Community Conversations in Alicante

The students are settling into their new homes in Alicante and classes have begun! Everyone is getting used to our new daily schedule. We have Spanish classes in the morning, lunch at home with our host families and maybe a siesta, then immersive activities in the afternoon. The activities are meant to help students practice the language and learn more about the culture. We are very excited about some of the activities we have planned such as a hike up to Santa Barbara castle, museum visits, experiencing the las hogueras festival, and a cooking class. 

In addition to our Spanish classes we also have “Community Conversations”. The goal of the Community Conversations is for students to practice what they learned in class that day with native speakers in a more authentic environment. Getting to talk with locals in the community is a great way to feel more comfortable speaking Spanish. 

Last week both classes got to try a more interactive activity with a visit to the mercado, a marketplace that sells things such as fresh fruits and recently caught fish, and a visit to a terraza, outdoor seating at a restaurant. At the mercado they photographed a new food and practiced their Spanish by asking someone how to make it. At the terraza they practiced ordering food in Spanish, expressing their opinions on what they ate, and comparing dining customs and food in the US vs. Spain. For example, it’s typical to eat lunch at 2pm in Spain and dinner is later too, usually around 9 or even 10pm. 

We have lots more interactive and fun community conversations to do throughout this next month and it’s a great way to get the students feeling more comfortable speaking Spanish!