Spanish Department

Super Spanish...

Spanish cookery club

“La Cocina de Rosa” Club de Cocina Española Hicimos… croquetas, paella, tarta de almendras y limón Y para beber... sangría (sin alcohol, ¡por supuesto!)

Cuba trip

This Easter, our girls were given the fantastic opportunity to visit Cuba on a joint trip run by the Geography and Spanish departments. We were lucky enough to be able to visit most of the central and western provinces of the island, including Piñar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos and Villa Clara. Our accommodation throughout the week ranged from a beautiful colonial hotel to a nature reserve, where we dined in the company of guinea fowl and crocodiles! Some of the highlights of the trip included a tour around Las Terrazas, a selfsufficient eco-resort, a visit to the Che Guevara memorial and a salsa lesson in Trinidad. The Geographers were able to study many topographical features including the waterfall at the Eco-village of Las Terrazas the linguists made the most of the opportunity to practise their skills in a variety of authentic situations. ¡Lo pasamos bomba!

Independent learning

This year we have updated our Independent Learning Log where girls choose the level of activity that appeals to them, ranging from “básico” to “superpicante”. They have enjoyed exploring a range of tasks to enhance their own learning. The “show and tell” sessions each half term have been great fun and we have been treated to songs, posters, Kahoot quizzes and even music videos.

Fashion statements

Lizzie Crowther, Year 9, shares her ideas on fancy dress. Normalmente, los fines de semana, llevo unos vaqueros negros y una camisa blanca o negra. Pero el sábado pasado, fui a una fiesta de disfraces flipante. Fui de Cleopatra. Llevé un vestido blanco largo con un cinturón oro y azul. Fue divino. También, llevé una capa azul y un tocado de oro. Fue muy elegante pero no fue cómodo. El fin de semana que viene, voy a ir de bruja. Voy a llevar una camisa negra y una falda verde con un sombrero negro. Voy a llevar unas mallas rayadas y una capa larga. ¡Va a ser estupendo!

HOME in Manchester

Year 11 Hispanists enjoyed their visit to HOME, in Manchester, in February. They watched the film “Gente de bien” and they took part in a film workshop led by Carmen Herrero, Head of Spanish at MMU. They discussed the themes of childhood, relationships, social issues and equality and learnt some valuable skills in preparation for film analysis which forms part of the new AS syllabus.

Aston University

On Saturday the 12th of March, we attended a Business and Modern Foreign Languages Residential weekend at Aston University, Birmingham. There were various talks about studying languages at university and the influence a second language has over potential job prospects. One of the courses was held by a Spanish professor and concerned the different types of publicity of today. All of the lectures were delivered in Spanish and we feel that this definitely improved our understanding of the language. Overall, the weekend was very enjoyable and we arrived home having developed our Spanish and our confidence.

Isobel Birtwhistle, Victoria Cramer, Olivia Porter and Hannah Shaw.