SPEAKEASY
Language School Barcelona
STUDENT MANUAL
Speakeasy Location
06
Speakeasy Casa Program
07
Our Spanish Courses
09
DELE
10
Additional information
11
Extra-Activities
13
Student card
15
Visa
17
Barcelona tips
19
Web of interest
20
Don’t just learn the language - live it! With its warm climate, delicious food, golden beaches, famous
architecture, festivals, markets, parks and vibrant nightlife - Barcelona has it all.
Just think, you’ll be learning outside as well as inside the classroom in one of the most exciting and
beautiful cities in the world.
That’s why thousands of people come to Barcelona every year; to learn Spanish and enjoy the Spanish
way of life.
And this year we hope you’ll join us.
hasta pronto!
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OUR LOCATION
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes
PLAÇA
UNIVERSITAT
Ron
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M
aU
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Metro Universitat L1 L2
rsita
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M
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Ca
Metro Catalunya L1 L3
Passeig de Gracia
Speakeasy is a school specialized in teaching Spanish as a foreign language. It is located in the heart of Barcelona, close to
Plaza Catalunya. The area has plenty of stores and restaurants and is extremely well connected to the rest of the city, due to
the easy access to 3 metro stations and more than 25 bus lines
rd
re
e
Metro Passeig de Gracia L2 L3 L4
i
la
Pe
PLAÇA
CATALUNYA
Bus/ Metro Information: www.tmb.net
WE ARE HERE
We wish you a pleasant stay in Barcelona!
The Speakeasy Team
La R
amb
WELCOME TO
SPEAKEASY
LANGUAGE SCHOOL!
la
M
REACH THE CITY
FROM THE AIRPORT
In order to reach the city center from the airport,
you have different options:
AEROBUS:
TRAIN:
TAXI:
from the Terminal 1 and 2
until Plaza España / Urgell / Plaza
Universitat /Plaza Catalunya
from the Terminal 2 until Sants Estació /
Passeig de Gràcia / Clot Arago
from both terminals 1 and 2
Maximum Duration: 30 minutes
http://www.aerobusbcn.com/
http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/
cercanias/barcelona
Maximum duration: 35 minutes
Frequency: every 8 minutes
Maximum Duration: 30 minutes
Frequency: every 30 minutes
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COMMUNICATIVE IMMERSION APPROACH
We use a practical and communicative method of teaching
Spanish. Our aim is that the vocabulary, grammar and
pronunciation you learn will enable you to communicate in
Spanish in an efficient manner. We offer immersion classes,
which means that both the classes and the books are all in
Spanish.
At the end of each level, you will have an evaluation in order to
validate your acquired Spanish knowledge so you can move on
to the next level.
The teachers are constantly encouraging the students in their
learning process and the school provides the right ambient for
you to study, make friends and learn more about the city.
FLOOR 6. LEVEL C2
Fantastic! You did it! Here, you will develop and implement all
conversation and grammar skills you’ve learned so far. You have
a native level and now you are able to speak, understand or
write at the level of an architect, a lawyer or a doctor.
C2
FLOOR 5. LEVEL C1
Excellent! You are close to the final level! At this point, you have
acquired an extensive knowledge of Spanish. Now will be able
to speak about any topics, understand any audio, article or
conversation and be able to write any kind of text.
C1
OUR UNIQUE
CASA PROGRAM
FLOOR 4. LEVEL B2
Let´s go! Don’t say that you are tired! The fourth floor is a level of
perfection and prepares you for the next level. You will reinforce
your knowledge and improve your understanding and you will
be able to speak more fluently.
B2
FLOOR 3. LEVEL B1
Brilliant! We will study different themes such as funny
stories, your CV, your travels etc. Also you will learn how
to communicate in a wider variety of everyday social
contexts, increase your vocabulary and improve your general
understanding. Also you will start to learn the key feature of
Spanish grammar, “el subjuntivo”. You would be able to use the
past or future or the conditional tenses and you are halfway
through the course!
