Mejores Barcelona

General English · Barcelona

English for adults in Barcelona

In short

Before choosing an English academy, course or classes for adults, it is worth knowing which level you are aiming for. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) describes six levels, from A1 to C2, and the official language schools and the Cambridge exams are arranged by them. If you know whether you need a B1, a B2 or a C1, you can understand which public options and which exams suit you. This page does not assess or recommend any particular academy and is not linked to any.123456789101112131415

By Mejores Barcelona, text generated and verified automaticallyUpdated

Centres that publish english for adults in Barcelona

Each entry shows the centre's address, the courses it publishes and the link to its website.

We show 12 of the 20 centres entered in Barcelona: first those that publish these courses and then in alphabetical order, without any assessment.

Informational list of centres entered in the public register, without recommendation or assessment. If you are a professional and want to correct or remove your entry, see the methodology.

Do you want to know how we choose and order the centres? This is how we do it.

Which level you need: from B1 to C1 under the CEFR

The CEFR calls B1 the Threshold level, B2 the Vantage level and C1 Effective Operational Proficiency.1 Each one describes something different.

  • At B1 you understand the main points of clear speech in standard language, express opinions in informal discussions and deal with less common situations when travelling.1
  • At B2 you explain and defend opinions, compare advantages and disadvantages and converse naturally with native speakers.1
  • At C1 use of the language is fluent and spontaneous, and only conceptually difficult subjects interrupt that fluency.1

To decide, compare those descriptions with what you need to do in English. The sources reviewed do not state how many hours of class are needed to move from one level to another, so it is worth asking each centre for that figure, together with how it determines your starting level.

The public alternative: official language schools

Catalonia's official language schools are a public option in addition to private academies. They require you to be 16 by 31 December of the year the course starts, or 14 for a language other than the one studied as the first foreign language in compulsory secondary education (ESO).2

Their courses are 130 hours and are offered in extensive mode (in person, blended or flexible) or intensive mode (quadrimester-based or flexible).2 The certificates correspond to the CEFR as follows:

  • The A1 and A2 courses give the basic level A2 certificate.2
  • The B1 course gives the intermediate B1.2
  • The B2.1 and B2.2 courses give the intermediate B2.2
  • The C1 course gives the advanced C1.2
  • The C2 course gives the advanced C2.2

Anyone who is not an official student can sit the exams as an independent candidate. The ordinary session is in May or June and the extraordinary session, in February, is only for English and for the C2 level of Catalan.2

Like any option, it has limits. There is an age requirement,2 and the provision is organised in 130-hour courses per level,2 and the intermediate B2 certificate corresponds to the B2.1 and B2.2 courses.2 The sources reviewed do not give places available, enrolment deadlines or cost, and we do not claim here that it is better or worse than a private academy: it depends on your timetable, your level and the certificate you are after.

If you are considering a Cambridge exam instead of an official school certificate, Cambridge organises its qualifications by CEFR levels: A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency.3 What each centre claims about its preparation for that exam is its own statement, not ours.

English for adults by area

English for adults by area

English for adults by areaSchematic map with 16 areas; the full list is in the data table. Outside the map: Sant Cugat del Vallès, to the north-west; Badalona, to the north-east; Terrassa, to the north-west; Sabadell, to the north; Cornellà de Llobregat, to the south-west; L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, to the north-west.Ciutat VellaEixampleSants-MontjuïcLes CortsSarrià-Sant GervasiGràciaHorta-GuinardóNou BarrisSant AndreuSant MartíCiutat VellaEixampleSants-MontjuïcLes CortsSarrià-SantGervasiGràciaHorta-GuinardóNou BarrisSant AndreuSant MartíL'Hospitalet de LlobregatSant Cugat del VallèsTerrassaSabadellBadalonaCornellà de Llobregat

Source: Ajuntament de Barcelona, Open Data BCN (CC BY 4.0). Contornos simplificados.

View data
Map data: English for adults by area
Area
Ciutat Vella
Eixample
Sants-Montjuïc
Les Corts
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
Gràcia
Horta-Guinardó
Nou Barris
Sant Andreu
Sant Martí
Sant Cugat del Vallès (outside the map, to the north-west)
Badalona (outside the map, to the north-east)
Terrassa (outside the map, to the north-west)
Sabadell (outside the map, to the north)
Cornellà de Llobregat (outside the map, to the south-west)
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (outside the map, to the north-west)

See language schools in Barcelona

Authorship
Mejores Barcelona, text generated and verified automatically
Updated

How this content is produced and verified

Sources

  1. Marco común europeo de referencia para las lenguas, capítulo 3: niveles comunes de referencia (A1 a C2)https://cvc.cervantes.es/ensenanza/biblioteca_ele/marco/cap_03.htmAccessed: October 12, 2026
  2. Escoles oficials d'idiomes (EOI): accés i preinscripció, curs 2026-2027 (infografia)https://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoiosona/wp-content/uploads/usu2247/2026/06/Infografia-EOI.pdfAccessed: October 12, 2026
  3. Cambridge English Qualifications, vista general de cualificaciones y niveles MCERhttps://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/qualifications/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  4. Academia New Clothttps://academianewclot.es/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  5. Campus 25, formación para adultos y cursos de ingléshttps://campus25.es/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  6. British Fleming Schoolhttps://britishflemingschool.es/enAccessed: October 12, 2026
  7. EOI Barcelona Drassanes, web propia del centrohttps://www.eoibd.cat/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  8. EOI Barcelona V Sants, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoibarcelona-sants/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  9. EOI Barcelona IV La Pau, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoi-lapau/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  10. EOI Barcelona III Sant Gervasi, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoisantgervasi/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  11. EOI Barcelona VI Guinardó, web propia del centrohttps://www.eoiguinardo.cat/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  12. EOI Badalona, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoibadalona/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  13. EOI L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoi-hospitalet/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  14. EOI Sabadell, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoisabadell/Accessed: October 12, 2026
  15. EOI Sant Cugat del Vallès, web propia del centrohttps://agora-eoi.xtec.cat/eoisantcugat/Accessed: October 12, 2026

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