Tía Tula Spanish School Blog Tía Tula Spanish Language School - Salamanca 蒂亚图拉 博客 (blog de Tía Tula en chino) ティアトゥラ スペイン語学校のブログ (blog de Tía Tula en japonés) Blog van de Spaanse talenschool Tía Tula Blog da Tía Tula, Colégio de Espanhol Blog di Tía Tula, Scuola di Spagnolo Blog de l'école d'espagnol Tía Tula Tía Tula Spanish School Blog Blog de Tía Tula, Colegio de Español

Monday, April 29, 2013

Extra-curricular activities 29 April - 3 May

Monday 29th, 17:30: Movie. To start the week we’ll watch a Spanish movie together. Meeting point: Tía Tula.
 
Tuesday 30th, 18:30: Cinema. On Tuesday we’ll go watching Sacco y Vanzetti in the Caja Duero Theater! Price: free entrance until the theater is full. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30
Wednesday 1st: Free day (= no activity).

Thursday 2nd, 18:00: Sport. During this activity we will play basketball. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30

Friday 3rd, 19:00: Party. To end the week we will organize a party at the school. Everyone has to bring some kind of food of his country, so everyone can taste the food of the countries of their classmates. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30
Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception on beforehand (the minimum number of people needed for each activity is 3). If the cost is not stated then the activity is free. We recommend our students to participate in the activities so they can get to know other students in the school, so they can broaden their knowledge of Spanish culture and to practice and improve their Spanish in a fun way.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

World Book Day

The 23rd of April we celebrated the World Book Day.
 


 
We celebrate this day because on the same day in 1616 Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega passed away. There were also lots of other excellent writers just like Maurice Druon, K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo, who were born or died on the 23rd of April. That’s also the reason that this date, which has a symbolic signification for literature, was chosen by the General Conference of the UNESCO for honoring books and their writers and for encouraging everyone, especially the youngsters, to discover the pleasure of reading. The idea of this celebration was born in Cataluña (Spain), where on this day they traditionally give a rose to the buyer of a book.
 
There are also some other events on that day, that have actually nothing to do with books:
 
The day of the Community in Castilla León, because on the 23rd of April in 1521 the Battle of Villalar in the countryside of Valladolid was set free. They confronted the members of the Castilian community, which was a little army that was mostly made up by farmers, with the imperial forces of the new king Carlos I. Carlos I entered a little while before from Flandes with barely knowing a word of Castilian and was the most powerful European king of the moment. The comuneros were massacred and the battle, of which they knew it would be a bloodbath, for the freedom and for the rejection imposed from the outside, was recorded in the history forever.
 
Another event that took place on April 23 of the year 303 was the one on where San Jorge, leader of Aragón and Cataluña (and other countries and territories, just like England), was tortured and executed for defending his religious liberty and for not giving up his Christianity when his ceasar, Diocleciano, told him to follow and to seek after the Christians of the empire. After that the legend of San Jorge and the Dragon came up. The legend tells that San Jorge went to a dragon, who demanded human sacrifices in exchange for water of a well, and killed it. He actually confronted the dragon after he heard that the next sacrifice would be a princess. With this legend a new kind of literature was introduced: the one of swords, dragons and witchery. In Cataluña they remember San Jorge (San Jordi there) giving a red rose, which is the symbol of love and passion, with the book that is always accompanying it to the loved ones.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Extra-curricular activities 22 April - 26 April

Monday 22nd, 17:00: Movie. To start the week we’ll watch a Spanish movie together. Meeting point: Tía Tula.
        
