As a tourism giant with a global language, Spain has been dealt a winning hand at the internationalisation table. But, as The PIE reports, a greater coordination between its key industry players is needed to fulfil its ambitions.
Spanish language schools in Spain have seen a rise in demand for group bookings as a key trend, according to national association, Fedele. Small but growing interest in the DELE exam was also noted due to new rules around applying for Spanish citizenship, and members cited an improved outlook as economic turmoils wane.
New exam and language level requirements for Spanish nationality applications introduced last year are proving to be a financial boost for Spanish language providers. More than 62,000 CCSE exams have been administered since October 2015.
Student numbers and weeks at Spanish language schools in Spain have displayed another year of steady growth, cementing an industry-wide trend of recovery after being hit by the economic crisis in 2013.
"Spanish in Spain" or "Español en España" reads the new branding unveiled by Spanish language school association, FEDELE, this week alongside a website redesign that will facilitate a previously announced agency partner scheme.
Spanish language providers in Spain say they've had a strong 2015 on the back of growing numbers of school groups. A new exam requirement for Spanish nationality applicants also promises new revenue streams for schools.
The representative associations of Spanish language providers in leading study destinations have partnered to improve teacher training, market research and quality assurance.
The demand for Spanish language tuition in Chinas has “increased 30 fold" over the past 15 years but it is not being met with sufficient teachers and educational support according to Lu Jingsheng, the Chinese government’s national coordinator for Spanish.
