Students have a fabulous time in Andalucia

During the February half term break, the Spanish department travelled with 21 Year 10 and 11 students of Spanish to Benalmádena, near Málaga in Spain. After a very early start and a bumpy flight thanks to Storm Dennis, spirits were immediately lifted as soon as we touched down in Málaga, where it was 20 degrees and there was not a cloud to be seen. The girls’ first challenge was to find and order their lunch in Spanish from beachside cafes. For many this was immediately followed by ice cream on the beach! After checking in to our hotel, some of the group chose to explore a local park whilst others indulged in that typically Spanish tradition: the siesta. Monday morning saw the group head into Málaga to visit the Gibralfaro castle, take a walking tour of the historic centre and then visit the Museo Picasso. In the afternoon we enjoyed a lively flamenco lesson. For the next three days there were 3 hours of lessons at the local language school in the mornings, followed by a range of cultural activities including a trip in a cable car to the local view point, cooking an enormous paella for 70 people, sampling tapas in a traditional bar and tasting chocolate con churros. There were also visits to the beach, a local park and the marina for some last-minute shopping. A hardy group of Year 11 girls even enjoyed a starlit bootcamp on the beach on the final evening.

The girls made the most of the many opportunities to speak Spanish by communicating with their teachers and the staff at the hotel, cafes and other places visited in Spanish. All benefited from the immersion in the language and have come back feeling more confident in their language lessons, as well as gaining a greater appreciation of the history and culture of Spain, and of Andalucia in particular.