was a great place to hang out with your friends and enjoy the sunsets over the city.

I met so many lovely people and made some great memories. I am still in touch with many people I met in Barcelona and I will even get to see one of my friends from Barcelona this summer.

What would you improve about this program?
The program could definitely improve it's accomodation. The rooms should be more soundproof and bigger (especially considering the price). Also, it should be allowed to bring friends to the residence as people from school live all over the city (as some are in a different residence or in a hostfamily) and it would be nice to be able to meet up more.
144 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
William
30
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

EF Málaga

May 16, 2016

After 8 months here in Spain I can really say that I´ve grown as a person. Visiting beautiful places around the country, did surfing, danced and meanwhile learning one of the biggest languages that there is. Ef Málaga was a perfect mix of all that with awesome weather the year around. I also got to live with one of the fantastic hostfamilies that have been taking care of me. It´s true that a year abroad changes you, it really did, that hard part is deciding wether you want to change or not.

What would you improve about this program?
Speed up the learning a little by not getting stuck in meanless conversations, little more stricter.
127 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Read my full story
Felix
29
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

EF Málaga

May 12, 2016

My year abroad was an awesome experience. I met a lot of new friends from around the world and I can now call it my home. Leaning a new language is so much more than just the grammar or the vocabulary. It will build your character and become a part of you. It was definitely the best decision I made in my life and I can only recommend it to everyone else.

My year abroad was an awesome experience. I met a lot of new friends from around the world and I can now call it my home. Leaning a new language is so much more than just the grammar or the vocabulary. It will build your character and become a part of you. It was definitely the best decision I made in my life and I can only recommend it to everyone else.

What would you improve about this program?
I cant really think of something to improve the accomodation or my language ecxperience.
135 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

What age ranges are allowed to apply?

Hello! Our gap year and semester programs start at age 16 year through professional adults and for all language levels. During the summer, we offer special programs for students 13-15. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like a personalized price quote. Thanks for your interest!

By EF International Language Campuses on February 23, 2022
If you are not a beginner in Spanish, is it worth investing on going to one of the EF schools in Spain? Would it actually still help?

Hey Jazlyn! We teach through the upper advanced levels (C in the Common European Framework of Language Learning). Before you begin your course you will take a placement test and then be placed with other EF students who are at your level. With Spanish experience, you could make a lot of progress!

By EF International Language Campuses on August 15, 2019

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Maria

Program
EF Language Year Abroad in Barcelona, Spain
Thumbnail

Why did you choose this program?

was trying to find a good way to go to Málaga, Spain - for getting some time off of my ever-day-life in my home town; for improving my favorite language (Spanish), what has always been a huge dream and for trying to find back to myself again, because I somehow got lost over the last years, somewhere in a place of nowhere... So I started looking for opportunities to make my dreams come true and I can't perfectly explain why, but EF caught my attention at the very first moment and I instantly had a really good feeling according to EF and it resulted that I wasn't wrong.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

EF was such a great help according to the whole trip. I ordered a prospect online to get some more Information and during the same day I was called by a staff member (Angelina), who, with this call, started to be my own contact person for any questions or concerns I had. I was given all information I needed, all my questions were answered so quick and all my concerns removed in an instant.

Whenever I wanted to know something I could call her or simply sent her a WhatsApp Message. That made me feel very comfortable and demonstrated me that I have chosen the right company to travel with. Almost everything has been organized by EF. I just had to select the program I wanted to participate (desired length of my trip, the type of accommodation; my preferred airport...) and they did the rest for me. It was great, because there were no stress with bookings or other things you normally have to do if you want to travel. Thanks, hey!

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

First: Choose a host family to live with! It definitely is the best you can do. Living with a Spanish Family taught me what really is important in life and what’s not. I could feel the happiness and kindness they are carrying in their hearts and the joy of life with every single smile. I really, really love the way how they live their lives.

Second: Don’t be afraid of speaking to the people of Málaga, even if you do not understand anything during your first days or weeks. The accent "malageño" is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult and also most beautiful accents I have ever listened to! I really love the way they talk and I was rather proud when I was told, that I adopted the accent in a way as well.

I have never met people that lovely, kind and open hearted than over here in Spain. I could go at a café on my own but never felt alone, because there were always someone who talked to me, even if we did not know each other.

