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Whether you are staying in Barcelona short-term to work or study or you are here for the long haul, it’s good to know the language of the land so that you can get by. While Catalonia is a bilingual region, most expats and foreigners come to Barcelona or Spain with the intention of learning Spanish. If you’re on a budget and looking for an alternative to traditional classes, then a language exchange, or intercambio, might be the solution for you. There are many different exchanges in Barcelona to help you meet new people and start speaking!
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Every Friday night at Berenjenal Bar you can join in on the fun and meet new people wanting to practice different languages. Starting at 8 PM there is a language exchange held for people to meet, enjoy a drink, and practice the language that they want. It’s a free event and as many as 100 people a week, both locals and foreigners alike, meet to practice a mix of English and Spanish. This is a great way to practice your listening and speaking skills with native Spanish speakers in a more relaxed and fun atmosphere. Berenjenal is located on Carrer Diputació 215 near Metro stop Universitat (lines 1 &2).
This is a group that is sponsored by Meetup, a site that lets you search for people in your city with the same interests as you. Barcelona Languages & Friends meets up every Monday night to practice English and Spanish in the same format as in Berenjenal. It is a mix of locals and expats who all have the same goal: to speak as much as possible. The best way to learn a new language or to advance your skills is to practice, so this group meets with that as their objective. Join the group to learn more about the group’s language exchange!
Related article: 4 ways to learn Spanish faster
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Travel Bar is located right in the heart of the center, on Carrer de la Boqueria 27. This is where all the action is so it’s a great place to live if you’re thinking of renting long-term. While this bar technically doesn’t have an organized language exchange, this is a popular hangout for expats, primarily English speakers. In the last few years, Travel Bar has become known as an atmosphere for locals and expats alike to meet and practice speaking English and Spanish. It’s a fun setting since there are different events throughout the week. You can try Pub Quiz on Wednesday evenings or beer pong on Mondays. Check out their website or Facebook page for upcoming events!
This is the most flexible way to do a language exchange in Barcelona since it gives you the option to look for a speaking partner based on if you would like to meet in person, Skype, or penpal. Open Language Exchange asks you to write a short ad about yourself and what you would like, and you can browse ads that have been posted. This way you can look for your perfect match and get speaking. You can even search for those looking to make a small group exchange if you are looking for a more social atmosphere. This is a great way to get out and get speaking.
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