Article July 12, 2020

Learn Spanish at Elefun: Medellín’s Best Language School

The Elefun Spanish School is more than just a language academy; it’s the top choice for expats in Medellín. Elefun offers immersive courses that allow students to practice Spanish daily.

What sets Elefun apart is its holistic teaching approach, which has gained recognition within the expat community. Additionally, the school helps newcomers settle in Colombia with services like airport pickup, accommodation assistance, and visa support.

For these reasons, expatgroup.co has partnered with Elefun Spanish School to showcase why it’s an excellent choice for learning Spanish.

Disclaimer: Elefun does not accredit students with SIELE certificates. Elefun is authorized to hold SIELE exams at its approved exam centers, but Elefun does not do the certification process.

1. Elefun Is a Certified Language Institution

It can be difficult to choose a language school in Medellín. While there are many fantastic options for budding Spanish learners at academies and universities alike, some schools have unqualified teachers and disorganized curricula.

Elefun has proven its methods to exceed teaching standards as a nationally and internationally accredited language school. All teachers are professional and fully qualified to provide students with a full curriculum covering core skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), with the option for additional oral practice with a native speaker.

Elefun Spanish School is a SIELE (International Spanish Language Service) evaluation center. This means that you can receive a certificate that formally recognizes your Spanish proficiency level when you complete and pass an Elefun Spanish course. International universities, businesses, and other language schools will recognize this certificate.

2. Elefun Is Flexible and Fairly Priced

Elefun offers in-person online, group, or private classes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Its established Laureles-Estadio location opened in 2017, and a second school opened in March 2022, providing students with the opportunity to experience different areas of Medellín.

2,3 or 4-hour group classes allow students to meet like-minded travelers worldwide, whereas private 1:1 lessons offer maximum flexibility around a student’s schedule and a tailored approach to their unique learning goals. Conversational 1:1 courses with a Colombian teacher are beneficial for students with a good grasp of Spanish who would like to gain confidence in speaking Spanish in the real world.

As for the cost, Elefun prides itself on offering competitive rates for in-person and online classes.

3. Elefun Takes Learning Outside the Classroom

If you’ve taken a language course at an academy before, the learning process often begins and ends inside the four walls of the classroom. Outside of class, your independent motivation drives how much you continue to progress when a teacher is not guiding you.

Elefun knows that pushing yourself to use Spanish in real-life situations can be daunting at the best of times, so it puts on various after-school events where you can put what you learn in class into action. For students taking in-person courses, there’s something new to look forward to every evening Tuesday through Friday.

From free classes every Monday and Wednesday to language exchanges in person and online to Salsa or Cooking classes and local tours, Elefun students can share the vibrant Colombian culture while practicing their Spanish.

4. Elefun Goes the Extra Mile with Visas and Housing

Elefun’s school has everything to make its students’ learning experience memorable, but what about day-to-day living? It’s understandable that moving to a new city on a new continent with a new language is daunting for many foreign nationals, to say the least.

Elefun knows this all too well and sets about making its students’ transition to the city as smooth as possible. How? By partnering with a reputable Medellín housing agency with over 700 rooms and apartments. To ensure pupils are placed in safe, comfortable, and affordable accommodation, Elefun has teamed up with VICO to make finding housing easy for pupils.

Not stopping here, Elefun reached out to expatgroup.co so that its students could acquire the Colombian V-type student visa through an experienced visa services agency.

How to Get the Colombian Student Visa?

The process for applying for the Colombian V-type student visa begins with submitting an electronic application to the government visa site la Cancilleria. The process takes around 30 minutes to complete and requires you to submit the following information:

A scanned copy of the first page of a valid passport. Also, a scanned copy of the entry stamp to Colombia and copies of any previously held Colombian visas.
A passport-style photo with a white background and 3 x 4cm dimensions.
A certificate or document showing that you’ve been enrolled in a course at a recognized Colombian educational institute (like Elefun) for at least 10 hours a week.
Documentation confirming the educational institution’s legal existence (Elefun will provide you with this).
A letter outlining the curriculum of educational activities for the duration of the course and the person who will be economically responsible for you while you study in Colombia (Elefun will provide you with this)
Bank statements from the person economically responsible for you for the last 6 months

If you have any questions about the Colombian student visa process, you can book a call here, and we’ll be happy to answer any of your queries or concerns.