B1
A2
FLOOR 2. LEVEL A2
A1
FLOOR 1. LEVEL A1
Very good! You have just arrived to the second floor! From
now, you will learn how to speak about your past and future
plans. You will be able to interact in many social contexts, such
as asking about an apartment for rent, reserve a hotel room or
express your opinion on various topics.
Let´s go! What do they say in the weather forecast? What should
I say in a supermarket? What should I say when I book a room in
a hostel? ... You start with the basic, but you will quickly be able
to use Spanish in everyday life through learning basic grammar
and vocabulary.
For over 15 years Speakeasy has been helping students from around
the world to learn Spanish with outstanding results using our unique
CASA program.
Test your level for free at
www.speakeasybcn.com
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PROGRAMS
STANDARD COURSES:
Group courses 30h/week
Group courses 20h/week
Group courses 10h/week
Group courses 6h/week
Apart from your standard course, you can also
assist to other courses at your choice.
Request more information at the school
reception.
COURSES OF CULTURE AND CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION (5 hours/ week)
CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION (5 hours/ week)
Monday to Friday at 16h – 17h
This course is designed for students from B1 to C2
levels, who want to practice their speaking, vocabulary,
pronunciation and knowledge of Spanish.
Monday to Friday at 17h – 18h
This course is for students between the B1 and C2 levels who
want to learn more about the Spanish cultural aspects.
The course is divided into:
Mondays: Debates; Tuesdays: Conversation from texts
and audiovisual materials; Wednesdays: Pronunciation;
Thursdays: Dialogue, the Roll Play and Fridays: Oral
presentations.
OUR SPANISH
COURSES
The course is divided into:
Mondays: Literature; Tuesdays: History; Wednesdays: Art;
Thursday: Civilization and Fridays: Geography.
PRIVATE CLASES
Our private Spanish lessons are designed for
individuals, couples, friends and small groups with
specific learning goals.
 Individual tutoring
 Special courses in small groups (max. 3)
 Express Special courses 20h/week
 Express Special courses 30h/week
DELE PREPARATION COURSES
Our DELE courses are designed to prepare you for whichever level of examination you choose from B1 - C2.
You´ll cover everything you need to know to pass the exam, plus in depth techniques for achieving the best results.
DELE EXAM
THE OFFICIAL SPANISH CERTIFICATION
Speakeasy offers a wide variety of courses to choose from. Different
schedules, different rhythms to study, you name it! It’s all up to you
and your motivation to learn.
“The DELE Diplomas are internationally recognized, and enjoy great prestige not
only among public and private educational institutions and authorities, but also in the
business world and chambers of commerce.
In many countries, the DELE certifications have been adopted by departments
of education and official institutions of learning as a complement to their
own assessment programs. They are ideal for furthering your career and access to
education, both in Spain and in other countries whereas the examinations are given.”
The Cervantes Institute Web Page
For more information about the dates
of the DELE exam and the registration
procedure, please check the web page:
http://dele.cervantes.es/
If you have any other questions, don’t
hesitate to ask in the reception.
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YOUR FIRST DAY
In your first day of classes, we advise you to arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled start time at reception where you will
collect your books and be informed of the location of your classroom.
You should bring your ID and a passport-size photo of your student card.
Don`t forget to bring your books, pens or pencils and papers for taking notes.
Your opinion is important to us.
After the first week of study, you will receive by email an evaluation to fill in and give us your opinion on your first classes, on your
teachers, reception and on your first Speakeasy experience in general. Each two weeks, you will also be invited to evaluate the
courses and the teachers. These evaluations will help us improve both the administrative procedures and the academic structure.
Also you can add suggestions and recommendations in the suggestion mailbox from the school reception.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE YOUR SPANISH
• Come punctually to class every day. If one day you cannot come you can talk to your teacher about the content of the class and
ask for hand-outs.
