Activities 24/02 - 01/03

It´s that time of year again for Ciudad Rodrigo´s annual bull carnival! Although the carnival, which differs in activities from place to place, is held in different places all over Spain, Ciudad Rodrigo´s Bull carnival is said to be one of the oldest. 

The carnival includes: bulls running through the streets driven by men on horses, bull fights with capes, brass bands, fancy dress and people dancing.

If you are interested in going and joining in, the company Viamar organizes a bus trip for only €15,-. Wear your best costume and come along!

Ya estamos todos aquí

con muchísima ilusión
la alegría empieza ya
al llegar el Carnaval

La campana gorda que en la torre
colocaron de la catedral,
volverán a fundirla de nuevo
porque dicen que suena muy mal

Eso dicen por ahí
no sabemos si será
la alegría empieza ya
al llegar el Carnaval

We have our own costume party at the school on friday as well, in case you are not able to go to Rodrigo.


Below you can find our other activities during the week:

Monday 24, 17.30: Movie – Take this opportunity to practice your spanish by watching a movie with us. 

Tuesday 25, 18.00: Play some games with us in the bar Al caraván. This is a nice opportunity to practice your spanish meanwhile. You´ll only have to pay your own consumption.

Wednesday 26, 17.00: Play with us a game of basketball, if the weather allows us.  

Thursday 27, 17.30: Fotographic competition, you ´ll receive a subject or theme and we all will make pictures. The one with the most beautiful picture will win and will see his/her picture back on our facebookpage.

Friday 28, 20.00: costume party, celebrate carnival with us, we will wait for you in your most beautiful costume!

Saturday 1, Carnival of the bull (€15,-) Or Oporto (Portugal €69,-) with the company Viamar. Sign up for this activity before thursday 14:00, for more information about the excursions ask our colleagues from the reception.

Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception 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 that our students 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.

What is the level B1 SCHOLAR of the DELE exams?

The B1 level was once considered as the initial level. 

B1 DELE diploma certifies that the candidate already has a considerable level of Spanish which puts it slightly above the novice category. 

This diploma certifies the ability of the user of the language to:

• Understand the main points of clear textfragments and standard use of language, concerning familiar subjects, either in work, study or entertainment.
• Function in most of the situations that may arise whilst traveling in an area where the language is spoken.
• Produce simple and connected texts on topics which are familiar or topics of personal interest.
• Describe experiences, events, desires and aspirations, and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

But from now on, there exists a new variant, which is level B1 SCHOLAR.

The diploma DELE B1 SCHOLAR is meant for students between 11 and 17 years old. Level B1 will be tested, but content will be used adapted to their age. 

The level B1 SCHOLAR certifies the ability of the user to use the language for understanding and to react in a right way to situations in everyday life and to communicate wishes and needs basically.

The exam B1 SCHOLAR is only offered in may y consists of different tests, organized in three groups:

• Group 1: Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) and written expression (50 minutes).

• Group 2: Grammer y vocabulary (40 minutes). 

• Group 3: Listening Comprehension (30 minutes) and oral expression and interaction (10 minutes).

The grade of "pass" is required in each of the test groups in the same examination.

The maximum amount of points one can achieve is 100 points and a percentage of 70% is needed in each group.

The final rating is PASS or FAIL to pass .

According to ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) the diploma (Nivel B1) is equal to the following international diplomas.

• English: Preliminary Englist Test (PET) 

• France: DELF B1 

• German: B1 Zertifikat Deutsch 

Dates DELE exams 2014

The dates for the DELE exams this years has already been established for five examination sessions: April (day 11), May (23 and 24), July (day 18), October (day 17) and November (day 22) , you should apply regarding the conditions of the place you want to make your exam.

The dates of the exams with their associated level and dates of applications are as follows:

Exams april

• Day 11, levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2

• Apply tilll 7 march

Exams may

• Day 23, levels scholars: A1 (new), B1

• Day 24, levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1

• Apply till 11 april

Exams july

• Día 18, niveles: B1, B2, C1

• Apply tilll 13 june

Exams october

• Day 17, levels: B1, B2, C1

• Apply till 12 september

Exams november

• Day 22, levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2

• Apply till 17 october

Remember:

You can apply for all exams from now on, till the indicated dates above.

Here you´ll find a PDF document with all the dates

-  Calendar DELE 2014

You can practice with the exam models of the Institution Cervantes, here you will find all the downloadable documents to practice comfortably.  

 -  Exam models DELE (en español)

DELE exam models (to download)

For those who are studying Spanish we have updated the list of the models of the DELE exams on January 28, 2014 we have obtained these documents from  the Institution Cervantes. You can find them in this article: Exam models DELE (español) where you can download each model in a single zip file, so you can work with these documents more comfortably.

