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Studies & Degrees in Language Courses and Cultural Immersion Programs

Language courses and cultural immersion programmes teach a foreign language in a country where it is spoken. Students attend classes and use the language every day outside the classroom: with a host family, in a student residence, on excursions or in volunteer and internship placements. They are rarely a degree subject in their own right. Many students take them before or alongside a degree such as international relations, business, translation or area studies; others go for work, to prepare a university application, or simply to live in another culture for a few weeks or months.

Students learn grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, practise reading, listening, writing and speaking, and get to know the customs, history and current affairs of the host country.

Levels, courses and certificates

Most schools organise their courses by the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) of the Council of Europe, from A1 to C2. Students usually take a placement test before or on their first day and join a group at their level. Typical formats are:

  • intensive group courses of one or more weeks, all year round
  • semester or academic-year courses
  • one-to-one classes and courses for business or other specific purposes
  • exam preparation courses
  • summer programmes for teenagers, often with homestay
  • programmes combined with volunteering, internships or cultural activities

A language course normally ends with a certificate of attendance or level from the school, not with a degree; ask the school what recognition its certificate has. For an official record of a level, students sit a recognised exam. The DELE diplomas for Spanish are official qualifications awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education; they cover all six CEFR levels and are valid indefinitely. SIELE is a digital Spanish exam promoted by the Instituto Cervantes, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), the Universidad de Salamanca and the Universidad de Buenos Aires, with results within three weeks at most. For French, the DELF is an official diploma issued by the French Ministry of Education at levels A1 to B2.

Choosing a school

Compare class size, hours per week, accommodation, exam preparation and quality labels. For Spanish, schools can be accredited by the Instituto Cervantes; accredited centres pass an evaluation that is repeated every three years. Check on the Instituto Cervantes list whether a school holds this accreditation. University language centres are an alternative to private schools and often give access to campus services.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 719 active schools in this field. The countries with the most schools are Spain (188), the United States (93), the United Kingdom (87), France and Italy (48 each), Germany (37), Canada (28) and Ireland (19). In Latin America, Argentina (18), Mexico (16) and Ecuador (13) lead the directory.

Some examples show the range. In Spain, CastiLa (Academia Castila) has taught Spanish in Granada since 1988, with a maximum of 6 students per class, and Alcalingua is the Spanish centre for foreigners of the Universidad de Alcalá, which also offers the DELE and SIELE exams and homestay accommodation. In Latin America, Yanapuma Spanish School teaches in Quito and Cuenca (Ecuador), and Escuela de Idiomas Violeta Parra - Tandem Santiago in Santiago de Chile; both offer DELE preparation. For French, CAVILAM - Alliance Française in Vichy states that it has worked for more than 60 years and offers individual, group, intensive and long-term courses. For Italian, Istituto Venezia has schools in Venice and Trieste.

Visas

Rules depend on the country and on the length of the course. For Spain, the consular services state that study stays of less than 90 days do not require a study visa, although some nationalities need a short-stay Schengen visa. Longer stays require a study visa, with acceptance at an authorised teaching centre for a full-time programme, proof of financial means and health insurance.

For the United Kingdom, the government states that an English course of 6 months or less is taken on a Visitor visa. A course of more than 6 and up to 11 months requires a Short-term study visa, which costs £228 (checked in October 2026). Check the current rules with the consulate or government site for your nationality before enrolling.

Careers

Language courses do not lead to one specific career, but language skills and intercultural experience are useful in almost any field and close to essential in diplomacy, international business, tourism, teaching and translation. Official certificates also count formally: in Spain, a DELE A2 or higher meets the Spanish language requirement in nationality applications by people from non-Spanish-speaking countries, and the DELE C1 or C2 is accepted for access to MIR specialist medical training places.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for a language course in Spain?

A study stay of less than 90 days does not require a study visa, although some nationalities need a short-stay Schengen visa. Longer stays require a study visa from the Spanish consulate in your country of residence.

What is the difference between a school certificate and the DELE?

A school certificate is issued by the school for the course you attended. The DELE is an official diploma awarded by the Instituto Cervantes, with indefinite validity and international recognition.

Do I need to take a course before sitting the DELE?

No. According to the Instituto Cervantes, candidates can register for any DELE exam without having taken a specific course or a lower-level exam first.

Does Erasmus+ help with the language?

Yes. The Online Language Support (OLS) helps Erasmus+ participants improve the language they will use abroad; they take a language assessment and get access to a personalised learning pathway.