• Ask your teacher all your doubts in the class
• Bring a dictionary to class or use the dictionary on your Smartphone
• Participate actively in class especially during the speaking exercises in pairs, in groups or in open class
• Go to the Speakeasy Multimedia Area on the 1st floor and check the list of websites of interest.
• Use the AVE online Spanish course of the Cervantes Institute. You can ask for the access code at reception and use it online for
free, to practice after your classes
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
• Use the Speakeasy Library on the third floor and rent free reading books at reception
• Watch movies in Spanish with subtitles. You can consult our list of DVDs and see them in the Multimedia Area or take them
home.
• Read newspapers and magazines in Spanish
• Participate in extra-academic activities organized on Wednesdays, Fridays and in weekends. You can find more information on
the information panels or on the Speakeasy Facebook page.
• Do a language exchange using our announcement board in the reception, on the floor Principal.
• Do your homework every day and study in our study area on the third floor
• Complete online your Europass Language Passport: www.europass.cedefop.europa.eu which is a document prepared by the
Council of Europe that records the skills and language skills of a citizen.
GET YOUR LANGUAGE CERTIFICATE
At the end of your course, you can ask us to prepare you the Certificate that will state the dates of your course, the level you
have reached and the total number of study hours. Please note that, in order to receive this certificate, it is absolutely mandatory
to have attended at least 80% of your course. It is also recommended to ask for your certificate in advance, for example in the
beginning of your last week of course, this way, we have time to check your class assistance and prepare it for you. The certificate
is offered in the last school day.
Request more information in the reception.
Find out more information about your first day of school and about how
to make the most of your everyday study!
SERVICES
Multimedia room/self-directed learning
/of computers
Accommodation Service of fax and letters
Library for loaning books and DVDs
Language exchange
Extra-academical activities
Pick-up service from the airport
Student card for discounts
Student rooms
Free Wireless connection
Optional medical insurance
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EXTRA ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Speakeasy offers for their students different activities outside the school.
WEEKLY
Cultural: Wednesday afternoons from 16h till 20h
Social: Friday nights from 19h till 22h
Weekend activities: Trips to different locations in and around Spain
There may be a change if the day coincides with a celebration of the city that we think the students may be interested in.
You can take a look at our previous activities following this link http://www.speakeasybcn.com/student_activities.asp
The students will be accompanied by our activity coordinator who will be responsible to organize the program and inform the
students.
EXTRA
ACTIVITIES
Participate in extra-academic activities organized on Wednesdays,
Fridays and in weekends. You can find more information on the school
panels or posted on our Speakeasy Facebook.
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SPEAKEASY STUDENT CARD
As a Speakeasy student you can get a student card that you can use for free during your Spanish studies.
The Speakeasy student card is one of the easiest ways for you to enjoy Barcelona and save money
.
IT IS REALLY EASY TO GET A SPEAKEASY STUDENT CARD:
1
Become our Speakeasy friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakeasyBcn
2
Come to the reception with a passport-size photo of you and our administration team will do the rest.
Your student card will be prepared within 24 hours.
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES WHERE YOU CAN USE THE SPEAKEASY
STUDENT CARD:
STUDENT CARD
Take advantage of various discounts in museums, art galleries,
cinemas, clubs, and many other places with the Speakeasy student
card!
EL MUSEU TÈXTIL I
D’INDUMENTÀRIA
EL MUSEO ETNOLÓGICO
DE BARCELONA
LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA
LA CASA MUSEO GAUDÍ
JOAN MIRÓ FOUNDATION
MUSEO NACIONAL D’ART
DE CATALUNYA
PALAU DE LA MÚSICA
CATALANA
MUSEU D’HISTÒRIA DE
CATALUNYA
MUSEU DE LA XOCOLATA
MUSEU D’IDEES I
INVENTS
LA CASA BATLLÓ
AND MORE
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GET YOUR
VISA
STEPS TO FOLLOW FOR THE STUDENTS ON A VISA
If you think about applying for a student visa for the first time, Speakeasy offers you a variety of long term courses, from 24 to
48 weeks. Once the course paid, the school will prepare the required documents to ask for the visa:
- Acceptance Letter
- Payment confirmation (receipt)
- Academic syllabus
- The Cervantes Accreditation
The original documents can be sent by:
Regular post office
DHL
For more information regarding the sending fees, please contact the school reception.
