Modern Languages Trips & Exchanges
[ Spanish Exchange ]
Salsa in Salamanca 2011
Ancient sandy coloured buildings rose up around us as we wandered through the city in the scorching early summer rays; four Blundellians on an intrepid adventure to Salamanca, the nucleus of cultural activity in western Spain and home to the second oldest University in Europe founded in 1218.
Lydia Ferris, Alex MacBean, Lauren Kalsi and Cathy Bremner were bathing in the joys of being in Espana, having already established nicknames in the airplane to be fully immersed in the Spanish culture; Lyds as Helado (ice-cream), Beany as Platano (banana), Lauren as Picante (spicy) and Brem as guisantes (peas - don't ask!). As there were only four of us, Monmouth School were to join us on our exploits.
We were to be in Salamanca for a week, indulging in four hours of Spanish lessons every day from four to eight in the evening, interspersed with trips and activities around the city. Without realising, at ISLA the intense two hours of grammar followed by two hours of conversation practice whizzed by, especially with ten minute gaps to nip round the corner for sweeties and bottles of agua. ISLA is an institution run by natives to provide Spanish teaching for foreigners, offering handy revision courses just before the exam season with the result that, along with the students from Monmouth, we made great progress as we shared ideas, recapped key topics and enriched our vocabulary.
Away from the classroom, we stayed with a host family. Lauren and I were placed with Raquel and Jose Guevara who acted as our Spanish mamá and papá throughout the week, and it was made all the better as Platano and Helado were just a few floors above us, meaning that we could walk to school together each morning which was particularly handy. And our family were more than welcoming; the tablecloth laden with Spanish delicacies each mealtime, the freedom to come and go when we pleased, the kiss on the cheek every morning, lending me some flip-flops… the list is never ending. We’d eat lunch around three thirty every afternoon and it wasn’t just a small gathering; often the daughter would join us, the two American students who were staying in the flat, and a friend or other, not forgetting the dog Andres. It was admirable how Raquel coped and welcomed strangers into her home, representing the homely atmosphere and community spirit of Spanish family life.
With the lessons being in the late afternoon, we were often involved in activities in the morning. The first day, we had a tour of the city to acquaint ourselves with the grandeur of the architecture. The next, we had a trip to the new and old cathedrals which are rather impressively placed side by side and after that, a walk to the open air exercise park. At the same time, while Lyds texted boyfriend Richie, (a.k.a. Greek god and the spitting image of a Michelangelo sculpture), we were updated about the adventures of the Italy trip to Rome and shared our escapades with Blundellians across the waters. One day, we took part in a treasure hunt, which involved running round the city, asking shopkeepers the prices of tomatoes or quizzing locals about local traditions. Despite Beany (a.k.a. Platano or mother hen) striding ahead, using her long legs and excellent map reading skills to navigate us around the city, we narrowly got pipped to the post, coming a measly second place. Saturday consisted of a walk amongst the cherry blossom in the mountains which overlooked Salamanca, consuming tasty ice cream in a local village and sparking off a refreshing water fight to cool us down. Any free time we had would be spent wisely, sitting in the Plaza Mayor sipping chocolate con churros in the sun, listening to the faint strums of a guitar in the distance or taking a peek in the shops (and er doing Spanish revision of course).
Salamanca was humming at night too. We fully adapted to the Spanish way of living; late nights, late lunches and long siestas. One evening we had a salsa lesson from 10.30 until midnight, another we stuffed ourselves with large helpings of delicious paella or we went along to a Spanish fiesta at Camelot. The nights were, in essence, jam-packed with dancing and giggles; I particularly recall late one night, dropping my toothbrush down the loo and Lauren and I exploding into uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Our Spanish advanced in great leaps; grammatically one felt much more secure and being surrounded by natives meant that there was no other option but to speak Spanish. Over mealtimes, our conversations would develop into deeper topics such as student fees or los problemas sociales - I even managed to keep my end up in a political discussion about the governing of the Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero.
When the time came to leave Salamanca, we were reluctant to leave. We had met so many people, enhanced our knowledge of the Spanish language and more than anything, we had had a real holiday and a break from the normal daily routine. We were really sad to say goodbye to Monmouth – they were such a hearty bunch, with their welsh banter and thick accents, and we hope not to lose contact with them. However, we were reassured by the fact that Raquel, our Spanish mamá, said she could ‘feel it in her bones’ that we were going to return. We spent the last day in Madrid, drinking Fanta and visiting the main sites before tootling off back home to England.
All in all, a huge thanks must go to Mr Hatton, who despite relishing his reputation as “el gruñon de la clase” (the class grump) was never shy of a smile in this beautiful city (particularly when a refreshing pint of San Miguel cooled his palms). Whilst Mr Hatton proved himself a papi chulo, we also will remember Miss Doak for her constant merriment and cheery conversation, not forgetting her consistent effort in improving her Spanish. Thank you so much to both once again.
Spanish A level is always worthwhile, but a trip to Salamanca has been the icing on the cake, as we were immersed in the rhythmic qualities of the Spanish language and the culture of a country so similar yet so different to ours.
Hasta pronto!
German trip to Linguafest October 2010
In October, the year 10 class were the first Blundellians to participate in Linguafest, a Drama and Presentation festival for schools in the South West. The objective was to perform a five minute sketch in German, which was written in class. The class chose to use the topic of Health, which they had covered in class, and as one pupil wanted to dress up as a fairy, we decided on the story of the “Gesundheitsfee” or Health Fairy who lectures pupils about giving up smoking, but has his own addiction to hide. The judges pronounced the performers as "absolutely hilarious", and everyone had a great time. We hope to pick up some prizes next year!
Spanish Exchange
The Spanish department organizes an exchange on a yearly basis. We are twinned with a school in Valladolid, which is an historic city to the north-west of Madrid. The groups usually consist of around twelve pupils from years 11 and 12. Occasionally year 13 pupils participate, but they more often visit Spain on their own, especially if they intend to study Spanish at university. The Spanish party come to Tiverton in October, and we go to Valladolid in April, during the Easter holidays. We usually manage to arrange the dates so that both parties are able to spend a few days in the partner school, and some time with families. Group excursions also form part of the visit. All concerned find it a most valuable and enjoyable experience.
 Plaza Zorrilla, Valladolid |
 Semana Santa, Valladolid |
Plaza Mayor, Valladolid
Parque Retiro, Madrid