Tuesday 23th, 13:30: Tapas tour. On Tuesday we’ll go a little earlier to the tapas bars in the center than usual, because as you all have the afternoon free, we decided to take advantage of that! Price: +/- € 6,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30
 
Wednesday 24th, 12:00: Excursion. During this visit we will see a traditional town, called La Alberca. We will also go to a stock farming where we will find lots of bulls. Price: € 30,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 9h

Thursday 25th, 20:00: Cooking class. During this activity we will learn how to make the typical of Valencia, namely Fideúa,  and after we also eat it. Price: € 7,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Friday 26th, 20:00: Boat ride. To end the week we will go making a boat trip on the Tormes (if it doesn’t rain!). Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30
Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception on beforehand (the minimum number of people needed for each activity is 3). If the cost is not stated then the activity is free. We recommend our students to participate in the activities so they can get to know other students in the school, so they can broaden their knowledge of Spanish culture and to practice and improve their Spanish in a fun way.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Hornazo-activity on Lunes de Aguas

Last Monday we celebrated Lunes de Aguas in Salamanca, as you could read in the article we posted earlier. Tía Tula decided to do a special extracurricular activity on that day by inviting all the students to try the famous hornazo.
We offered 3 different types of hornazo. We offered the one with ham and cheese, with tuna and with meat inside. I personally liked the one with ham and cheese the best!
Almost all the students were present at the activity. After having talked for about two hours with the students and teachers we went to the river where we enjoyed the concerts of some local artists.
In this post you can find some pictures I took during this activity!



Monday, April 15, 2013

Extra-curricular activities 15 Apil - 19 April

Monday 15th, 20:00: Cooking class. During this activity we will learn how to make the typical Tapas Salamantinas and after we also eat them. Price: € 7,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h
               
Tuesday 16th, 18:30: Cinema. Today we will watch “LLAMAD A CUALQUIER PUERTA’’ (1948) in Teatro Caja Duero. Price: free until the theatre hall is full. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30

Wednesday 17th,,20:00: Cave of Salamanca + La Salina. During this activity we will get to know the cave of Salamanca and its mysterious history. We’ll also visit the cloister of the Palace of Salina. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Thursday 18th, 18:00. Basketball. On Thursday we’ll go a basketball court to play a basketball game. Price: bus ticket if necessary. Meeting point: Tia Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30

Friday 19th, 20:00: tapas tour. To finish the week we’ll go to various places to eat tapas with the English students. Like that we can practice our English and our Spanish. Price: +/- € 6,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception on beforehand (the minimum number of people needed for each activity is 3). If the cost is not stated then the activity is free. We recommend our students to participate in the activities so they can get to know other students in the school, so they can broaden their knowledge of Spanish culture and to practice and improve their Spanish in a fun way.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

New reference page about Salamanca

A new webpage is born: salamanca-spain.info
 
This website provides you with all the necessary information for your stay in Salamanca, whether you’re planning to stay for a short or a long time.
 
The website gives you information about your arrival in Salamanca, the accommodation types that are offered, how to move through the city, what to visit, various restaurants that are classified by different categories, where to study Spanish, the different cinema’s in the city, museums, entertainment in the city, the history of Salamanca and information about the weather.  It also informs you about the health institutions in the city, centers that are specialized in supporting foreign people and how you can communicate in Salamanca (f.e. phone companies) and to finish the website also shares some interesting links.
 
Tía Tula is proud to be part of this website, which we recommend to visit. We’d also like to assure you that there is a Spanish version of this website available.
 
It’s a website that is worth visiting!
 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Who wants to achieve a diploma in Spanish language?


Let´s talk about our Spanish DELE course!

Candidates may do the exam at levels A1, A2, B1 (formerly initial level), B2 (formerly Intermediate level), C1 and C2 level.

The tests will be held on 24 and 25 May in nearly 800 test centres spread across a hundred countries around the world, of which almost 100 are in Spain. See DELE examination centres.

The registration period began on February 25th and ends on April 19th, inclusive, so there is still time to sign up!

What are these diplomas? Very simple, the DELE are official qualifications accrediting Spanish language skills:
        A1, A2, B1 (formerly initial level),
        B1, B2 (formerly Intermediate)
        C1 and C2

They are valid qualifications and are internationally recognised.

If you want more information, you can check out other entries already posted on this blog, like: DELE exams, some models DELE exams.

Why not go for it and take the exam? Here are some reasons given by the Institute Cervantes to take the course:

Accreditation: This is a simple way to use the experience in Spain  and go back to your country with an official qualification.

It´s valid forever:  take the test now and it will always be useful.

International recognition: Be able to demonstrate your Spanish level worldwide.

DELE is recognised by administrations, institutions and major companies.