We remind you is you have any questions our doubts about the DELE exams (or our preparation courses) you can send us an e-mail to our regular e-mail account:info@tiatula.com.

¡Viva Sevilla!

Last weekend we went with a group of 30 students from different language schools in Salamanca to Sevilla with the company Viamar. Sevilla is located in the south of Spain and is the capital city of Andalusia. The city is worldwide known for its culture, traditions, monuments and squares, moreover it´s the city where the Flamengo is born.

We got a tour in Salamanca accompanied by a very enthusiastic guide, who told us a lot of information and history about the city in Spanish. I will share some of the knowledge of the most important buildings we saw during this trip.

Cathedral 

Cathedral of Sevilla
The cathedral of Sevilla, a roman catholic cathedral, is one of the biggest cathedrals in the world. Some parts of the cathedral are still in Arabic style because the cathedral was built over the ruins of a mosque, for example the tower: La Giralda is the former minaret of the mosque. "Hagamos una Iglesia tan hermosa y tan grandiosa que los que la vieren labrada nos tengan por locos" ("Let us build a church so beautiful and so big that those who see it finished will think we are mad").

Orange tree

Santa Cruz
The neighborhood of Santa cruz is picturesque and you should definitely visit this central place in Salamanca, with their orange trees, flowers, white houses and all of this is situated in narrow streets.  

Plaza de España
This plaza is one of my favorite places I´ve visited, it looks like a scenery of a fairytale, it doesn´t surprise me that this place is one of the city´s top attractions. The square is decorated with fountains, bridges and ceramic tiles and was built for the Ibero-American exhibition of 1929. All along the square there are benches representing each of the Spanish provinces.

Plaza españa

Torre del oro
The Torre del Oro is situated next to the Guadalquivir river, opposite to the Maestranza, the famous bullfighting ring of Sevilla. The tower is built by the Arabs in the 13^th century. Probably the name of this tower stems from the gold that was unloaded here during the time that Sevilla had the monopoly over the trade with the New World.

Setas de Sevilla and Flamenco show
We also went in the evening to a Spanish flamengo show and sunday we had a magnificent view over the city from the so called ´mushrooms´ of Sevilla. (see pictures below)

We were just visiting this beautiful city for two days, but if you ever get the same opportunity I recommend you to go!

* all pictures are made by students of Tia Tula.

Liane - intern/student of Tia Tula

Activities 17/02 - 20/02

This week we made a new program with activities for you, this week we have the possibility to do the activity: horseback riding along the shores of the Tormes river. The weather will be nice this week, around 12/13c, and a minimum chance on rain.

Moreover, we can chat about it on thursday accompanied with three different glasses of wine and typical spanish food. We also thought about the culture lovers: monday we´re gonna visit the cave of Salamanca and tuesday you can visit the architectonic exposition: monumente Salmanticae.

Monday 17, 17.00 Cave – We will tell you the story of the mysterious cave in Salamanca and we will climb the tower and enjoy the view.  

Tuesday 18, 17.00: Exposition: Monumenta Salmanticae - The heritage foundation created in the old church of San Millan in Salamanca, an interpretation of the architecture of the city. This monument offers a starting point to get closer to the history of this beautiful city. 

Wednesday 19, 19.00: Horseback riding – along the shores of the Tormes. Please sign up before tuesday at 14:00. Price: €25,- transport included. Duration: 2h30 in total (HBR: 1h30) 

Thursday 20, 19.30: Tasting wine. How can you distinguish different wines? Taste with us three different types of wine: Rioja, Ribera and a white wine, accompanied with Peperoni, Ham and Chorizo and cheese. This activity is exclusively for students 18+. Price: €10,-  

Friday 21, 20.00 Tapas route – We will visit different tapasbars in the centre. Price: +/- €6,-

Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception 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 that our students 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.

Activities 10/02 - 15/02

Monday, 10th of february, 17:00: Movie: watch a movie with us in español, and improve your spanish at the same time! Location: Tía Tula - Film Duration: 112 min.

Tuesday, 11th of february, 17:00: Basketbal, play with us a game of basketbal (if the weather allows us) Location: Tía Tula - Duration: 1h

Wednesday, 12th of february, 19:00: Dance class, dance with us Salsa and Merengue, in the studio of Raquel Gómez. Price: € 4,- Location: Tia Tula Approximate duration: 45 min.

Thursday, 13th of february, 12:45: Visit town hall, we´re going to the town hall of Salamanca and there will be a presentation of Salamanca. Location: Tía Tula - Approximate duration: 1h

Friday, 14th of february, 20:00 Tapas Gallegas, Try cidre and tapas in the bar Celta. Location: Tia Tula – Approximate duration: 1h


Saturday, 15th of february, Excursion Sevilla. Included: autobus, hotel and guide (tour through the city)

Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception 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 that our students 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.

