Archive for the ‘Leisure time’ Category

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The train, one of the best ways to travel through Spain

Friday, June 29th, 2012

Spain is a country with many cities that students undertaking a Spanish course can visit, such as the cities World Heritage or the destinations next to the sea, among others. Different transportation systems exist to get to these places, you can go by plane or on the road (car or coach), but we recommend you to go by train.

Travelling by train allows students to enjoy the wonderful landscapes Spain has to offer and it is a comfortable and secure way that reaches almost all corners of the country.

The train is one of the most used by students of Spanish in Spain

A train in Spain

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A beer, please: Spanish beers

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Spain is not among the countries that have the biggest beer consumption, but it is, without a doubt, a beer country. Last year, 2011, an average of 48 litre were consumed per capita, which shows that it is one of the favourite drinks of many Spanish, mostly when the Summer comes and we need something fresh to fight high temperatures. It is also a very consumed drink by tourists and students who decide to undertake a Spanish course in Spain.

Spain is still far from the first positions in the ranking of beer drinking countries, where Czech Republic (169 litreper capita), Ireland (131 litre) and Germany (110 litre), are the countries that like this drink most, worldwide.

A group of students drinking beer

A group of students drinking beer

►…continue reading about the Spanish beers

“Una caña, por favor” (A beer, please)

Friday, June 15th, 2012

In Spain it is very usual to join some friends to have a beer or a caña (draught or barrel beer in a small glass) in a bar, be it before lunch as an aperitive or after work to disconnect and have a good time with friends.

Also, one of the first activities students undertake when they arrive in our country or when they are already learning Spanish in Spain, is to go out with friends from the school to drink beers in some of the many bars or tascas in the Spanish cities.

A medium-size bottle of beer

A medium-size bottle of beer

►…continue reading about ways to order a beer in Spain

Sports in the Spanish schools: Fernando Alonso, the Formula 1 magician

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Formula 1 is the most famous auto competition at an international level with successful drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. A name has been added to this list years ago, and that is the name of a Spanish pilot that many students learning Spanish in Spain have heard of, Fernando Alonso.

It is the most famous and awarded Spanish pilot in the history of the best Auto racing category, he became Formula 1 champion on two occasions (in 2005 and 2006).

Enjoy Formula 1 in Spain. Fernando Alonso

The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso

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Enjoy the summer in Spain and learn Spanish in an intensive way

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

Next June comes one of the favourite times for Spanish and for students who would like to come to Spain to learn Spanish, Summer. This season is one of the most attractive ones to undertake an intensive Spanish course, since it allows to learn and, at the same time, to enjoy the country.

Summer is a time suitable for studying Spanish in Spain

A Spanish beach in summer

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Learn Spanish with films from the Spanish cinema

Friday, March 16th, 2012

To watch films in Spanish can be very useful to learn Spanish and is one of the best resources any student can and should use to improve their knowledge of the language. It is often a very common activity in the Spanish schools in Spain and most organise cinema sessions for the students.

We recommend you to watch mainly films from the Spanish cinema, since this is good not only to improve your words and expressions vocabulary but also to exercise the hearing comprehension and to observe the gestures, way of saying things of the natives.

A group of girls in a Spanish class

A group of girls in a Spanish class

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Alicante brightens up with the Spring Festival

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Spring will be here on the 21st of March and the city of Alicante wants its citizens and visitors, including students from the Spanish courses, to celebrate it with the most important electronic music festival in the province, the “Alicante Spring Festival”.

It is the fourth edition of this great event which is all about electronic music and indie pop. It will take place on the 31st of March in the Zona Volvo of the Port of Alicante and you will be able to enjoy it during the day as well as during the night, until very late in the morning.

►…continue reading about Alicante brightens up with the Spring Festival

Learn Spanish with Spanish music

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Learning Spanish is not easy since you need to put in constant work and effort, but the process can result entertaining if it is designed correctly. Many activities make learning Spanish in the courses much easier and more entertaining for students in the Spanish schools inSpain.

One of teachers’ most used resources to help students learn easier and practice outside the classroom too, is to learn Spanish with music and songs from Spanish and Spanish American artists.

Estopa's songs to learn Spanish

Estopa Group in a concert

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The 8 best things Spanish students can do in Barcelona

Friday, January 13th, 2012

The city of Barcelona is a very lively place which offers a great variety of activities for students undertaking a course in a Spanish school. We leave you 8 pieces of advice to never get bored:

  • ■To go shopping is a treat for those students who like fashion, as this city has several areas with a great commercial offer, such as the Avenida Diagonal, the Paseo de Gracia and the barrio Gótico.
  • ■You can not leave Barcelona without strolling down its most famous street, La Rambla. Along the way you can find kiosks, bars, restaurants and the famous human statues, artists who entertain strollers with their shows.
Study in Spanish academies in Barcelona

La Rambla of Barcelona

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Culture of Spain for Spanish classes: The Reyes Magos(the Three Wise Men) arrive to Spain

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

On the 6th of January we celebrate one of the important Spanish traditions for children, Epiphany or the día de los Reyes Magos. The little ones, and sometimes less little ones, receive the presents or charcoal on that day, charcoal if they behaved badly, which they previously ordered in a letter.

