The blog of the Spanish schools in Spain

Ranking of international portals for translators and translation agencies

March 7th, 2013

Translation is closely linked to language courses. Spanish schools or any other language schools, usually have connections with linguistic institutions, and sometimes professionals who teach the Spanish courses also undertake collaborations in the translation area.

In Spanish in Tour we have carried out a study of international translator portals, providing an evaluation of their importance according to different variables, analyzed separately for each one of them. We can now present a relevance ranking of the international portals. Among them there are six independent portals and a translators association which also offers direct contact with translation professionals.

Ranking of internet portals on translators – Spanish in Tour_Spanish courses in Spain

Ranking of internet portals on translators and translation agencies – Spanish in Tour _ Learning Spanish in Spain

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How to claim in Spain for a service or purchase.

February 12th, 2013

Students from the Spanish courses in Spain could be involved at some point in a conflict or a disagreement when buying a product or using a service. We provide you with some information that could help international students to start a complaint.

Our recommendation is to always try to have a conversation with the seller or service provider and try to solve the problem in a friendly manner. In case you do not get to an agreement you should ask for a complaint form “Hoja de Reclamación”. It is a form that all establishments are obliged to have to give it to the clients from the regional administration (Autonomous Community). The regulations also oblige the establishment to show an information panel in Spanish and English informing of the existence of such forms available to consumers.

Complaint form for a service o purchase to student of Spanish courses in Spain.

Example of complaint form for a service or purchase in Spain.

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Spain is the country of tourism. Come to Spain to study Spanish!

January 16th, 2013

Studying Spanish in Spain is on the rise. This is due to on one hand, good news recently published on the Spanish language, and on the other hand, growth and optimistic trends in relation to the state of tourism in Spain.

This week, the Cervantes Institute presented the 2012 edition of the Yearbook “Spanish in the world”. This states that there are 495 million people who speak Spanish as a mother tongue, and a further 18 million people studying Spanish. They also reported that Spanish, after English and Chinese, has become the third most widely used language on the internet. In the case of Twitter, the use of the Spanish language has grown rapidly and has now bypassed Chinese to become the second most popular language after English.

In relation to tourism, Spain received some 57.8 million international tourists in 2012, a 3% incrementation on 2011. During the same time period however, income from tourism rose more, by 5.9%. This data being published through Europa Press this afternoon, 16th January 2013, from José Manuel Soria, the minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism.

UNWTO 2010 - 2011 data.

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Experience Spain

December 14th, 2012

Spain is a country rich in culture and traditions, making it a fantastic holiday destination. With so many attractions on offer, it is not surprising that it is popular choice with today´s tourists. Whether you want to travel, in July or December, Spain is always a good choice.

When most people think of Spain, they think of a summer holiday destination, however, it is also a great place to spend your Christmas holidays. Depending on the area, you can still expect to find some sunshine, although not as hot as the summer, it can still be warm enough to spend the day at the beach. A real benefit of going away at Christmas is that in a lot of the resorts, it is considered as off peak season as the weather is not as hot as the summertime. This means that you can find great deals, especially if combined with cheap flights from the budget airlines, and if you book in advance. Thomsons great deals for holidays to Spain are great examples of the types of deals you can find.

Costa del Sol

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Spain: Intangible Cultural Heritage

December 6th, 2012

Learn Spanish in Spain offers you the opportunity to discover a long list of different oral and intangible treasures available in the country. The Intangible Cultural Heritage is part of a UNESCO program which aims to ensure the best vision and awareness of it value. The program was established in 2008 with the UNESCO Convention.

Only a few days ago, The Patios de Córdoba Festival has received the statement of Unesco: The Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is a festival that is held every year in the month of May, where the most prominent ancient courtyards are open to the public to participate in a competition that began in 1921.

Patios de Córdoba Festival

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Wines of Spain 2: “The vintages and aging of wine”

November 13th, 2012

Learning Spanish in Spain is a good opportunity to understand some aspects of the wine culture which exist there. The vintage corresponds to the year which the grapes are harvested to produce the wine. Since the regulations passed in 1979, the vintage year published on the label of every bottle of wine must correlate to at least 85% of the grape crop used in that wine´s production, with any difference coming from wines produced from previous grape harvests and kept in reserve. Coupage, deriving from a French word, refers to the technique used in the blending of multiple wines.

Spanish and wines. La Rioja. Study Spanish in Logroño.

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Wines of Spain 1: “Production, wine regions and grape varieties”

October 25th, 2012

To truly immerse yourself in the Spanish language, it is useful to have some knowledge of Spanish wines. Spain is the most widely planted wine producing country in the world. Remains from production of this old and legendary drink are preserved from Neolithic times in Spain. Wine production or viniculture here is both culturally and economically very important.

The wine production area of Spain covers some 11,750 square kilometres, that of France covers 8,640 square kilometres. Italy is in third place with 8,270 square kilometres of planted vines, followed by Turkey with 8,120 square kilometres and the United States of America with 4,120 square kilometres. Data sourced from the FAO ( United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization).

