During the October half term, the Spanish department from Trinity School, Croydon, took 25 students in the Fourth and Fifth Year to the ancient university city of Salamanca in Spain.
Students were hosted in small groups by Spanish families, and immersed themselves in the local language and culture, experiencing first-hand its rich heritage and stunning architecture.
Students attended Spanish language classes at a Language School on three mornings and a programme of activities was arranged for the group including a city tour with a guide, Paella dinner, a fun scavenger hunt around the town center, a tapas tour, a session of pádel tennis and spent the last day in Madrid which ended with a visit to the Bernabeu Stadium. All the boys had a great experience and said that they have improved their confidence communicating in Spanish.
Fifth Year student Danny said, “The Salamanca home stay trip was a great experience for me, and I’m sure all of the students on the trip felt the same way. I really enjoyed getting a taste of the Spanish culture. There were many great aspects of this trip, but for me the padel tennis afternoon was by far the most enjoyable. As someone who has a passion for sport, it was a wonderful experience to learn about the rules and norms of this developing game in a different country and language.
“I also found the morning lessons at LOLA languages incredibly useful and the improvement in my Spanish studies has been very visible since the trip. Overall, this was an unforgettable trip, and I would one hundred per cent recommend this to other students at the school. Finally, a big thank you to all of the members of staff which made this happen.”
Fourth Year Matthew shares details of the trip:
“After a brief flight, we arrived in Madrid and were greeted with a simply breathtaking sunset which was the perfect start to the trip. After a coach journey filled with anticipation, we arrived in Salamanca and our host families welcomed us into their homes. That evening, we saw the stunning Plaza Mayor illuminated and free of tourists – the most beautiful sight of the whole trip for me.
“Every morning, we headed to language school. Our teachers, Rosa and Paula, made the lessons interactive with games and group activities. Each day, we returned home for lunch where host, Rufina, prepared delicious four course meals. On my friend’s birthday, Rufina surprised us with a cake for dessert, showing her generosity.
“Our first activity was a city tour including a climb to the top of the cathedral for amazing views. Our guide was very knowledgeable and spoke in Spanish which further encouraged us to listen and gain a better understanding of the language. She made it engaging as every time someone got a question right, she would give them a high-five. Following this was a trip to Salamanca’s top paella restaurant which, while not to everyone’s taste, I thoroughly enjoyed.
“The second afternoon featured my favourite activity: a scavenger hunt. Split into groups, we completed tasks like interviewing locals, performing the Macarena, taking pictures with ‘Mr/Mrs Salamanca’, and asking questions about the top football teams in Spain. I loved this activity because it was exciting and very fun to be with friends, but we were also required to speak Spanish to interact with locals. Afterwards, we ate tapas in the authentic Spanish way, at three different tapas bars, just like the locals.
“On the final day, we went to the local sports club to play padel, a popular sport in Spain which is a fun mix of squash and tennis. We had a brief padel lesson in Spanish and it was very amusing to play with friends.
“Leaving Salamanca was bittersweet – it is a stunning city with a deep history and ancient architecture that felt extremely homely. We took a coach back to Madrid, had a brief but interesting city tour before visiting the Bernabéu Stadium, the home to Real Madrid, a highlight for many. From there, we made our way to the airport where we bid Madrid and Salamanca farewell, which was sad as it meant the trip had come to an end, but I knew instantly that I would return to the wonderful city.
“The trip greatly benefitted me as a Spanish student and boosted my breadth of knowledge, ability to converse and confidence greatly. As we are in the Fourth and Fifth years, the teachers trusted us with free time every day in which we explored the city, namely the area around Plaza Mayor, going shopping or playing football with Spanish teenagers in the parks which was exceedingly fun. I’m grateful to Mrs Moreno, Mr Benjamin, and Mrs Freedman for their guidance and support, which made the trip a success. I’d highly recommend this experience—it’s a perfect blend of learning, fun, and real-world application of classroom lesson, which is satisfying and rewarding.”
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