Does the Diploma in Spanish Language teach Iberian or Latin American Spanish?

Both, with explicit comparative teaching. Class materials draw on press, audio and video from Spain and across Latin America. Your tutors are typically a mix of Iberian and Latin American Spanish speakers across the year so you become comfortable hearing both.

I already speak some Spanish — can I skip the early modules of the Diploma in Spanish Language?

Yes. We offer a placement test at the application stage. Heritage speakers and learners with prior A2/B1 study often start the course at the second module, with adjusted assessment milestones agreed with their tutor.

Can I take a DELE Spanish exam after the Diploma in Spanish Language?

Yes — and we offer tutored DELE preparation at B1 or B2 as an optional add-on in the second half of the course. The Diploma itself is recognised in its own right; DELE is the externally administered Instituto Cervantes credential that some employers and universities require.

Can I take the Diploma in Spanish Language while working full-time?

Yes. The online and distance routes are designed for working students, with evening live classes (usually twice a week), recorded material, and flexible written-work deadlines. Most working students complete the Diploma in twelve months.

Is the Diploma in Spanish Language internationally recognised?

The Diploma is a UK Level 5 qualification mapped to CEFR B1 to B2. UK employers and international organisations recognise both the Diploma and the underlying CEFR levels. If a specific country or employer requires DELE, we recommend pairing the Diploma with DELE preparation.

Diploma in Spanish Language in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Diploma in Spanish Language at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification taking learners from elementary intermediate (CEFR B1) to upper intermediate (B2) Spanish. You will read longer authentic texts from Spanish and Latin American press, follow current-affairs broadcasts, hold extended conversations on substantive topics, and write essays and structured business correspondence in Spanish — across both Iberian (Castilian) and Latin American variants.

Spanish is the third-most-spoken language in the world by native speakers and the second-largest first language for international business. The Diploma is built for adults who need working-level Spanish — not survival Spanish — and who want a recognised UK credential to evidence it.

Key Features

CEFR-aligned curriculum covering B1 and B2 with optional bridging exercises into C1 for stronger learners.
Iberian and Latin American variants — explicit teaching of vocabulary, pronunciation and idiomatic differences across Spain and the major Latin American Spanish-speaking countries.
Spanish-medium classroom from week four onward — English used only for grammatical edge cases.
Three study modes — on-campus in central London, fully online with live tutored classes, or distance learning with structured weekly recordings.
Tutored DELE preparation (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) at B1 or B2 level as an optional add-on.
Cultural and current-affairs strand — readings from El País, La Nación, El Mercurio, films and podcasts.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Spanish Language is structured around the skills a working B1-to-B2 speaker needs — beyond the survival vocabulary of a Certificate and toward the working competence employers actually pay for.

The full Spanish tense system, including the subjunctive, conditional and compound tenses.
Idiomatic and register-appropriate Spanish for professional, social and academic contexts.
Reading extended authentic Spanish texts — press, longform features, short literary excerpts.
Listening to current-affairs broadcasts, podcasts and unscripted interviews.
Speaking — sustained conversation on substantive topics, debate, presentation.
Writing essays, structured correspondence and short reports in Spanish.
Spanish for business — meeting language, negotiation vocabulary, formal email conventions.
Comparative awareness of Iberian and Latin American Spanish.

Who This Diploma Is For

Adults with a Certificate-level Spanish foundation (or equivalent A2/B1 background) ready to push to working competence.
Professionals working in or moving into Spanish-speaking markets — UK companies trading in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile.
Heritage Spanish speakers wanting a formal UK qualification that names their level on a transcript.
Students preparing for a year abroad, postgraduate study in a Spanish-speaking country, or further BA-level study in Spanish.

Career Pathways

The Diploma in Spanish Language is a substantial credential that strengthens applications across any role where Spanish is useful. It typically supports career moves into international roles or upgrades the value of an existing role. Typical applications include:

Bilingual Account Manager (English / Spanish, B2-level role)
International Sales Executive (Spain and Latin America territories)
Translation Project Coordinator (in-house or agency)
Communications and Marketing Coordinator (international or NGO sector)
Hospitality and Travel Industry Roles (UK hotels with Spanish-speaking guests, tour operations to Spain or Latin America)
Spanish-Language Teaching Assistant (private sector or schools)

The Diploma articulates into LSJHML's Advanced Diploma in Spanish Language Studies and the BA Spanish Language and Culture for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Completion of secondary school (A-Levels, BTEC, or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
Demonstrated A2 or higher Spanish (a placement test is offered at application stage).
Personal statement.
Mature applicants (21+) may apply with two years of relevant work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.