Once you receive the student visa, it is important to know what you have to do next. If you obtained a visa for only 90 days, in
spite of the fact you have paid for 9 months of course, these are the following steps to take.
3 ASKING FOR THE NIE (NUMERO DE IDENTIFICACIÓN DE EXTRANJEROS)
When you have the empadronamiento, the next step is to ask for the NIE, your official ID in Spain. Translated as the Foreigner
Identification Number, the NIE is a personal exclusive number that you will use each time you will have to deal with the
public administration. Requesting the NIE is connected with obtaining legal residence in Spain, meaning that the illegal
residents cannot ask for this identification number.
The place to ask for this NIE is Oficina de Extranjeros Barcelona, but before going there you need to be sure you have a
previous appointment (cita previa).
You can get this appointment online following this link: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html
NECESSARY DOCUMENTS
COMPLEMENTARY INFORMATIONS
- The EX – 14 application form, both original and copy, filled
out and signed. Don’t forget, the Spanish name for the NIE is
Solicitud de NIE
Comisaria Rambla Guipúscoa
Rambla Guipúscoa 74
08020 Barcelona
- Your Passport or another ID (original +copy)
1 ACCOMMODATION
Before reaching Barcelona, having a place to stay is really
important. In case you don´t have your own flat or you won´t
share one with a friend,
- Type D study visa (original + copy)
Speakeasy offers you two types of accommodation:
Room in a shared flat /
Family homestay, including breakfast and dinner
- Proof of the legal entry into Spain: a valid entry stamp in your
Passport or the landing card (original + copy)
-Acceptance Letter from the school that specifies the duration
of your course (original + copy)
Schedule: Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 14:00
Metro lines: Lilac line (L2) Stationes: Bac de
Roda / Sant Martí
Bus lines: 33, 43, 44, B24
- Registration form and the proof of payment (receipt)
For more information about accommodation, please
contact the school reception directly.
- Three passport-size photos, color on white background,4x3 cm
- Your empadronamiento
2 REGISTERING YOUR RESIDENCE (EMPADRONAMIENTO)
Once you have a stable address in Spain, the next step
is to register yourself to the local city hall. The required
document is called empadronamiento and is mandatory to
have it in order to obtain your Spanish ID number (NIE). The
empadronamiento states the duration of your staying in Spain,
independently of your nationality or your legal situation.
In order to get this document, you mainly need to have
a stable residence, either in a flat of your own or of a
friend, either in a rented apartment. You will make the
empadronamiento in OAC Barcelona (Oficina de Atención
Ciudadana), in the administrative office that corresponds
to your address in Barcelona. If you already know the
address, you can check for the designated neighborhood
administrative office here
http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/es/canales-comunicacionciudadana/presenciales/oac
DOCUMENTS YOU NEED TO GET THE
EMPADRONAMIENTO:
IF YOUR VISA IS BEING DENIED, all you have to do is send us a proof of denegation (a picture/ scan)
together with the complete bank information in order for us to proceed with the refund. According to our terms and
conditions, the school will refund the entire amount, except for the cancelation fee of 250€.
- An application form, which you will get when you arrive
and will fill in while waiting
IF YOU WANT TO PROLONG YOUR STUDENT VISA, you will need the same documents with the
- Your Passport or another ID (original +copy)
updated dates of your course, to which we will have to add the Carta de Aprovechamiento of your initial course, signed by
the school manager and by the director of studies.
- Proof of your home address (original + copy) so mainly your
renting contract, signed by the owner.
If you only rent a room, you will have to ask your landlord to
come with you or to sign a document, stating that indeed
you live there and to give you a signed copy of his/ her ID.
