Archive for the ‘Spanish cities’ Category

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The 7 best things students can do in Salamanca

Friday, February 24th, 2012

The city of Salamanca is the Spanish student city of excellence, a very lively place with a great offer of activities for those students who are undertaking a course in a Spanish academy in Salamanca. We leave you 7 pieces of advice so you never get bored in this World Heritage city:

  • ■ To visit the Playa Mayor of the city is like visiting the heart of Salamanca. Considered one of the most beautiful places inSpain, it has become the meeting place for tourists and students.
  • ■ If you get a chance, do not miss the Holy Week in Salamanca. This celebration is worth seeing, receiving thousands of visits, it was declared of International Tourist Interest.
Salamanca is a great city to learn Spanish

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca

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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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Culture of Spain for Spanish classes: The flamenco, a feeling converted into art

Friday, February 17th, 2012

The flamenco is the most famous Spanish music style in the world. It is a mixture of music and dance that became art, a way of expressing feelings and passion through dance and singing. Its international recognition is so important it was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco in 2010.

The flamenco genere was born in the XVIIIth century in Andalusia and, years passing by, it changed until becoming something unique, a show that any person coming to Spain for idiomatic tourism should not miss.

Flamenco, a common activity in the Spanish schools

A flamenco show

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Pedro Almodóvar, the director who brought Spanish cinema to the world

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

The screenwrighter, producer and director Pedro Almodóvar is a cinema genius and one of the major exponents of the Spanish cinema on international level. His films made him win many prizes and gain recognition in many countries, it is therefore ideal for you to watch them and enjoy them if you are studying Spanish.

Almodóvar started his career in the 80s, becoming one of the icons of the movida madrileña, cultural movement which started during those years in the Spanish capital, with titles such as “Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón”(Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom) and “¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto?” (What Have I Done to Deserve This?). He was first truly recognised with his film “Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios” (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), in 1988, not only in Spain but within an international scope, he was awarded 16 nominations at the Goya and a nomination for best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

Learn Spanish with the films of Pedro Almodóvar

The film directors Pedro Almodovar and Tim Burton

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Why choose Spain to learn Spanish?

Monday, February 13th, 2012

When a student decides to initiate his learning of the Spanish language there is always a doubt: to study in a Spanish school in their country or to go out to a Spanish speaking place?

One of most recommended countries to start or continue the adventure of Spanish learning is Spain, a fun country that happily receives students from any country to undertake a Spanish course. Also, it is the place where Spanish was born and from where it extended to the entire world.

Students in a Spanish class

Students in a Spanish class

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Spanish Schools and gastronomy: The Gazpacho

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

When we talk about Spanish gastronomy we all think about the paella, the tortilla de patatas and the jamón (ham), but there is another traditional dish from the Spanish food, internationally known: the gazpacho. A sort of cold soup made with a mixture of vegetables (cucumber, tomato and pepper), and with old bread, olive oil, salt, garlic and vinegar. Students from the Spanish schools in Spain usually love it.

There are different varieties for this dish but the most famous one is the one named gazpacho andaluz, as it is from Andalusia and it is most consumed over there. It is one of the tourists’ favourite dishes in the south of Spain, mainly for its great flavour and for its ingredients from the Mediterranean cuisine.

Gazpacho is a great dish of Spanish gastronomy

A dish of Gazpacho Andaluz

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Enjoy the Carnival festivities and learn Spanish

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Like every year, in February, Spain starts preparations to celebrate one of its most enjoyable festivities, the Carnival. It is one of the most colourful and entertaining celebrations in our country and although it was originally religious, it became a big show for tourism and entertainment over the years, it is thus usual to see streets filled with people from all Spanish towns and cities.

The show, celebrated between the 16th and the 19th of February this year, will allow participants and visitors to have a good time, to have a laugh, dance and be someone else for a while. If you come to Spain to learn Spanish do not hesitate to go enjoy this great festivity.

Enjoy the carnival and learn Spanish in Tenerife

Election of the Queen of Tenerife carnival

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What is the DELE exam?

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

One of the main objectives for any Spanish student is to achieve a level of knowledge of the language allowing him to communicate without problems. The best way to know if the level is achieved is to pass one of the examinations from DELE.

The Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE) are official certificates given by the Spanish Ministry of Education that certify your level of knowledge of Spanish. These diplomas have a great international prestige, not only because they provide a guarantee of a good understanding of Spanish, but because they help your access to work in Spain and in other countries.

The DELE exam is performed worldwide

A group of students conducting a review

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El Ratoncito Pérez (tooth fairy), the tale of a rodent with Spanish background

Monday, January 30th, 2012

He was born almost 120 years ago, but the story of the Ratoncito Pérez, this small rodent that was leaving presents and coins for the children who lost a tooth and let it underneath their pillow at night, is still alive today for the little ones.

This character was created by the writer and Spanish journalist Luis Coloma in1894 inhis children’s book for Alfonso XIII when he was 8 years old, because one of his teeth fell out. The writer then invented the story of a small mouse who showed to the king Budi (stage name for Alfonso XIII) the misery in which the poor children from Madrid where living, and who he was giving a present to when their teeth fell out. We recommend you read this fairytale if you are learning Spanish at a basic level.

Doodle of Ratoncito Pérez de Google

Doodle of Ratoncito Pérez de Google

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The toros (bulls), a great Spanish tradition

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

The toros is one of the most popular and ancient shows in Spain, and one of our country’s most famous traditions in the world. It started in the XVIIIth century, involving a man on foot who has to lidiar (battle) a fighting bull in a precinct called Plaza de toros. It is one of the events you cannot miss if you are undertaking a Spanish course in Spain.