There was always someone to learn from, to share stories with or just to laugh with. It is an amazing way of life over here, the people are smiling, laughing, enjoying their lives in a way I have never seen before. Over here I was remembered what it means to be happy, how it feels to feel good, to feel free, to feel that you’re alive. Over here I found the way back to myself.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

If you are participating an intensive course you have either to be at the classes at 9 o’clock, if you are starting early or at 12 o’clock, if you have classes at the afternoon. The classes are separated into different levels of speaking (A1-C1). Each day you have two classes (90 mins per class) with the class of your level in which you are working with a book adapted to your level and one class, which is called SPIN, in which you are working in different kind of ways (for example classes of: debating, more vocabulary, culture, grammatical…) I really loved SPIN, especially with Manolo, because it was always a great opportunity to repeat important things and to learn a little more apart from the book.

The best thing about SPIN is, that we could chose the subject of the classes and whenever someone had a great idea to talk about, the idea was adopted. Sometimes we really couldn’t stop talking, because everyone was so into the subject. I loved these kind of debating/speaking – classes. After the time at school you had free time and there were always things to do, things to discover. EF has a great Team at Málaga and there are a lot of offers you can do with EF, apart from attending classes. You can visit different parts of Spain (Granada, Sevilla...), go to the cine, learn surfing, go skiing at the Sierra Nevada, etc. You definitely will never get bored and I am sure you are going to wish that a day would have more than just 24 hours, because there are always things to explore.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Don’t be afraid of speaking to the people of Málaga, even if you do not understand anything during your first days or weeks. The accent "malageño" is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult and also most beautiful accents I have ever listened to! I really love the way they talk and I was rather proud when I was told, that I adopted the accent in a way as well.

I have never met people who are that kind, lovely and openhearted than over here in Spain. I could go at a café on my own but never felt alone because they started talking to me, even if we did not know each other. There was always someone to learn from, to share stories with or just to laugh with. It is an amazing way of life over here, the people are smiling, laughing, enjoying their lives in a way I have never seen before. Over here I was remembered what it means to be happy, was it means to feels good, to feel free, to feel that you are alive. Over here I finally found the way back to myself again.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Carlos Gas

Program
EF Language Year Abroad in Barcelona, Spain
Job Title
Activities Coordinator EF Barcelona

male speaking

What makes EF Barcelona the best school to study Spanish at?

Carlos: First of all, the school Staff, the students really love our teachers. Then you have the city. Barcelona is an amazing city that combines fun and beach with culture. I think not many cities in the world can combine this as Barcelona does.

During the winter you can also ski on the Pyrenees, only one hour and a half from Barcelona, find adventure sports, many traditional festivals... We have also good weather and nice people. What else can you expect?

What to students like most about your school? What is their favorite activity?

Carlos: The school is really modern. It was remodeled only two years ago. And of course what our students love is our big terrace, where they can chill out on the sun playing ping pong or foosball. They really love to stay there the sunny days.
Regarding the activities, the girls always love the Salsa or cooking classes. The boys really prefer beach volleyball, laser tag or sports like football or basketball. Everyone has their interests. You can find many museums and trips to Ibiza, Madrid, Andalucía, Costa Brava…

Do you have any advice for students who want to learn Spanish?

Carlos: First of all to attend all the classes, that’s the most important. Then, I always recommend finding mix with Barcelona citizens. It’s the best way to improve a language. The people here are very open and it’s easy to know them. We have students who find friends from the city and you see how they improve faster than the rest. We are also here for helping them to achieve it.

What is your favorite part about living in the city of Barcelona?

Carlos: I was born here and I’m still amazed with the city. I love the nightlife, the people… There’s many unknown places for most of the people that you discover and you fall in love. I always thought we have everything: Nice beaches on summer, nice snowy mountains on winter, beautiful architecture, natural environments and good food… I love the food here!!

Location

Location:
Barcelona
Currency:
Euro
Weather:
Jan-Mar
61 F / 41 F
Apr-Jun
77 F / 48 F
Jul-Sep
84 F / 57 F
Oct-Dec
72 F / 43 F
Airports:
Barcelona–El Prat
( BCN )

Whether you prefer beaches, buildings, or history, Barcelona is the place to be. Spend your time admiring Gaudi's work at La Sagrada Familia, walking down the Mar Bella beach, or learning about the history in Catalonia.

About EF

EF is a global leader in international education, offering life changing language and cultural immersion experiences for all ages across more than 50 countries. The company was started by Bertil Hult, a university student with dyslexia, in the mid 60s when language travel was radical. He opened Europeiska Ferieskolan, later on shortened to EF, and...

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