[Sponsored] Learning Spanish can set you apart in your future career, or open new opportunities for your child, in a current competitive environment where knowing Chinese and English has become a commodity. Several renowned institutions offer Spanish courses in Hong Kong.
When the former financial secretary Mr. Antony Leung questioned why schools in Hong Kong use Cantonese instead of Mandarin as a teaching medium, a huge controversy over the language of instruction arose. Some argue that students in Hong Kong should be able to speak perfect Mandarin, as it is the most spoken language worldwide alongside English. But did you know that the third most-spoken language on the planet is Spanish?
In the current competitive environment, if you want to differentiate yourself from others, knowing Mandarin and English is just not enough. According to The Learning Language of the Future Report by the British Council, Spanish is ranked as the first language that should be learned after English, followed by Arabic, French and Mandarin.
It is natural to think therefore that knowing Spanish will help differentiate you from others and aid your future career development. But where can you learn Spanish in Hong Kong? Below there are some suggestions:
The Spanish Cultural Association of Hong Kong
The Spanish Cultural Association organises regular Spanish courses for all ages and levels with several openings every month. Their ultimate aim is to promote the Spanish language and culture in the city, and they are the largest Spanish school in Hong Kong with 20 Spanish native teachers as of 2019. They have branches in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay.
Their Spanish adult courses involve a maximum of six students per class to ensure that there is plenty of interaction between the students and the teacher. This set-up is necessary to learn a language.
In addition, they also organise regular free events open to everyone to help students, and anyone interested, become immersed in the Spanish language and culture.
Spanish Tutors Hong Kong
If you prefer private classes, Spanish Tutors will help you arrange lessons for you either at their location, or at your office or home. They are well known for exam preparation Spanish lessons, as well as reduced group courses.
Using online apps
If you can’t afford to enrol on a Spanish course, you can start off by using apps like Duolingo. However, according to the Spanish Cultural Association of Hong Kong these apps can be great as a complement to your language learning, but students will struggle to be able to use what they learn in real life situations if they don’t have the guidance of a teacher. As one of the main goals of the Association is to promote the Spanish language in Hong Kong, for those who can’t afford to pay for a Spanish course, the Association has grants and subsidies available.
Finally, if you would prefer learning French or Arabic you can also give them a try!