The corrida is divided in three distinct stages or thirds. The first part, or lancing stage, involves the lidia of the bull with the objective to check the animal’s strength and behaviour. This is when the cape’s good luck is put to test, the most famous techniques are the verónica, the chicuelina or the porte gayola.

The toros, spanish tradition

A torero performing a veronica

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Learn Spanish by cooking dishes from the Spanish cuisine

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Spanish is a language that can be practised in many different ways, by reading books, watching films in Spanish, listening to songs… but one of the most enjoyable and entertaining ways to learn Spanish in Spain is to do so while you cook a typical dish from the Spanish cuisine.

This activity is very common in Spanish schools, and many have it as a special section in the course program. This type of exercise is very important for students to be able to learn Spanish and the Spanish culture outside school classes, by doing it in a more enjoyable way: by cooking.

Learn Spanish cooking is a great activity

Two Spanish students in a cooking course

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The Spanish Language Foundation launches the website of the First International Expo Spanish

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

The Spanish Language Foundation (Fundación de la Lengua Española) has launched the website of the First International Expo Spanish, with information about the event to organize in Valladolid from 10 to 13 May 2012.

Website: http://www.fundacionlengua.com/expo

The Spanish cinema is getting prepared for the Goya Awards

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

All countries have their cinema awards: the Oscars in United States, the BAFTA in the UK and the César in France. In Spain we also have ours, the Goya, the annual awards from the Arts Academy and the Cinematographic Sciences for best directors, actors and films from Spanish cinema.

This year we celebrate the XXVIth edition of awards that will take place on the 19th of February in the Palacio Municipal de Congresos (a convention centre) in Madrid. So, if you are in the city to undertake a Spanish course, use the opportunity to see the best Spanish actors on the Spanish cinema’s red carpet.

Learn Spanish with the film Goya Awards

Pedro Almodóvar y Penélope Cruz

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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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Live the beginning of 2012 and learn Spanish in Spain

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Twelve strokes, twelve grapes and a lot of joy, this is how you welcome the new year in Spain. Less than a week is left before we leave 2011 behind and start 2012, the celebration is very stylish in Spain, so if you are undertaking Spanish classes in a Spanish city, you should get ready to enjoy this big night.

It is a tradition to eat 12 grapes in Spain, one for each month, at the sound of every stroke that sounds at midnight on the 31st of December. It is common to celebrate this moment on the town house square or some other central square in the city, the most famous New Year’s Eve in Spain is the one celebrated in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, an ideal destination to go to and spend a night if you are undertaking Spanish classes in Spain.

Enjoy the end of the year and attend classes in Spanish in Spain

Puerta del Sol in Madrid

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Learn Spanish in Benidorm: The Mediterranean city that never sleeps

Monday, November 7th, 2011

The words that best represent Benidorm are tourism and leisure, as it is one of the most famous cities of the Mediterranean, in Spainand in Europe. It is for many a place to relax for a few days, or a weekend, but Benidorm is ideal to learn Spanish any time of the year.

Its privileged Mediterranean climate helps you enjoy the varied leisure offer all year round. Also, the city was thought to please visitors, so that attending lessons in a Spanish school in Benidorm allows students to enjoy all its services, its gastronomy and the long nights that make it a city that never sleeps.

Learn Spanish in Benidorm and enjoy the city

Levante beach in Benidorm

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The tomatina of Bunñol, a festivity to enjoy the tomatoe

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

There is a town in Spain, at less than 40 kilometresfrom Valencia, where the tomato, one of the most important ingredients in our country, has the leading role in one of the most unusual celebrations from Spain, La Tomatina de Buñol. A celebration where participants throw tomatoes at each other for 60 minutes.

This festivity is celebrated during the last week of august in the Valencia Community town of Buñol, so, if you are undertaking a Spanish course in Valencia there is no excuse not to go. The event turned into an advert for Spanish citizens and foreign tourists, attracting more participation year after year. It is undoubtedly, one of the best opportunities for those who come to study Spanish in Spain, to enjoy one of the most famous festivities in our country.

La Tomatina de Buñol

Participantes lanzando tomates desde un camión

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The Sanfermines, one of the most important Spanish festivities

Friday, June 17th, 2011

July gets closer and the Spanish city Pamplona starts getting ready for the most important festivity of the year, the Sanfermines, a festivity in honour of San Fermin. These festivities are very well known on international level and attract people from all over the world, that’s why it becomes a big opportunity for Spanish students to enjoy one of the most representative festivities in Spain.

The festivity starts on the 6th of July at 12 noon with the chupinazo from the town hall balcony, like every popular festivity everything starts with the launch of the fireworks. The chupinazo together with the sentence “Pamploneses, Pamplonesas ¡Viva San Fermín! ¡Gora San Fermín!” (Pamploneses, Viva San Fermín!) turns into one of the pillars of the festivities, and then start all shows and events.

Chupinazo from the city of Pamplona

Click on the image to see video of the San Fermin festival.

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Spring, an appealing season to learn Spanish

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

On March the 21st we left the cold winter behind us and spring started, one of the most longed for seasons, as with it comes the good weather, longer days and we are more willing to go out.

Spring always comes with a multitude of festivities celebrated all over Spain all along the season during which, every year, different concerts and music festivals come together which students can enjoy during their Spanish learning term.

The Holy Week is one of the most spectacular celebrations that can be seen during Spring. It is one of the country’s cultural marks and it is celebrated in all villages and cities, many of them being declared of International Tourist Interest. Holy weeks from cities such as Cuenca, León, Malaga, Salamanca, Seville, Granada or Valladolid stand out.

The Bando de la Huerta in Murcia

The Bando de la Huerta in Murcia

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