The first decision a new Spanish student has to make is between taking an intensive Spanish course and an extensive course. This article will explain the characteristics and advantages of each to enable you to make the right choice for yourself.

Intensive Spanish Courses – Cursos intensivos de Español

There are no official definitions, but about 5 hours per week or more of language study is generally considered an intensive course. Language schools in Spain often offer intensive programs consisting of about 2 hours per day. Due to its intensity, the course will run for a shorter period than the extensive language course.

Extensive Spanish Courses – Cursos extensivos de Español

Extensive courses are less than 5 hours per week, most often they involve one or two sessions per week totalling about 2 hours. Such a course will run for many weeks so that the total time spent learning Spanish over the entire period is enough to provide benefit. The name "extensive" derives from the fact that the course is spread out over this longer, or extensive, period of time.

Which Course Is Best For Learning Spanish?

One can learn Spanish in an intensive or an extensive course, which is preferable depends on the individual’s needs. If one wants to learn Spanish as quickly as possible and is not afraid to put in some muscle, then an intensive course is definitely the best option. Not only does one learn more quickly, but focus is more easily maintained through the course and the student’s progress is more easily visible in a shorter time, creating motivation.

An extensive course is great for keeping a language alive. Someone outside Spain or a Spanish-speaking country wishing to maintain their Spanish without necessarily making great strides forward, would we well advised to take an extensive course. Inside Spain, an extensive course may be appropriate if one’s Spanish is at a good standard and one is practicing Spanish daily at work or otherwise. In this case the weekly Spanish lesson serves as a way to ask questions, correct some mistakes and learn grammar rules the student wasn’t aware of. Additionally an extensive course may be the only option for students that simply don’t have the time available to dedicate to an intensive course.

Lastly an extensive course appears to be a cheaper option and may suit those with a lower budget. However it is worth noting that it’s only cheaper in the short term because in the end a student will progress according to the amount of hours they learn, and the same amount of lessons will cost the same amount of money regardless of whether they are completed over a short period (intensive course) or a longer period (extensive course).

So the choice is yours: if you’re able, take an intensive Spanish course for maximum benefit in minimum time. If the intensive course is not appropriate, then an extensive Spanish course will deliver benefit spread over a longer period of time.