How to plan Spanish training for an international team in Madrid

Inside the office, the team works in English. Outside, things change. Clients prefer Spanish, suppliers reply in Spanish and the public authorities accept no other language.

The usual response is one weekly lesson late in the afternoon. By March, attendance has dropped and nobody is quite sure what has been learnt. It is not usually a problem of motivation. It is usually a problem of approach.

Training that makes a difference at work is decided before the first session. These are the decisions worth making.

Start from what each person needs to do in Spanish

A general syllabus is of little use to a team with different roles. Before talking about levels, it is worth knowing what each person needs to be able to do:

• Sales. Call a client, present a proposal, negotiate a delivery deadline.
• Customer service. Understand a complaint and reply in writing in the right tone.
• Legal or finance. Read a contract or a report and discuss it in a meeting.
• Senior management. Chair a meeting, speak up in a committee and keep the conversation going over a business lunch.

That map is the starting point for the programme and, later, the way to check whether it has worked.

One-to-one, in a group or both

A group works when its members are from the same organisation, have a similar level and share needs. A sales team of five people at B1 level is a good example. The more people there are, the less speaking time each one gets; in large groups, it is worth working in pairs.

One-to-one lessons make more sense in three cases:

• An executive with a very specific goal, such as a presentation to the board.
• Confidential content that should not be discussed in front of the team.
• Someone whose level is very different from everyone else’s.

You can also combine the two: the team in a group and one or two people in one-to-one sessions.

Where and when

At the company’s offices, nobody has to travel. At an external centre, the team switches off from email. Video conferencing suits companies with several sites. And the timetable matters as much as the venue.

The Institute’s tip. Plan the calendar with the summer in mind. In July and August, many Madrid companies move to summer hours (jornada intensiva) and the office empties by mid-afternoon. Afternoon sessions stop making sense. Also avoid the 14:00–16:00 slot, which is when business lunches take place. First thing in the morning, before the diary fills up, tends to hold up better.

The Spanish used most at the office

Much of the daily work goes through two channels: email and meetings. The programme should start there.

In emails, the greeting is followed by a colon, not a comma: «Hola, Marta:» (“Hi Marta”) or «Estimada Marta:» (“Dear Marta”). It is a common mistake among people used to writing in English. Other set phrases worth having to hand:

• «Te escribo en relación con la propuesta del día 12» (“I am writing regarding the proposal of the 12th”).
• «Te adjunto el presupuesto revisado» (“Please find attached the revised quote”).
• «Quedo a la espera de tus comentarios» (“I look forward to your comments”).
• «Un saludo» (“Best regards”) to sign off, or «Un cordial saludo» (“Kind regards”) if the relationship is more formal.

In meetings, the challenge is not usually technical vocabulary. It is knowing how to step in, qualify what is said and close agreements:

• «Si me permites un apunte…» (“If I may make a point…”), to ask for the floor without cutting anyone off.
• «Entiendo lo que dices, pero yo lo veo de otra manera» (“I understand what you’re saying, but I see it differently”), to disagree gently.
• «¿Lo dejamos cerrado así?» (“Shall we leave it agreed like that?”), to settle an agreement.

And a word of warning. «Lo vemos con calma y te digo algo» (“We’ll look at it carefully and get back to you”) usually means the decision has not been made. It is not a yes. If you need an answer, ask naturally: «¿Para cuándo crees que lo tendríais?» (“When do you think you’d have it?”).

If some of those meetings are by video call, there are more useful phrases in how to make the most of a live online lesson.

How to measure and justify the training

Human Resources needs to know two things: who attends and who is making progress. Ask for regular attendance and progress reports. And every quarter, go back to the map of situations from the start. Is the sales team now making its follow-up calls in Spanish? Is customer service answering complaints without going through a translator?

If the company wants to subsidise the training through FUNDAE (Spain’s state foundation for employment training), make clear from the outset who will handle the paperwork: the training centre or the company itself.

Last reviewed: October 2026. The requirements and deadlines for subsidised training may change, and some procedures must be completed before the first session. Check them with your gestoría (business adviser) or on the FUNDAE website before you start.

Spanish for companies at the Institute

The International Institute of Spanish organises in-company training in Madrid, at Gran Vía 40 or online, for one person or groups of up to 12. Every programme starts with a free 30-minute level test. HR receives monthly attendance reports and progress reports. The Institute does not process FUNDAE claims: it provides the signature sheets, attendance records and course content so that the company or its gestoría can do so.

The price is per hour for the whole group and goes by bands. With a 10-hour pack: €75 for 1 or 2 people, €95 for 3 to 5, €115 for 6 to 8 and €135 for 9 to 12. With 20- and 50-hour packs, the hourly rate drops by about 6% and 15%. So a group of four people with a 20-hour pack costs €89 an hour, or €22.25 per person. More details on Spanish for companies in Madrid and prices.