Accessible: with 6 levels to choose from.


Since 2003, the Instituto Cervantes grants these diplomas on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain and is responsible for academic, administrative, economic and business purposes worldwide.

All information regarding DELE and it´s diplomas, can be found also on the website of the Instituto Cervantes: http://diplomas.cervantes.es.

Just to remind you that you have Tía Tula´s preparation courses for theDELE exam have a very high success rate. Don´t think about it, prepare it and show up for the exam, you will not regret it!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Extra-curricular activities 8 April-12 April

Monday 8th, 14:00: Picnic. To celebrate Lunes de Aguas, we organize a picnic nearby the river with the whole school. If it rains, we will picnic at school. Don’t forget to bring your drinks. We will take hornazo for everyone! Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 2h

Tuesday 9th, 20:00: Exposition. During this activity we’ll visit “SEMANA SANTA DE BARCIANOS DE ALISTE CONSUMMATUM EST”. In this exposition you can find pictures of Semana Santa in a little town called Bercianos de Aliste, taken by Félix Marbán. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 40 minutes

Wednesday 10th,,20:00: Guided tour. During this activity someone of Tía Tula will show us the most important monuments of the city and he/she will also tell us the history of those monuments. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Thursday 11th, 20:00. Cooking class. On Thursday we will learn how to make Paella and after that we will eat it. Price: € 7,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Friday 12th, 21:00: Photography tour. To finish the week we’ll go to the three places in Salamanca where you can enjoy the most amazing views of the city and where you can take wonderful pictures. The nicest picture will be published on the facebook page of Tia Tula (www.facebook.com/colegiotiatula). Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 45 minutes


Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception on beforehand (the minimum number of people needed for each activity is 3). If the cost is not stated then the activity is free. We recommend our students to participate in the activities so they can get to know other students in the school, so they can broaden their knowledge of Spanish culture and to practice and improve their Spanish in a fun way.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Lunes de aguas 2013


Quite literally this year could be rainy Monday with all the rain we have had! Sometimes the rain does make an appearance but normally, everybody heads to the river to eat their picnic and enjoy the first rays of sun and the beginning of spring. This year however, the grass maybe a little wet for that but fingers crossed, we may have a little luck.

The origin of this tradition is from many years ago, when Salamanca was governed by morals and customs of the strict religion of Catholicism, like the rest of Spain and during the time that proceeded lent, prostitutes were sent away from the city. They were sent to the other side of the river where they stayed there for nearly 2 months in the Casa de la Mancebía.

It was constructed at the end of the XV century and governed by “the father of the prostitutes” who was locally famous for being religious. The following Monday after Easter the students and men of the city - supposedly only single men, crossed the river in boats to go looking for the prostitutes whilst snacking on the banks of the Tormes, mainly hornazo and wine.

This is the reason why the hornazo is a typical snack on this specific day. If you´ve never eaten or seen hornazo, it´s a type of pastry that has a filling inside. There are various fillings but a personal favorite is the tuna and tomato option.

Let´s hope the rain stays away on Monday so that we can celebrate this day how it should be celebrated...with a picnic and friends

Monday, April 1, 2013

Extra-curricular activities 1 April - 5 April

Monday 1st, 17:30: Movie. During this activity we will watch a Spanish movie. Meeting point: Tía Tula
 
Tuesday 2nd, 18:30: Exposition. During this activity we’ll visit “A cien años de la conquista del polo sur”. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Wednesday 3rd,,18:00: Guided tour. During this activity someone of Tía Tula will show us the most important monuments of the city and he/she will also tell us the history of those monuments. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Thursday 4th, 19:00. Cooking class. On Thursday we will learn how to make Fideua and after that we will eat it. Price: € 7,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h

Friday 5th, 20:00: Tapas. We will go to various places in the city center to try tapas. Price: +/- € 6,00. Meeting point: Tía Tula. Approximate duration: 1h30

Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception on beforehand (the minimum number of people needed for each activity is 3). If the cost is not stated then the activity is free. We recommend our students to participate in the activities so they can get to know other students in the school, so they can broaden their knowledge of Spanish culture and to practice and improve their Spanish in a fun way.