Learning a second language, for many people, is one of the best decisions they ever make. Travel, work, culture, education, personal development – there are lots of reasons why you might decide to become a student again.

But, as with any new personal challenge, language learning requires you to invest both time and money to reach your goals. So, before you even start to look for a course, you need to consider how much you want to invest in reaching your objectives and where you want to go to learn.

If you’re looking for a language course in Barcelona, you’ll have noticed that there are lots of academies to choose from. Of course that’s a good thing, but it can also make it very difficult to decide which school to join.

Here are ten reasons why we think you’ll love Oxford House.

1. 20 years of experience in English Language Teaching (ELT)

Oxford House was founded in 1998 by teacher and teacher trainer Duncan Foord and has been delivering high quality language courses for 20 years. In this time we have grown from strength to strength moving from our original centre (with 9 classrooms) on Diagonal, first to Calle Girona (with 10 classrooms) and finally to our current location where we have 21 classrooms.

2. Qualified and experienced teachers

All of our teachers have a recognised qualification such as the Trinity Certificate in TESOL or the Cambridge CELTA (level 5 on the on the Regulated Qualifications Framework). Many of the team have also gone on to complete their Trinity Diploma in TESOL (level 7) at Oxford House, ensuring you’ll have the highest quality classes.

What’s more, as a teacher training centre, we take professional development seriously, regularly offering workshops and training sessions for our teachers to keep them up-to-date with new teaching methodologies.

3. Central location

Oxford House is very easy to reach by bus, metro or train. Our central location near to Plaça Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia means you can even pop to the shops after class, or go for dinner with your classmates.

4. Modern facilities and beautiful garden

All of our classrooms are equipped with a computer and a projector (or TV) allowing the teachers to present videos and other authentic materials to their classes, creating an engaging experience for everyone.

As well as student study areas we also have a spacious garden area where you can enjoy a coffee, finish off your homework, or simply top up your suntan before class.

5. Resources for students

At Oxford House you don’t need to be worried about missing a class. As well as being able to recuperate classes in certain courses, we also have an online platform – OH Connect. This virtual learning environment allows you to interact with your teacher and classmates, upload homework tasks and keep up-to-date with what’s been going on.

We also have a student library full of books, graded readers, DVDs and magazines which you can borrow free of charge. There’s also a weekly conversation club, which is free for those attending a General English or Cambridge course.

6. We care about what you think

Service is a top priority at Oxford House and we are constantly seeking ways to improve. As well as feedback forms and teacher observations, we also have an open door policy. If you want to tell us something – good or bad – feel free to speak to the reception or send our Director of Studies Judy an email on judy@oxfordhousebcn.com.

7. Variety of courses and levels

Whatever your goals are, we have the right course for you. From Cambridge and IELTS exam preparation to General English, Private classes and Business communications skills, we cater for everyone.

Our courses range from three to ten hours a week, depending on how much free time you have, and we also have classes for young learners, teenagers, over 55s and also people wanting to learn Spanish.

Also, for people who want to boost their language skills during the summer, we run intensives in July, August and September.

Read more about all the courses we offer.

8. Open from 8am – 10pm

Not only do we offer a wide variety of courses and levels from beginner to proficiency, but we are also open from 8am – 10pm Monday – Friday (including lunchtimes).

For those who can’t make it during the week we have classes on Saturday mornings, so you really have no excuse.

What’s more, we don’t close in August, so you can take advantage of your time off work to improve your English with one of our summer intensive courses.

9. Great discounts

Love a bargain? At Oxford House we offer courses for all budgets. Those looking for something low-cost could try English Economic. For just €60 a month you’ll receive six hours of class a week with our teachers in training. What’s more, the first month is free if you are unemployed.

We also offer a number of discounts for the rest of our courses including:

Read our full terms and conditions here.

10. Free level test

Before you sign up, we offer a free placement test to make sure you find the perfect course and the right level for you. All level tests include a written element followed by a face-to-face interview with one of our specially trained teachers. This is a great way to get a feel for what classes are like at Oxford House and you can ask them anything you want!

For a free, no-obligation level test visit us anytime between 10am and 8pm Monday to Friday and start your English learning journey today.