Archive for the ‘Spanish in Tour’ Category

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Gastronomy in the Spanish schools: the mona de Pascua

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

With the Holy Week in Spain comes one of the typical products from the Spanish gastronomy for this time, the Mona de Pascua (Easter Cake). This sweet is very common in the Valencian Community and Catalonia, and its presence has been growing in many other cities over the last years, so, if you are undertaking a basic Spanish course in Spain you can buy it in many bakeries.

Its name comes from the arabic munna, which means “provision for the mouth”, and it is a present that the Moorish made to their masters. Nowadays, it symbolises the end of Lent and the Holy Week.

The mona de Pascua is a dish to eat Spanish students

Traditional Mona de Pascua

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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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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.

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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.

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Spanish Schools and gastronomy: The olive oil, Spanish liquid gold

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Be it to dip bread, to put on toast, to season a salad or to fry in the pan, there is nothing better than using the Spanish liquid gold, the olive oil. Together with iberian ham and wine, it is one of the favourite products of Spanish, tourists and students from the Spanish schools in Spain.

Also, it is not only a basic ingredient for many dishes of the Spanish gastronomy, but also experts state it is very beneficial for the health and prevents illnesses. So, if you are undertaking a course in a Spanish school in Spain do no hesitate to use it in all your recipes.

Olive oil, food for Spanish students

A toast with olive oil

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Enjoy the Fallas in Valencia, the celebration of fire

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

The city of Valencia starts preparing the celebration its inhabitants really look forward to, it brings the city to a standstill for some days every year, it attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world and students from the Spanish courses can enjoy its main elements, music, fireworks, light and colour… we are talking about the celebration of fire: the Fallas de Valencia.

The Fallas is the most important and spectacular celebration of this city and it is a great tourist attraction, it was declared celebration of International Tourist Interest. The celebration is a tribute to San José, patron saint of carpenters, and it takes place between the 15th until the 19th of March.

Make a Spanish course in Valencia and enjoy the Fallas

One of the monuments of the Fallas 2011

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Why not work and study Spanish in Spain?

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Some days ago we were talking about learning Spanish in Spain with a Spanish course. We would now like to present a different way to improve your knowledge of the Spanish language, work and study in Spain.

It is one of the best solutions not only to learn Spanish faster and easier, but to integrate in the culture and life of the country, since working while studying Spanish in Spain, allows the student to be constantly in contact with the language and with the citizens, which forces them to communicate in Spanish and to practice every day during their stay in the country.

Two Spanish students in a restaurant

Two Spanish students in a restaurant

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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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