How Swedish student Jonna got a grant to learn Spanish in Barcelona

Student profile

Jonna was first attracted by the thought of moving to Barcelona because she wanted a break from life in Sweden and a change of atmosphere. At the time, her friend had just been accepted to a university in Barcelona. She thought, why not move with her and experience something new? She took the leap and has been taking classes with us since September 2019.

As time went on, Jonna found herself falling more in love with the city. Now she doesn’t see herself going back to Sweden any time soon (or ever, as she says!).

Spanish classes in Barcelona

Because she’d planned to stay in Spain for a longer period of time, Jonna thought it would be necessary to learn. Plus, she’s always had an interest in foreign languages and thought it could be fun.

Jonna started learning Spanish from zero when she arrived in 2019. She’s continued with the long-term intensive course from Monday to Friday for 4 hours a day. She’s now at a B2.2 level.

The Swedish program that wants you to study in Spain

There is a government agency in Sweden called the CSN (The Swedish Board of Student Finance) that offers grants and loans to students who want to study in Sweden or abroad. There are certain rules and conditions that you need to pass to be able to receive money and support from them.

When Jonna applied, her contact at Speakeasy helped her throughout the process. Jonna said it was a big help as the steps could sometimes be complicated and difficult to understand.

Speakeasy’s Spanish teachers and methodology

Starting from just knowing the basics like hola and gracias, Jonna kicked off her Spanish learning journey. In the beginning, she felt a bit like she was thrown into the deep end but she adapted quickly. Spanish classes at Speakeasy are fully immersive meaning they are taught completely in Spanish.

Jonna has many teachers along the way as groups change but she describes them all as great and having their own unique way of teaching. She appreciates the many different activities done in class to help with learning – conversation practice, playing games, listening to audios, music, movies, grammar exercises, and writing. Her favourites are grammar, games, and conversations.

As for her classmates, Jonna says they’re also changing but that she’s only had great experiences with them too.

“The ones I have now I love, they’re all kind and very funny and we get along really well! We also have a difference in ages between us which I think is really great and interesting.”

A day in the life

When Jonna’s taking classes, a typical day for her starts with classes in the morning until the early afternoon. Once she’s finished with her Spanish lessons, she’ll try to catch as much sun as she can. She enjoys shopping, relaxing at the beach, having lunch or coffee with her friends and of course, exploring new things and places.

In the evenings, she enjoys long walks around the city, dinner with her boyfriend, having a glass of wine, reading, or watching movies. Among her favourite hangouts in Barcelona are the beach, the city centre, and Montjuïc.