Posts Tagged ‘Learn Spanish in Spain’

“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

The Spanish language to conquer United States

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

The Spanish language is spoken by over 450 million people in the world, it is the second most studied and the third most used on the internet. This data shows that Spanish enjoys a great vitality and its presence in many countries becomes more and more important every day, the United States is one of the places where it grows the fastest.

In United States the importance and presence of Spanish is growing quickly among its inhabitants. Also, with more than 50 millions Spanish speakers, it is the second country behind Mexico counting the biggest community of Spanish speaking citizens in the world, beating other nations such as Spain, Columbia or Argentina.

The Spanish language progress in the United States

Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas at the Golden Globes 2012

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The success of a song about the Spanish language

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

Two young Colombian musicians, two guitars and a song about the Spanish language became a big success over the last days on social media and went around the world. More than 2 million people have already viewed the video of the song “Qué difícil es hablar el español” uploaded on You tube by the two brothers a little more than 10 days ago.

The song tells how difficult it is to learn Spanish in a very funny way through the story of a student wanting to learn Spanish, since, depending on the Spanish speaking country you are staying in, the words’ meaning changes. So, something can have a very different meaning in Mexico, Venezuela or Argentina.

►…continue reading about song ¡Qué difícil es hablar el español!

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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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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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

►…continue reading about the Spanish Carnival

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

►…continue reading about the Ratoncito Pérez

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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Spanish schools and gastronomy: The roscón de Reyes

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Some days ago we were talking to you about the turrón , the typical sweet for Christmas in Spain, we will now do the same with another traditional sweet from the Spanish gastronomy for Christmas, the roscón de Reyes, one of the products that have to be on the table when you stay in Spain to learn Spanish.

As its name states, this sweet is typically eaten on the 6th of January, day of the Reyes Magos, but it is more and more usual to have it during all festivities, always with a cup of hot chocolate. You should definitely not miss out on this mixture if you are learning Spanish in Spain.

Learn Spanish in Spain and enjoy the roscón de Reyes

Roscón de Reyes

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Spanish schools and gastronomy: The turrón, the Christmas sweet

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Polvorones, mazapanes, mantecados, peladillas…many typical sweets for Christmas, but only one stands out, the turrón. It is one of the sweets from the Spanish gastronomy that is never missing in a house around these dates and all Spanish students staying in Spain to learn Spanish have probably already tried it.

This food is made from almond and honey, a mixture that was already used by the Arabs in the ancient Al-Andalus. Nevertheless, the turrón as we know it now started to be made in the XV century in Jijona, a town near the city of Alicante. The two most famous turrones in Spainare made there, the Turrón de Jijona (soft, the almonds are ground to form a dough) and the Turrón de Alicante (hard, it has whole almonds). If you are staying in our country to learn Spanish in Alicante, you cannot miss out on trying some of these turrones.

Learn Spanish in Spain and enjoy the turrón

Turrón de Alicante y Turrón de Jijona

►…continue reading about the turrón, the Christmas sweet

The origin of the Spanish language

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Spanish, the second most important language in the world and the third most spoken language with more than 450 million speakers, has its origin in the centuries of Roman occupation, when the Iberian Peninsula was part of the Roman empire (Spainand Portugal).

After the collapse of the Roman empire, the evolution of lain produced this Romance language after barbarian invasions (V century) and Muslim invasions (VIII century) of the Iberian Peninsula. Nevertheless, I am sure most people learning Spanish in Spain already know about it.

Learn Spanish, a Romance language

Dialects of Castilian in Spain by 1950

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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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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

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

Practical vocabulary to learn Spanish: Speak at the restaurant

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

In today’s post, we teach a series of words and phrases to practice everything you learned in your Spanish courses in Spain. It is very important to be able to speak in public without fear of failure and practice and practice Spanish at any time will help you in your learning.

