Archive for October, 2011

Spanish sport in Spanish schools: Rafa Nadal, a tennis player for history

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Björn Borg, Boris Becker… all are on the list of best players in tennis history, Rafael Nadal has to be added to this list now. A sportsman you must have heard of during your Spanish lessons in the Spanish schools in Spain.

He became one of the biggest symbols of Spanish sports history and one of the best tennis players seen on the tennis court. He was born in Mallorca 25 years ago and has beaten many records during his short sports career with a lot of work and humbleness.

Sport is a great activity to learn Spanish

The Spanish Rafael Nadal during a match

►…continue reading about Rafael Nadal, a tennis player for history

Spanish courses and free time: Going for pinchos in the Basque country

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Walking through the old town streets, seeing its main monuments and ending up with your friends in the bars of the town centre to have some pinchos is one of the best things students undertaking Spanish courses in San Sebastian, Bilbao or Vitoria can do.

A pincho, as conceived, is a slice of bread with, a portion of food on top. Food is now eaten with and without bread. The most usual ingredients are the typical Basque ones, such as hake, cod, Spanish omelette, stuffed peppers, mushrooms, etc. In the Basque country it is very typical to have it with a chiquito, a glass of red wine, or a zurito, which is a small glass of beer.

De pinchos con las escuelas de español

Unos platos con diversos pinchos

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Spanish culture in Spanish schools: Javier Bardem conquers Hollywood

Monday, October 24th, 2011

He is part of one of the Spanish cinema’s most famous families, Javier Bardem is not only one of the most important actors in Spain, he also knew how to slowly conquer Hollywood, and his films are therefore a very good resource to use to learn Spanish for the Spanish schools in Spain’s students.

He had small roles on television as a child, and his first big appearance on the cinema screens came when the director Bigas Luna directed him in the film “Jamón, jamón” in 1992, inwhich he starred together with his actual wife Penélope Cruz and Jordi Mollà. From this moment on he started playing in many films for which he received numerous awards such as the Goya he received in 1994 for the film “Días contados” and one year later the Goya again for “Boca a Boca”.

El actor español Javier Bardem

El actor español Javier Bardem

►…continue reading about Javier Bardem

Spanish Schools and gastronomy: The pulpo á feira, the most famous in Galicia

Friday, October 21st, 2011

In some Spanish schools in Santiago de Compostela as well as in other cities of the Galicia region: Vigo, La Coruña, Betanzos… Spanish students do usually prepare typical dishes from the Spanish cuisine, and one of them is the pulpo a feira.

It may be the most famous dish of the magnificent Galician gastronomy and it is better known in the rest of Spain as pulpo a la gallega. Although it may be the traditional dish from this autonomous region, its consumption has spread through Spain as a tapa, so if you are undertaking a course in any of the many Spanish schools in Spain you can not miss the opportunity of trying it.

Galician gastronomy in Spanish schools

Two women preparing the octopus

►…continue reading about the pulpo á feira, the most famous in Galicia

Learn Spanish and discover the culture: Antonio Gaudí, the poet of stone

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

He is considered as most representative of architecture modernism and one of the most famous figures of world’s architecture history. He revolutionised the construction world with his work, looking for perfection and originality in everything he was doing.

His ability to look outside the box and create solutions looking for a new architecture language gave Barcelona its modern character, and every student undertaking a Spanish course in one of the many Spanish schools in Barcelona has therefore the opportunity to enjoy the extensive work of Antonio Gaudí.

Portrait of Antonio Gaudi

Portrait of Antonio Gaudi

►…continue reading about Antonio Gaudí, the poet of stone

Practical vocabulary to learn Spanish: Taxi service in Spain

Monday, October 17th, 2011

One of the actions that all students will have to make at any time during your stay to learn Spanish at one of the Spanish schools in Spain, will be to get a taxi.

In our country you can take a taxi in three ways: call for city taxi service, go to a taxi rank or stop a taxi on the street, like in the movies. We will are going to teach you a series of words and phrases to practice Spanish in this situation:

General Vocabulary:

Taxi: taxi City centre: centro ciudad

For hire: libre Occupied: ocupado

Taxi rank: parada de taxis To stop: parar

►…continue to learn Spanish with our vocabulary practice

Learn Spanish at your leisure: The roar of the Lion King in Madrid

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Considered one of the most extraordinary Broadway shows, the Lion King musical arrived at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Madrid and will stay in the city for an indefinite length time. So, if you are undertaking a Spanish course in Spain you can not miss it. It is the biggest musical production ever made in our country and it will open on the 21st of October.

The musical is based on the famous Disney film, The Lion King, which started in 1997 on Broadway stages, more than 50 million people have seen it over the last 14 years (it’s the fourth most seen musical in history) and it has received many international awards. It did finally arrive to Spain for its first performance in Spanish, which is of course a great opportunity for students to learn Spanish in Spain while enjoying a great show.

►…continue reading about the Lion King in Madrid

Learn Spanish with the music: David Bisbal, the success of humility

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

His songs are known all over the world and he has been piling up success after success in and outside Spain, so it is certain that any student who comes to undertake a Spanish course in Spain has heard some of his songs.

David Bisbal started his career in the music world when he was18 ina famous orchestra in Almería called Orquestra Expresiones. It is in 2001 when he started to be famous after his participation in the first edition of Operación Tiunfo, a television competition where the face of Spain at the Eurovision would be selected between 16 competitors, and David Bisbal finished second.

David Bisbal y K'Naan, interpretes del tema de Coca Cola para Sudáfrica 2010

David Bisbal y K'Naan (haz clic en la imagen para ver el videoclip de su canción)

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The best breakfast against the cold,hot chocolate and churros

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

It is one of the traditional dishes from the Spanish cuisine, mainly when it gets cold and we have to warm up in the morning before going out, or to enjoy a sweet treat in the afternoon. Hot chocolate with churros is one of these Spanish habits that any foreign student coming to learn Spanish in a Spanish school in Spain does usually enjoy during his stay.

It is a tradition which is closely linked to Madrid, the Spanish city where it is consumed most, where having churros and hot chocolate for breakfast goes back to the XIXth century. History says that this tradition first started in Cataluña, or that the Arabs brought it to the peninsula, but in reality nobody really knows when and where this pair got popular for breakfast, in Spain.

Hot chocolate with churros. Spanish in Tour.

Hot chocolate with churros

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Traditions in Spain for Spanish classes: The tip in Spain

Friday, October 7th, 2011

In today’s post we are going to talk about a subject that is always problematic for foreign students coming to learn Spanish in Spain, the tip. This habit is very usual in many countries, it is even compulsory in some (even though there is no written law for it), but it is not like that in our country.

In Spain, leaving a tip is considered as a reward for excellent service from the waiters and for the quality of the product, but it is never compulsory and always is a personal choice. So, if you are undertaking a Spanish course in Spain, you do not have to feel any pressure or feel bad if you don’t leave a tip, as this is your personal decision to reward or not for the good or bad service.

A plate with tip

A plate with tip

►…continue reading about the tip in Spain