Our School Oxford House

About us

Founded in 1998 in Barcelona, Oxford House offers:

English courses to adults and young learners at our premises and online, as well as in companies and local schools.
Spanish courses for foreigners.
English teacher training courses, accredited by Cambridge University and Trinity College London.
Spanish teacher training courses.

We have worked hard to build the prestige of our brand, and we value this highly. Our co-founder and director, Duncan Foord is a recognised, award-winning author on teaching and learning languages and has regularly addressed professional congresses.

Our annual Innovate ELT conference brings together teachers from around the world and has also won awards, this all places us at the forefront of a dynamic, ever-changing profession. We are proud to have as members of our team, a number of teachers and trainers who are renowned across the profession.
We are associated with the Spanish Federation of Language Teaching Centres (FECEI) and are recognised by Bildungsurlaub and the Instituto Cervantes.

Oxford House

Our approach to teaching languages

We believe language teaching is primarily a human and social activity and that there are three key elements to learning a language in a classroom with a teacher. People learn best:

When they feel comfortable and relaxed with their teacher and fellow students.
When they are challenged by the tasks they do in class.
When those tasks involve learning new language and using it in situations which will be relevant for them outside class.

Our approach to learning a language

People learn languages in a number of ways, through attending classes with a teacher, self-study and practice, living in an environment where the language is spoken or a combination of these. In all cases, the learner needs to work hard and be patient. We believe anyone can learn a second language, though factors such as motivation, discipline, opportunities to practice, age and aptitude can affect how long it takes.

Our philosophy naturally means we focus on language learning through attending classes with a teacher. Our students come to us for an opportunity to practice the language and because they understand they will benefit from learning in a group of people with similar goals, which meets regularly with expert guidance and support from a teacher.

It is an important part of our approach to address each student in our classes as an individual and advise and support them in achieving their goals in the language. This includes developing students’ motivation and organisation and encouraging them to practice the language independently outside class, not just by completing traditional homework tasks, but also by seeking opportunities to practice the language informally with other speakers and by taking advantage of the many opportunities to read and listen in the language.

Our teachers

To make sure we offer the best classes possible to students we believe in recruiting teachers who are expert users of the language they teach, have been suitably trained and demonstrate the appropriate skills and qualities to create classes which meet the three objectives listed above. We recruit teachers whose training includes observed teaching experience (such as The Trinity Cert TESOL/CELTA for English teachers and ELE courses for Spanish teachers. As a provider of Teacher Training courses for English teachers, we encourage them to gain further qualifications further by completing the Trinity Diploma in TESOL in house.

The teacher is the most important element of the service we offer. We believe it is important to support them by providing suitable physical resources (such as comfortable classrooms, books, computers, and projectors) and personal support through observation and feedback, counselling and advice, mentoring, meetings and opportunities to attend workshops, conferences and training courses to develop expertise.

Our Directors of Studies

Our directors of studies, are both responsible for the adult English courses, in-company language courses, Spanish courses and young learner’s courses.

Our Methods

The primary challenge for our students is to communicate effectively in the language. Our teachers ensure this from the very start by engaging students in communication activities which reflect the way they need to use the language in the real world. Role-plays, simulations and discussions are an important part of learning, and classes often work in pairs or small groups. The teacher gives feedback on performance and input on vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, all of which helps learners improve faster. . Classes are conducted in the target language, though teachers and students sometimes use translation when helpful.

Teachers use a variety of materials. These come from course books and the internet, as well as authentic materials (for example, newspaper websites and YouTube), which they adapt to the students’ specific needs and goals. Teachers set and monitor homework tasks to complement classroom learning. This is through our online Teams platform, which enables students to communicate with their teacher and classmates, participate in homework tasks and review class contents if they miss a class.

Our Syllabus

Our teachers’ classes focus on the needs of the students and follow established programmes in course books and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Courses are designed according to the students’ levels, needs and aspirations. We offer a range of class types in English and Spanish: preparing students for official exams –Cambridge, IELTS, Trinity ISE and Trinity GESE, general language courses, courses for young learners and courses for Business English. We also provide intensive programmes of up to 10 hours per week and extensive programmes of 3 hours a week.

