Where To Learn Spanish in the Philippines

Spanish is one of the most useful languages to learn. Aside from the cultural advantages, there are financial benefits as well. Take it from Jehoshua, who works for a well-known BPO company: “I had no idea at all that one could earn this much,” he shares.

Finding Spanish schools in the Philippines, however, is a bit tricky. You would want to know the costs, the schools’ reputation and the quality of their teaching. There are a lot of options that sometimes, it feels overwhelming. Where to enroll? Is it worth your money? And of course, after learning the basics, where to go from there?

If you’re just starting out and wondering where to learn Spanish in the Philippines, ahead we’ll take a look at some schools and institutions that offer free and paid classes.

Instituto Cervantes de Manila (Paid)

This may be the preferred choice by many — it was founded by the Spanish government itself — and it’s not difficult to see why.

Instituto Cervantes de Manila boasts a broad network of Spanish students and alumni you can practice with. They also have a library that you can use to aid your learning.

However, classes can be a bit expensive. They start at around PH₱5,000 for the beginner level.

If you can’t wait to start your Spanish learning journey, you can now enroll in their videoconference classes via Zoom.

Berlitz Philippines (Paid)

Berlitz is a strong contender in this arena. Their language teaching method is comprehensive, so they are also worth considering. At present, they have three branches around Metro Manila. But due to the pandemic, they have also shifted to online classes.

They have an ongoing promo on Metrodeal that you need to keep an eye out on.

University of the Philippines – Diliman (Department of European Languages) (Paid)

If you’re around Quezon City, UP Diliman offers Spanish classes for non-UP students with their Extramural Program. It’s much cheaper than the first two aforementioned as it only costs PH₱3,640. Their Spanish course has four levels, and you can enroll during these cycles:

Cycle 1: January–March
Cycle 2: April–June
Cycle 3: July–September
Cycle 4: October–December

Their regular courses are held on Saturdays, which lasts up to three hours per session — 10 overall — in a span of 10 weeks. Meanwhile, their intensive courses are held on Mondays and Thursdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It runs for 15 sessions (2 hours per session).

To learn more about their Spanish course, visit their FAQ page.

Academia Language and Review Center (Paid)

This one is another language center based in San Juan city. They teach foreign languages like Spanish among others.

You can enroll in their Spanish classes for only PH₱999 (instead of PH₱12,000) through their ongoing promo on Metrodeal. According to the terms and conditions of the promo, the 30-session class runs for 45 minutes.

TESDA (Free)

If you don’t have money to pay for your classes, you can enroll at TESDA for free. Their “Basic Spanish Language for Different Vocations” course runs for 100 hours.

Aside from paying next to nothing, you can choose a site near you as they have over 35 offices nationwide. However, classes are only held on weekdays; they don’t hold classes at night or during the weekend. Also, this is a beginner course only. If you are past the elementary level, you might have to look elsewhere.

To find out how to secure your slot, visit TESDA Language Skills Institute.

If learning Spanish is on your bucket list, then there’s no excuse not to learn anymore. With a lot of resources at hand — ranging from free to paid, online and in-person — I’m sure you’ll be a proficient “hispanohablante” in time.

If, however, you want to study Spanish on your own, that’s possible as well! In fact, here’s how I learned conversational Spanish in six months.