Go to lunch or dinner at a restaurant is very common in your stay in Spain, so knowing the words and phrases used in a restaurant is critical. Here are the most necessary for a good meal in Spain:

General vocabulary

Ingredients: ingredientes Waiter / Waitress : camarero/ camarera

To order: pedir Meal: comida

Starters: entrantes Main course: plato principal

►…continue to learn Spanish with our vocabulary practice

30 Spanish expressions that Spanish students in Spain should know (Part 3)

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Today we finish the list with typical expressions from Spain. It has been a long journey with many sentences that can be of great help for those who visit Spain to study Spanish, and we hope you will not miss any detail from the last expressions:

21. Más vale tarde que nunca: Is used when we refer to the fact that it is important to do certain things, and better late than never. “No importa cuando empieces a estudiar español, más vale tarde que nunca”

22. Me estás tomando el pelo: Try to mislead someone, laugh at him or make him believe something he believes is not true. “Siempre que hablo con Ricardo, parece que me esté tomando el pelo”

23. Ni me va ni me viene: When something is not important at all, when it doesn’t matter or it doesn’t make any difference to me. “Todo lo que diga esa persona ni me va ni me viene”

►… continue reading about expressions that Spanish students in Spain should know

Spanish omelette, a recipe to practise in the Spanish schools in Spain

Friday, April 29th, 2011

Cooking a potatoes omelette is a very common activity practiced by students who are studying Spanish in Spain. It is one of the most popular where families often cook it to eat in their own homes, although it also appears in the menu of the best restaurants. Anyway, it´s often eaten as a tapa or as appetizer in bars to accompany a caña (glass of beer) or glass of wine.

Pincho de tortilla

It is prepared in about 30 minutes, including preparation and cooking. The ingredients are simply eggs, potatoes and onions, to fry in a pan with oil, preferably olive oil, and a little salt. The popularity of the ingredients and resources facilitates the practice as an activity in the schools of Spanish for students learning Spanish in Spain.

Cut the transverse potatoes in thin circles, although somewhat thicker than the potato chips, and the onion into small pieces. Fry the potatoes and onion into the pan, once heated the oil is heated. The time of frying to fry the potatoes can be used to prepare the eggs and beat them in a dish or bowl. Both beaten eggs as potatoes and onions are often put some salt, independently.

►…continue reading about Spanish omelette, a recipe to practise in the Spanish schools in Spain

The 10 best pieces of advice to make the most of your time during the study of Spanish

Monday, April 18th, 2011

We’d like to give you a series of 10 pieces of practical advice to be able to learn Spanish easier and faster.

1-The first one, and the most important one is to choose an attractive country to start this beautiful adventure. Spain is the third country in the world for tourists, and first among those with Spanish as an official language, but there are also other countries with tourist interest and a selection of attractions.

2- Attend a recognised Spanish school in the city where you decided to study, as that is where they will help you to find the best methods to better your knowledge more rapidly and with more interest.

3- Put yourself objectives to fulfil during your learning time. Those should be realistic and feasible. You can ask the school where you decided to study’s teaching staff for help and support.

4- Don’t be shy when you have to talk to someone, the best way to improve is practising. Try to express yourself in real situations such as in the bar, the bakery, a restaurant, etc.

►…continue reading to discover the best tips to make your time in the study of Spanish

City break, an interesting option for Spanish students

Friday, March 18th, 2011

City break tourism means making a short trip, normally from 2 to 4 days, to a city with a certain tourist charm, be it cultural events, shows or simply to escape for a week end.

This type of travel can be very interesting for students coming to learn Spanish in Spain, as they can live many experiences in a short period of time thanks to the increasing number of low cost airline companies. This joined with the internet boosts this type of travel more every day, since it is on the Net where you can find a majority of offers, be it flights or hotels, this form of urban tourism will have an important growth over the next years.

Seville is a great choice for city break

La Torre del Oro in Seville

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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

►…continue reading about spring, an appealing season to learn Spanish