A Level Spanish Students Experience Canarian Culture on Trip to Tenerife

13 March 2015

With sunny skies, temperatures of 25 degrees and the Alisios breeze to cool them down it was not hard for a group of our A-level Spanish students to get into the Canarian pace of life. The students spent their time in Tenerife mingling with the locals; experiencing the island gastronomy: from rabbit to gofio (a milled, toasted cereal); dancing to the Latin rhythms of Bachata and Merengue and meeting their warm and welcoming pen friends. ¡Fantástico!

Hopping aboard a minibus the students had the opportunity to visit the famous volcanic landscape of the National Park of El Teide, the highest peak in Spain. Then heading towards the Northern coast, the students stopped at a typical “guachinche” (local bar) where they drank cortado de leche condensada (espresso with condensed milk), before heading on to savour local specialities in a traditional Canarian residence now converted into a beautiful restaurant in Puerto de la Cruz. The tour finished with a visit to the historic Basilica of the Virgin of Candelaria, Patron Saint of the Islands.

A highlight of the trip was spending the day in a local secondary school and meeting for the first time the students they had been writing to. Whilst there they attended lessons and experienced the differences between the education system in Spain and Britain.

Before they knew it, it was time to come home, but everyone agreed what a great opportunity it was to be immersed in the culture and to practise the language in such a hospitable place.

First year student Matthew Shaw, who also studies Geography, English Language and Law at The Sixth Form College felt the trip was extremely beneficial to his A Level Spanish studies, commenting, “After being exposed to 3 days of intense Spanish, I feel it allowed me to see how to apply what I have learnt in real life situations and was a great opportunity to practise my Spanish skills.” Matthew added, “I really enjoyed the trip, it was very interesting but fun at the same time. Overall it has been the best trip of my life.”

Fellow AS Spanish student Sally Hotchkiss, who also studies Biology, Physics and Maths said, “The trip was really good, I enjoyed experiencing the culture.” Sally’s favourite moment of the trip was visiting the school, “Everyone was really kind and I felt so welcomed. I have increased my listening skills and learnt so much more Spanish vocabulary.”

Spanish Trip - Tenerife 2015

Check out more of our student’s comments below:

AS Student, Michael Connor, said “I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and have been able to partake in a variety of new and exciting experiences. The 3 days of constant exposure to the Spanish language and having the opportunity to apply it in real life scenarios has been a fantastic asset to my Spanish studies.”

A Level Student, Sophie Lauro, said “I really enjoyed the trip and the atmosphere. I have improved my fluency and accent as well as my confidence when speaking Spanish.”

AS Student, Charlotte Brookes, said “I have learned a lot about the Canarian culture and have improved my vocabulary and pronunciation skills as well as my listening and reading skills. I can’t wait to go there again!”

AS Student, James Hodson said “I enjoyed the trip very much. I would say it was one of the best trips of my life! It was a great informative experience. The trip was a very full-on Spanish experience which allowed me to see how to adapt what I have been learning to apply to any real life scenarios.”

A2 Student, Jack Spencer said “We were given a great amount of freedom and we experienced a completely different culture. Being submersed in the Spanish language has helped me to expand my knowledge, sharpen my listening skills and given me more practise at speaking the language.”

A2 Student, Shaun Kelly said “The trip has improved my knowledge of both the culture and the language by having first-hand experience of being in a Spanish town. My favourite moments of the trip were dancing salsa and meeting the pen-pals.”

AS Student, Emily Ayre said “I have really enjoyed the trip! I think that travelling to a Spanish speaking country has helped with my speaking and listening skills.”

Tags: Wirral Sixth Form A Level Educational Trip MFL Spanish Trip Student Enrichment Travel