For the third year running, Year 10 and 12 students from Teignmouth Community School visited Malaga, Spain, for a week in February. Despite the threat of Storm Ciara keeping us in the UK, after a bumpy take-off everyone arrived safely in Malaga to very warm temperatures of around 25 degrees – in stark contrast to the weather we had left behind!
On the first day, students experienced their first Spanish ‘menu del día’ (a 3 course meal) and then followed the coastal path along the promenade to take in the town’s scenery. In the evening, students met with their penpals from IES Bezmiliana, Rincón de la Victoria, where their teacher and trip leader had previously worked. It was great to see them practise their Spanish, and during the course of the week they met several times, hopefully creating lifelong friendships.
In the morning students had Spanish classes at Academia Inma, where they learnt essential vocabulary to be able to survive in everyday situations in Spain, as well as practising the skills needed for the speaking part of the GCSE exam. After classes, students were able to use their language skills in real-life situations, such as buying tickets, going to the market, and ordering at a restaurant.
Students got to try typical Spanish dishes, including croquetas, paella, and natillas (Spanish custard with a biscuit on top). They were also treated to a ‘campero’ – a large round sandwich bigger than their hand, which is typical from Malaga. Everyone tried something new and it was lovely to see so many of them enjoying it. This year we were proud of how many students tried seafood, including squid and octopus, and liked it! Naturally students also had authentic churros con chocolate, and another favourite dessert was turrón ice cream.
Cultural visits included the historic centre, the Alcazaba fortress, a coastal walk, a visit to the Centre Pompidou, and a graffiti walk. Visits to Ale-Hop featured highly, and the shopping highlight of the trip was visiting Plaza Mayor which had recently opened an additional designer outlet.
One of the activities in Malaga was a ‘selfie trail’ where students were given clues in Spanish and had to work out what the clue meant, and then find that place around the city centre, asking people in the street for directions and help with the clues. The activity saw students practising their language skills and gave some surprising results.
The day trip to Nerja was arguably the highlight of the trip. The short coach journey from the hotel took students past the Acueducto del Agila and the beaches around Nerja, before arriving at the Caves. Students were given a guided tour around the Caves and learnt about the formations in the caves and the different chambers that have been discovered. After being in dark for so long, they made the most of the sunny weather on a whistle-stop tour of Frigiliana, a small town in the mountains which had an avocado forest at its pinnacle. Students were then taken back to Nerja town and beach to have lunch and spend some free time.
Once again, a storm threatened to ground us in Spain, but this time Storm Dennis, and after another bumpy journey and windswept landing, everyone arrived home safely in Exeter to decidedly colder and windier climes.
Spanish teacher and trip leader Mrs Dart said, “Students came home feeling inspired and more confident using the language. It was a great experience and I was impressed by their mature attitude and willingness to try new things. ¡Hasta la próxima!”
