Alicante November 2024
A group of forty Second year students of Spanish, accompanied by four teachers, arrived safely on Sunday evening, 17 November, to begin their immersive cultural and language tour of Alicante. Settling in with their host families, the students looked forward to their first full day of activities on a lovely sunny Monday in Alicante.
Day 1
On Monday morning, students arrived for their first day of class at Escuela Elcano in the heart of Alicante. The day’s lesson encouraged students to explore question techniques in Spanish and then use their skills to survey a selection of locals on the nearby streets in the company of their tutors. Students had lunch along La Explanada. After lunch, students met in Plaza Luceros for a walking tour of the city, taking in its coastal charm and traditional architecture. Of course, the beautiful weather and a delicious ice-cream made the day! All returned home in the evening for a well-deserved rest.
Day 2
In Tuesday’s class students learned how to describe physical characteristics in order to complete a worksheet during their visit to the Hogueras Museum in Alicante. Hogueras celebrates the start of summer with a night of bonfires, food and musical celebrations. Students continued to gain confidence speaking Spanish while having fun throughout their interactive learning with the Elcano team.
In the afternoon, students made the uphill climb to Santa Barbara, a clifftop medieval castle, and were rewarded with magnificent views of the city, mountains and coastline of Alicante.
Tired, but happy, the students made their way back to their host families for dinner and some rest before another day of class and an afternoon excursion the following day.
Day 3
Day Three of our Spanish immersive trip commenced with students revising some essential grammar points before making their way to the Volvo Ocean Race Museum on the crystalline shores of Alicante’s main beach. Alicante is home to the largest Regatta in the world and students had the chance to discover all about this annual race from its epicentre.
After school, students and their teachers took a bus to the stunning seaside town of Villajoyosa where students walked along the prom and played sports on the beach. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the chance to soak up the fantastic 26-degree weather before visiting the Valor Chocolate factory where students learned about chocolate making and sampled a range of products before buying presents for family and friends.
On their return to Alicante’s Plaza Luceros, students made their way back to their host families for dinner and some rest before another day of language class and Latin dancing on Thursday.
Day 4
On Thursday, students arrived at Elcano school to learn about typical Spanish foods and menu items. They then proceeded to the Great Historical Market to compare and price local produce including fruits, vegetables, fish and meats. After lunch on the Explanada, CCM staff accompanied the students to a fun, modern Latin Dance seminar in Estudio de Baile, Alicante, where everyone enjoyed a taste of local dance culture. Students then had the opportunity to participate in a street photography workshop, taking photos of local, urban points of interest. Much fun was had by all!
Days 5 & 6
On their final morning in Elcano School, students enjoyed a culinary class, learning how to prepare and present some local Spanish dishes. After break, they were presented with a Certificate of Achievement from their tutors. This gesture recognised their hard work and academic accomplishments throughout the week. In return, students presented their tutors with chocolates to express their thanks for a week of lively and interactive Spanish language classes.
Students enjoyed lunch and free time on the Explanada, while Sports Day on the beach completed our activities for Friday.
Students returned home to spend their final evening with host families before availing of a last-minute chance to do some shopping in Plaza Mar on Saturday morning.
As we bid a final adiós to Alicante this year, we would like to say how proud we are of all our students. They approached all activities throughout the week with enthusiasm and energy and are a credit to the CCM community and their families.
Gracias, Alicante noviembre 2024!