Spanish Classes al Aire Libre

Spanish Classes al Aire Libre

This week, our Spanish teachers planned several exciting excursions that enabled our students to use what they've been learning in real world scenarios on the charming streets of Mérida. From clothes shopping and street art to supermarkets and city tours, we´ve been out and about using the skills we´ve learned in class as we focus on this week´s themes: community and creativity. 

Our beginners started off the week on a high note with visits to a supermarket, a clothes store and to cool off with a sweet trip to a local popsicle shop. We practiced asking where to find desired products, asking for recommendations, finding out the cost of items and even how to use the local bus systems to get around town. All of these tasks reinforced our daily lessons and gave students the perfect opportunity to practice the skills necessary for daily life in a Spanish speaking country.

As our beginner students learnt about Spanish fashion at a local tienda de ropa, our intermediate group hit the streets to discover Yucateco street art in the Santa Ana neighbourhood of central Mérida. Not only were we able to discover a new barrio that most students had yet to visit, but our dedicated Spanish teachers shared stories of street art culture amidst the brightly coloured murals decorating our home away from home. Sometimes representing cultural pride and other times repenting the loss of traditions, the graffiti tour gave us a sneak peak at a part of culture most students had yet to witness first hand.

Meanwhile, our advanced students took a stroll through the center of town, where they were able to explore the artwork within the governor´s palace as well as identify important sites in Mérida and the Yucatán peninsula using models that decorate the city´s former food market. Our maestra taught us a few Mayan legends about the creation of man, the Mayan calendar, the sacrad cenotes and, of course, the process of creating world famous Mayan chocolate. The tour helped our students to see the city from a new angle and a wider lens, each day immersing us more fully within our learning environment.

There is so much to be learned in a classroom surrounded by four walls, but there is truly nothing like studying language abroad where the whole country can become one giant open air classroom!