Spanish immersion course in Spain - The wine regions of Spain

The wine regions of Spain - Denominaciones de Origen

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Learn Spanish taking tapas in Granada

October 3rd, 2012

The Spanish cuisine, especially some traditions, are a treasure to enjoy Spain and discover the rich culture of the country. So, any students of Spanish schools in Granada perfectly know: lots of dishes are given with every drink, free, and you’ll find in bars in the city of Alhambra. You can have dinner or have lunch with friends for a few euros on the terrace of one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Student group of the Spanish courses taking draft beer (cañas) and tapas in Granada

►…sigue leyendo sobre Aprender español “de tapas” por Granada

Main airports to study a Spanish course in Spain

September 25th, 2012

To study a Spanish course in Spain it is important to choose a city and a school according to the attractions and interests they offer. Spain has a very large network of airports because it is one of the leading countries in the arrival of international tourists. The tourism offer of Spain puts our country in the leading position for the total number of days of stay per tourist, if we compare it to other countries with better positions in tourism.

You can access all information on links and flights for each city on the web of the public body which manages the airports, Aena, dependent of the Ministry of Public Works, www.aena-aeropuertos.es. You can view the airports in the table below, organised according to passenger traffic. Only the most important airports and the ones in cities offering courses and Spanish schools are included on www.spanishintour.com.

The table includes a column with the distance in kilometres from the airport to the city centre.

airports, passenger traffic and distances from the airport to the city center. Spanish in Tour. Spanish Courses in Spain

Airports to learn Spanish in Spain

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The Spanish language, increasing presence in the world

September 5th, 2012

The Spanish language spreads around the world with more and more strength, but that is not news. As the second international communication language after English and the second mother tongue behind Chinese, its presence becomes more important every year.

Moreover, a series of events took place over the last weeks around the Spanish language which make it very clear that we are talking about a language that will have, if not already, a great weight in the future.

A meeting of students of Spanish courses

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The best things Spanish students can do in Alicante

August 23rd, 2012

The city of Alicante is one of the best destinations of the Costa Blanca, a place full of life with a large offer of activities for students undertaking a course in one of the Spanish schools in Alicante. We leave you with 8 pieces of advice to never get bored in this Mediterranean city:

• To walk around the Esplanade de España and have a beer, an ice cream or have dinner in one of the restaurants along the esplanade.

• To spend the day on one of the magnificent beaches of the city: the playa del Postiguet near the centre of Alicante; or the playa de San Juan, which is situated at a few kilometres from the city.

Views of the city of Alicante, a city to study Spanish

Views of the city of Alicante, a city to learn Spanish

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The Camino de Santiago, an unforgetable adventure to learn Spanish (parte 2)

August 9th, 2012

To undertake the Saint James’ Way or Camino de Santiago is a big experience and it is a way to undertake an intensive course during the pilgrimage time until the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, for students who have decided to learn Spanish in Spain.

There are many reasons why you should undertake the Camino (religious, personal challenge, adventure, etc), but it is without a doubt a different and unique way to do tourism, to meet people and to learn more about the Spanish culture.

Statue in honor of the peregrine

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The Camino de Santiago, an unforgettable adventure to learn Spanish (part 1)

August 1st, 2012

The Camino de Santiago or Saint James’ Way is one of the most important Christian pilgrimage routes in Europe. Every year thousands of people come from all around the world with the aim to get to the city’s cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and to visit the apostle Santiago’s grave.

For many students who come to study Spanish in Spain, to undertake the Camino can be an adventure and an unforgettable experience. It is a way to learn a new language while discovering the nature, art and history, of a pilgrimage that has been carried out since the Middle Ages.

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

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Sangria, a refreshing drink for students in Spanish lessons

July 26th, 2012

Some weeks ago we talked to you about beer, possibly one of most consumed drinks by Spanish citizens, tourists and students arriving in Spain in Summer. But today we would like to highlight another very typical drink of this time of year, sangría.

It is on of the most representative drinks of Summer time, it is therefore normal to see people on the bars’ terraces having an aperitif and drinking a glass or a jar of sangría.

A jar of sangria

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Practical vocabulary for students of Spanish in Spain in Summer

July 20th, 2012

When a student comes to learn Spanish in Spain in summer, it is important for him to know the basic vocabulary. Here we leave you a series of words very useful:

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Surf and Spanish courses in Spain, a great combination

July 11th, 2012

The beaches on the Spanish coasts stand out for many things (their quality, services and location), but also because they are a great destination for students who come to learn Spanish in Spain and who are lovers of aquatic sports such as surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing.

In our country some of the best beaches in the world to practice these sports can be found, many students therefore decide to combine their stay to learn the language and the activities’ practice.

A surfer on the beach Mundaka in Vizcaya

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The train, one of the best ways to travel through Spain (Part 2)

July 5th, 2012

In last week’s post, we told you that the train is one of the best means of transport to make a long distance trip through Spain, since it allows any Spanish student to enjoy a comfortable and safe transport while viewing the wonderful landscapes of the country.

Now we want to talk about the High Speed or AVE, since students who come to study Spanish In Spain with this train can travel the country and get to many cities in a very short period of time.

The AVE is a great means of transportation for students of Spanish

A train AVE

►…continúa leyendo sobre el AVE en España

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

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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The word “cojones” and its different meanings in Spanish

June 21st, 2012

If you are studying in a Spanish school in Spain you might have asked yourself some time, ¿how many words does the Spanish language hold? The dictionary from the Real Academy of Spanish Language has a total of 88.000, although the historical dictionary reaches 150.000 words.

Many of the words that appear in these dictionaries have many meanings (depending on the sentence or context) but none has as many as the word cojones. It is one of the most used by Spanish citizens and one of the most versatile of the entire vocabulary.

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A beer, please: Spanish beers

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

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