Our assessment procedures

Students are continually assessed through progress tests and regular feedback from the teacher .

Students preparing for official exams such as DELE, Cambridge English or IELTS also have the chance to do a simulation of the actual exam.

Our community

Many of our students enjoy the opportunity to meet and practice the language they are learning by taking part in the social and cultural activities we organise including language exchange evenings, and our annual Ski Trip or Charity Day. We have a well-stocked library where students can borrow books and films in a number of languages and continue their practice at home.

Our goals teaching Spanish

We created our Spanish department 2008. We wanted to apply the philosophy and experience we had gained teaching English to Spanish courses. We saw the demand for quality courses at an affordable price. By quality, we understand:

Students feel comfortable with their teacher and classmates.
Exercises done in class which are challenging for students.
Tasks and language which are covered in class are practical and useful.

Our goal is to offer a range of online and in-person Spanish courses that meets the needs of both non-residents who are looking to study short courses as well as residents who want to improve their language skills while they work or study here. We offer:

Intensive Spanish course in Barcelona (8h/week (4 weeks) in groups of a maximum of 12 students)
Part -time Spanish course in Barcelona (3h/week – 11 weeks in groups of a maximum of 12 students).
Super-intensive Spanish course in Barcelona (20h/week 4 weeks in groups of a maximum of 8 students)
Super-intensive Spanish course in Barcelona plus Visa (20h/week 4 weeks in groups of a maximum of 8 students)
Online part-time Spanish courses (3h/week – 11 weeks in groups of a maximum of 16 students) .
DELE exam preparation course (8h/week (4 weeks) in groups of a maximum of 8 students)
Private Spanish classes in Barcelona or online. Pay per class.
Personalised Spanish Immersion Courses – from 10h classes/ week plus lunch and 2 visits.

Two languages, one team of teachers

Our approach to teaching English and Spanish is identical, and all our teachers work hand in hand to ensure their students’ progress.
Our teachers share a workspace, which encourages teamwork and communication.
We work hard to help our teachers improve their skills and access new methodology through our teacher development programme. This includes training sessions for all teachers, and each group of teachers also receives training on specific issues related to the language they teach.
Whatever the language, all our teachers share a common goal and our philosophy.

We have three departments

Oxford House

Oxford House is our language school located in the heart of Barcelona where we provide Spanish and English language courses and private classes, as well as in other languages. We also organise activities and events giving our students the chance to practise their skills in real-life situations. Alongside our language school, we offer online and face-to-face Spanish teacher training courses.

oxfordhousebcn.com – English Courses
oxfordhousespanish.com – Spanish Courses
certificadoele.com – Spanish teacher training courses

Oxford House Empresas

Our In-company language department helps businesses drive international growth through practical, flexible language training in English and other languages, designed to deliver real results. We create tailored programmes, either online or face-to-face, so that each team can communicate with greater confidence, fluency and impact in professional contexts.

Oxford TEFL

Oxford TEFL is our English teacher training centre, which is very highly regarded well known in the profession of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).

Since we opened in Barcelona in 1998, we have helped teachers gain qualifications which have allowed them to teach English all around the world. Over 5,000 teachers have completed their CELTA course with us and over 800 their Trinity Diploma in TESOL.

Our School in Barcelona

Oxford House is located 1 minute from Passeig de Gràcia, in the heart of Barcelona, and offers spacious, modern facilities easily reachable by a range of transport options. And what’s more, you can take time out relaxing in the sun or under the shade of the palm trees in our beautiful two-level garden .

Our 1000m2 centre has 23 classrooms fully equipped with computers, projectors, and/or smart TV, as well as air conditioning and heating. We also have dedicated study spaces, and a library with a wide range of books in Spanish to really practice your Spanish.

Welcome to our School