HEALTH INSURANCE
It is important during your stay in Barcelona to have a health insurance if you need to see a doctor or a dentist or need to go
to hospital. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay the bill in cash and this service can be very expensive. Speakeasy offers a private
international insurance for the dates of your course.
Find out more information : HERE
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THE CITY OF BARCELONA
Barcelona is a Spanish city, capital of the province and of the autonomous community of Catalonia. With a population of 1,604,555
inhabitants in 2015, is the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, and the eleventh of the European Union.
Today, Barcelona is recognized as a global city for its cultural, financial, trade and tourism. It has one of the largest ports in the
Mediterranean and is also a major transit link between Spain and France, due to motorway connections and high-speed train. In
2015, more than 39,7 million people landed or took off from the Barcelona Airport.
Currently in the metropolitan area of ​​Barcelona, due to the large immigration received during the last 20 years all over the world,
people speak many languages. Some studies report more than 200 different languages, but the vast majority of the population
speaks Castilian and Catalan.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SPAIN
This year in Spain there are 13 public holidays. Request more information at the reception.
SAFETY TIPS
Barcelona is a very safe city, but please be careful with your belongings. Pickpockets are always looking for easy victims,
especially for foreigners.
Our recommendations:
• Never leave your bag unattended, though it`s not dangerous (restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, etc ...). If you’re carrying your bag
slung over one shoulder, you must have a hand in it otherwise it’s easy for thieves on bikes or scooters to snatch it.
• Never carry your original passport with you. As you need to have some form of identification with you at all times. Speakeasy can
make a copy of the documents you want to carry.
THE CITY OF
BARCELONA
• Credit cards are safer at home. Do not take them with you if they are not needed. It`s better to have cash and no more than
necessary. Do not put money or wallets in your back pocket.
• If you are traveling on the subway or bus, please be careful. When the doors open, keep an eye on your belongings.
Also be careful in moving escalators.
INFORMATION OF INTEREST:
- URGENT NUMBERS: 112 Emergency / Mossos d’Esquadra
061 Health Emergency
080 Fire brigade
092 Guardia Urbana
091 National Police
- SPEAKEASY EMERGENCY NUMBER:
Monday to Friday 8h30 – 20h
Nights and weekends
0034 933 427 197
0034 615 965 327
- Meal times in Spain: Breakfast 7h- 10h, Lunch 14h-16h, Dinner 21h-23h
- Opening hours for shops: 10h-20h, the small shops are closed between 14h and 17h.
- Public transport timetables: the subway opens at 5h a.m. during the week and closes at 0.00 a.m., on Fridays at 2.00. a.m. and on
Saturdays is open all night. http://www.tmb.cat.
WEBS OF INTEREST:
Discover Barcelona the Spanish city, capital of the province and of the
autonomous community of Catalonia.
And enjoy!
Are you looking for a job? Feina activa Generalitat, Infojobs,
loquo
Are you looking for a room in sharing apartment? loquo,
idealista studentmundial
Are you looking for an apartment? Fotocasa, idealista
Do you want to visit Barcelona? Oficina de Turismo
Do you want to travel in Spain? Renfe, Iberia, Vueling
Do you want to go to a library? bibliotecas
Do you want to use bicycle? bicing
Do you want to go out? Le Cool, Butxaca
WEBS OF CONSULATES IN BARCELONA:
You can have a look to this web and find your consulate : HERE
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Address: Ronda Universitat 7,
08007 Barcelona
Metro: Universitat, Plaça
Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: + 34 - 93 342 7197
Skype: speakeasybcn
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes
PLAÇA
UNIVERSITAT
Ron
d
M
aU
nive
rsita
t
Passeig de Gracia
9.00h - 20.00h
e
rd
rre
Ca
Pe
i
la
PLAÇA
CATALUNYA
WE ARE HERE
La R
amb
la
M
SPEAKEASY
M
www.speakeasybcn.com