Guiri Guest Erin Ridley is a freelance writer who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Three years ago, she left her corporate life behind to live in Spain with a Spaniard she met in a Madrid bar. Since then, she’s gotten married and visited just about every corner of the Iberian Peninsula, and then some. You can follow her adventures via her blog, Twitter and Facebook.

10 hours of Spanish class a week, for four months, given by one of the most highly acclaimed language schools in Spain – for around 130 euros. Seriously, it’s not a joke. And no, the pot nor the clothespin have left me (a Spanish way of saying “you’ve lost your mind” - se te va la olla or se te va la pinza).

The Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) is the official language school of Spain, run by and subsidized by Spain. It started exactly 100 years ago, teaching only three languages in one school. Now it boasts 24 languages, over 300 schools, and up to some 60,000 students throughout the country – and I’m one of them!

What’s the catch, right? Ok, so there are a couple of teeny tiny catches. First – you need to be a legal resident and therefore have a NIE. Second – the admissions process is rigorous. Not rigorous like when you were trying-to-get-into-University rigorous – rigorous as in very Spanish. You know the drill – lots of running in seemingly useless circles, and heaps of often unclear requirements. The third catch is that the school is so coveted that usually they are beyond capacity, requiring a lottery just to secure a spot. One way to remedy catches two and three is to attend one of the EOI schools located outside of the city center – for example, the one in San Sebastián de los Reyes. With fewer students there is never a lottery (not that I’ve heard of anyway), and the process to get in is a lot more flexible.

EOI’s classes are designed to give students a well-rounded language education, focusing on comprehension, listening, speaking, and writing. They are not intensive courses, as they are modeled to teach at the rate which students can actually learn and apply curriculum to everyday life. Courses are provided by the semester (4-5 days a week) or by the year (2-3 days a week), for two hours a day, and at varying times depending on the school. Levels basic, intermediate, and advanced are offered, with each level split into two (six levels in total). After the completion of each of the six levels, students go through testing in order to proceed to the next level, with certificates being issued after the completion of one full level.

I’ve attended three levels at EOI and can never stop raving about the quality of my classes – so much so, in fact, that when I finish my last Spanish course this month, I’m planning to then start with Italian (at 130 euros, why the heck not?!). Obtaining fluency in a second language has been no easy task, so let’s see how I do the third time around! On that note – visit my blog, La Tortuga Viajera, to find out why I think learning a language is like going on a diet.

If you are interested in learning more about the school and its importance in Spain, check out the 100-year anniversary exhibition taking place in El Centro Cultural Galileo (C/Fernando El Católico 35, Madrid) until June 15th. Entrance is free!

For the list of EOI schools in Madrid and links to their websites, click here.