Goya awards 2014, a declaration of love to the Spanish filmmakers!

The Goya awards of Annual 
academy awards a number of awards that consist of a bronze bust of Francisco de Goya made by José Luis Fernández and are awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain that is celebrated every year in the last part of january and the first part of february followed by the presentation of the Oscars. The aim is to reward the best professionals in each of their technical and creative specialties.

Moreover, in the same ceremony, a presentation of the award: Goya of Honor, an award for the work of a filmmaker with a specialty, decided by the Board of Directors.

This time, the council rewards screenwriter Jaime de Armiñán for "a passionate commitment to the medium of film from the sixties, creating a cinema committed to their time and history concerning treaties and agreements."

"With some happiness and sadness" Jaime Arminan receives his award, Honor of Goya 2014. ¨

"It really touched me because we no longer make films. A filmmaker never retreats, I have a nearly complete comedy and I write almost every day. Both myself and my character we can not retire because we do only when we go to the grave sad, "said Jaime Armiñán excited.

The 28d edition of the Goya Awards will be celebrated on sunday the 9th of february. 

The films that will compete for receiving the award are:

 

- 15 años y un día -

15 years and one day shows the relationship between a troubled teen and his grandfather Max, a retired soldier who lives in a village on the Costa de la Luz. When Jon is sent from school, Margo, his mother decides to send him to his grandfather. It will not be easy. Jon loves danger, and exmilitair is a man of habits that has established itself in a very comfortable way of life. The two will face eachother their fears and limitations.

- Caníbal -

Carlos is the most prestigious tailor in Granada, but also a killer in the shade. He has no regrets, no guilt, until Nina appears in his life. She learns the true nature of his actions, and so arises, for the first time, love. Carlos is evil and not self-conscious, while Nina is the innocence itself.  The love story of a demon is created.

- La gran familia española -

In life, as in football, the formula for having success is a mix of strategies, decisions, desire, enthusiasm, integrity, drive, and of course a bit of luck.

- La herida -

Ana is 26 years old. Besides her work, she has serious problems in the relational field. She does not know, but she suffers from borderline syndrome, this is a hindrance to her greatest desire to be happy. 

 -Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados -

In 1966, John Lennon arrives in Almeria to record a movie. Paco takes a break from his job for a few days to meet him. He travels with Juanjo and Belen, two young refugees. Almería in 1966 is gonne be a unforgettable destination to these three.

In this link you can find the full list of all candidates :

- Candidates 2014

And here you can find all nominations:

- Nominacions 2014

¡La suerte está echada! : There is no going back now.

El lobo de Wall Street

EL LOBO DE WALL STREET

Misdaad - Komedie - 180 minuten

El lobo de Wall Street - The wolf of Wall Street

Wednesday evening the students organized their own visit to the cinema to the movie: ´El lobo de Wall Street´, also known as ´The wolf of Wall Street´. The movie started at 20.10 at ´Cines van Dyck´, a ticket costs only €3,50 on wednesdays. Make sure that you arrive on time on wednesdays, because there are a lot of people visiting the cinema these days. 

The movie is completely synchronisized, like all movies in Spain. There are a few dates when the original version, in english, will be played, with spanish subtitles. See (VO): CINES VAN DYCK

Summary:
In The Wolf of Wall Street DiCaprio plays Belfort, a Long Island penny stockbroker who served 36 months in prison for defrauding investors in a massive 1990s securities scam that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world, including shoe designer Steve Madden. 

The movie lasts three hours, which is very long without any break. But it was a good excersize to practice spanish in our spare time and to get used to expressions as: Tomar el pelo, which means cheating.

Other spanish movies from the moment you can watch are: La vida secreta de walter mitty // El médico // La ladrona de libros.

¡Qué te diviertas!

Activities 03/02 - 07/02

Monday, 3d of february, 18:00: Tour through the city. A person from the school will tell us the history of the buildings surround Tia Tula.  Tía Tula - Approximate duration: 1h

Tuesday, 28th of January, 17:30: Movie. watch a movie with us in español, and improve your spanish at the same time! Location: Tía Tula - Film Duration: 112 min.

Wednesday, 4th of february, 17:30: Huerto de Calixto y Melibea. Enjoy this beautiful garden, and discover this love story. For more information: CALIXTO Y MELIBEA  Location: Tia Tula Approximate duration: 45 min.

Thursday, 5th of february, 19:00: Cooking Class. Spanish tortillas. You're going to learn how to make your own tortillas and then eat your own made food. Price: € 7 Location: Tía Tula - Approximate duration: 1h

Friday, 6th of february, 20:00 Intercambio Sharing knowledge between our Spanish and English students. We will speak spanish for half an hour and english for half an hour. Location: Tia Tula – Approximate duration: 1h30

Remember to sign up for the activity at the reception 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 that our students 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.