Even though the figure of Father Christmas becomes more important in our country, the Reyes Magos day is still more important and every year it is customary to organise a series of related events for the festivity, the most outstanding one is the Cabalgata de Reyes which takes place on the 5th of January and is celebrated in all Spanish villages and cities. The cabalgata is a parade with the Reyes Magos mounted on horses, camels or sitting in carriages, and covering the city’s streets throwing sweets and balls to the children who stand on the pavement, this is therefore a very good opportunity to enjoy one of our traditions with your classmates from the Spanish course in Spain.

A Spanish course may be a good gift of Kings

Picture of the Three Kings Parade of Alcoy

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The Brazilian song “Ai se eu te pego” is a big success in Spain

Friday, December 30th, 2011

What started as a dance between two Real Madrid football players, Marcelo and Cristino Ronaldo after scoring a goal, ended up becoming very successful in our country. The song “Ai se eu te pego” from the Brazilian Michel Teló became the most viewed video on Youtube in 2011 inSpain, you can also listen to it on all radio stations and in all clubs, and you have probably already heard it at least once if you are studying Spanish in Spain.

This singer started being famous in Brazil in 2010 after he participated in a television programme, but he achieved international fame only this year (2011). His song “Ai se eu te pego” is already known all over the world. We leave the words of the song and its translation in Spanish for all of you studying Spanish in Spain:

Aprende español en España y disfruta de la música

Michel Teló

►…sigue leyendo sobre la canción brasileña

The best things Spanish students can do in Spain during winter

Monday, December 19th, 2011

Next 22nd of December the winter season starts, a time when great numbers of students usually come toSpain to learn Spanish in a Spanish school. We would therefore like to give you a series of advices to make the most of your time in Spain this season:

- If you like winter sports, our country has many ski resorts where you can practice skiing or snowboarding. The Sierra Nevada station in Granadaor the Astún-Candanchú in Jaca, are ideal to enjoy the snow with your classmates from the Spanish school in Spain.

- If you don’t like cold, you can always spend some days in theCanary Islandsand enjoy the amazing temperature… you can even bathe in the water.

Spain in winter for Spanish students

Ski resort of Sierra Nevada

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The “Danza Kuduro”, best Spanish language international song

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Don Omar, a Puerto Rican singer who made many students from the Spanish courses in Spain dance reggaeton, was awarded last week, on the 9th of December, the prize for best international Spanish Language song with his theme “Danza Kuduro” at the Premios 40 Principales 2011 in Madrid.

Many of you have probably already heard this song, on the radio, the internet or on a night out with your classmates from the Spanish courses. If its name does not sound familiar to you, if we say “La mano arriba, cintura sola. Da media vuelta, Danza Kuduro” you will probably remember.

►…continue reading about the best Spanish language international song

The 10 best things Spanish students can do in Madrid

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

The city of Madrid is a place that offers different activities for students staying in it to undertake a course in a Spanish school. Here we give you some advice:

  • • To go for a walk in the El Retiro park, one of the most significant places in the city and an ideal place to spend some time with the classmates from the Spanish school. Also, do not forget to rent a rowing boat and row for a while on the park’s pond.
  • • To walk down the Gran Vía in Madrid, admiring its incredible buildings, such as the Metrópolis, the Madrid París, the Cinemas Callao and the Torre de Madrid.
Study Spanish in Madrid and tour the city

Gran Vía of Madrid

►…continúa leyendo sobre las mejores cosas que los estudiantes de español puede hacer en Madrid

Spanish sport in Spanish schools: A match that brings Spain to a halt

Monday, November 28th, 2011

The match of the year, the confrontation of the century, the Derby, the classic of the Spanish football…many are the names given to this match, a confrontation that all football fans have marked on their calendar and that Spanish students from Spain cannot afford to miss out on.

It will be on Saturday, the 10th of DecemThe match of the year, the confrontation of the century, the Derby, the classic of the Spanish football… a match that Spanish students from Spain cannot afford to miss out on.ber at 10pm, in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, in Madrid, and it will be shown on the television channel La Sexta, freeview.

The Real Madrid and the Barcelona are the best football teams in Spain, two of the most famous internationally, in fact, currently, they are the teams with the biggest budget in the world, both with numbers higher than 450 million Euros, with an advantage on Manchester United, in third place, with 384 M€ for the 2010/2011 season.

Learn Spanish in Madrid and enjoy the classic of the Spanish football

The Santiago Bernabeu stadium of Real Madrid

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Spanish schools and free time: The commercial opening times

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Spanish’ opening times are different from most of Europe, it is therefore very important that students coming to study in a Spanish school in Spain know about it.

One of the main differences between Spaniards and the rest of the world is the usual timetable, people’s daily lives. InSpainit is customary to get up and go to sleep later than in the rest ofEurope, the same goes for lunch and dinner, which are usually not as early. In our country we usually have lunch between 2 and 4pm, and have dinner between 9 and 11pm.

Commercial opening hours for students of Spanish in Spain

Opening hours of a business

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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

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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

►…continue reading about pinchos in the Basque country

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

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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