This summer, many of our Spanish students had the incredible opportunity to visit Spain, immersing themselves in the language and culture they’ve been studying. Among them were two students currently taking Spanish at A Level, who shared their experiences and insights from the trip.
From vibrant cities to authentic cuisine and real-life language practice, their accounts highlight just how enriching travel can be for language learners. ¡Qué experiencia maravillosa!
Sophia N, Year 12
In July, I went to Spain for a week on a Spanish course, to immerse myself in the Spanish culture and hopefully improve my Spanish before starting the A-Level course this September. Setting off alone was intimidating, but I was filled with a huge sense of independence, and of course, excitement for what the week ahead would entail.
I arrived in Benalmádena, a lovely town situated on the Costa del Sol, just a short distance from Málaga. To fully immerse myself, I stayed with a welcoming host family, speaking Spanish and eating traditional, delicious Spanish meals every night. I attended three-hour lessons every morning, which were helpful in revising grammar, in addition to improving my listening, as all lessons were taught entirely in Spanish. Afternoons were spent doing various activities: going to the water park, shopping, escape rooms, sports, and visits to hill towns. I even visited Córdoba, home to a unique and iconic Mezquita-Catedral. My favourite part of the trip would have to be going to the beach, with its golden sand and big waves, playing volleyball in the evenings and swimming in the sea under a moonlit sky.
I made so many unforgettable memories with my new friends from all over Europe and a few from America. It was incredibly interesting and enlightening to meet so many different people, whose differing cultures I learnt about, and I made such close friendships with people in only a few days – many of whom I’m still in touch with now! I did feel as though my Spanish fluency improved a little due to being surrounded by Spanish in my host house and adjusting to replying in Spanish. Having said that, if you’re thinking about doing a trip, I would recommend going for more than one week, as this would have been more beneficial for me. So, although I know the concept is daunting, I would definitely recommend being courageous and going to Spain for a few weeks if you’re looking to improve your language skills and want to immerse yourself in life there. You won’t regret it!
Sophia B, Year 13
This summer, I went to France for the majority of the time; however, I made sure to value my Spanish just as much, whether that was enriching myself in Spanish cuisine or practising the language itself. After the Granada trip, I have always kept in touch with my pen-pal Ana, and throughout the summer holidays, I continued to do so, and we have now decided to exchange postcards. We were even planning on meeting in London, but annoyingly, I wasn’t there at the same time as her. Recently, I have also discovered a new artist who made history as the first artist to have an all-Spanish album. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican singer who brought Latin rap and reggaeton music to global mainstream success. He is also one of the few singers who sings just in Spanish. One of my favourite things I did was try Spanish cuisine. I tried churros, a traditional sweet treat which dates back to medieval times in Castilla y León. I then tried Gazpacho for the first time too, a cold soup with the main ingredients being tomato and pepper, which originated in Andalucia. Lastly, I found out that my French cousin lived in Barcelona for a year, so I was fortunately able to practice speaking Spanish with someone.
