Home from Salamanca

Students returned from their Spanish trip to Salamanca at the weekend, having spent time learning about and experiencing Spanish life, culture and language. Year 9 Intensive Spanish students and Year 12 A level students enjoyed all the city had to offer, including museums, galleries, shops, food and scenery, as well as spending time at language school and staying with host families – and even some salsa dancing and tapas tasting.

All the students had a great time, and really made the most of the trip and the opportunities it offered to immerse themselves in the city. Year 12’s Isla and Year 9’s Henry shared their first-hand experience of the trip.

Report from Year 12’s Isla

The Salamanca trip was a brilliant opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the culture and the language; I didn’t realise quite how much an experience like that can improve your Spanish.

We ate with our host families so had the opportunity to get to know them as well as learn more about the Spanish lifestyle – we also got to enjoy the Spanish daily routine (the siestas were a real treat!).

The Spanish lessons at the Colegio Delibes were eye opening. The teachers only spoke to us in Spanish, which was initially a bit daunting, but it massively improved our understanding of the language. The combination of Spanish speaking in the lessons and with the people we encountered outside of lessons was insanely beneficial.

We also really got to know the city which was perfect as everything was in walking distance. We had a tour of the beautiful old buildings and got to spend time relaxing in the Plaza Mayor.

Over the week we quickly found the best places for a snack or a coffee. We were also treated to a bit of salsa dancing and a tapas tour while we were in the city.

Overall, it was a really worthwhile experience; our Spanish improved exponentially and we all became a lot more confident in speaking the language.

Report from Year 9’s Henry

The Salamanca trip was an amazing experience! When we arrived in the city, we were split into groups of twos and threes and were hosted by local Spanish families who were very welcoming and keen to help us embrace Salamanca.

Our activities in the evening ranged from tortilla making to salsa dancing. Our lessons each morning at the Colegio Delibes helped us to improve our grammar and communication skills.

For me, personally, the best part of the Salamanca trip was the freedom we had; each day we had plenty of free time to spend roaming the city and putting into practise the Spanish we had learned in lessons, and to fully appreciate Spanish culture.

Thank you to Mr Morton and all the teachers for making it an amazing trip, although the weather at times wasn’t quite what we were expecting!