Flintshire students experience a taste of spain on language trip

A group of Spanish language students from Flintshire sampled the culture, cuisine, and sights of the country during an educational trip to Andalucia over half term. 

It’s the second year that Argoed High School has organised the trip for GCSE Spanish students, and this year 34 students from years 9 and 10 took part, accompanied by four members of staff.

The students’ first excursion was to Aceites Molisur, an olive oil farm, where the students were given a talk about how olive oil is made, followed by a tour of the factory and an opportunity to taste fresh bread with various olive oils. 

A trip to Granada was a highlight of the trip.  The students went to the Museo de Ciencias, the Science Museum, which is fully interactive and provides visitors with an opportunity to explore a host of exhibition spaces from astronomy and mechanical games to optical effects and a journey inside the human body. 

Afterwards, the students visited the Alhambra Palace, a magnificent palace, fortress, and citadel whose history dates back to the 9th century.  Built on a hilltop overlooking Granada, with beautiful gardens and water features, the incredible structure is one of the most important examples of Islamic architecture in Spain.   

The following day, the group travelled to Nerja, a coastal resort town with a rich history and the infamous Nerja Caves which the students also visited.  Later, the group went on to explore the town of Frigiliana in the Sierra Almijara mountain range, north of Nerja.  A maze of narrow streets and whitewashed houses, the town is a designated historical site and offers spectacular views of the Costa del Sol. 

Before flying home in the evening of their final day, the students sampled local produce and cuisine at one of Malaga’s food markets with a free afternoon for shopping and buying souvenirs.  

As well as a packed daytime schedule, the students were kept entertained in the evenings too.  They took part in a quiz devised by their tour guide based on everything the students had seen and experienced during their stay in the region, and enjoyed a typical paella dish at their hotel. 

Virginie Butler, curriculum leader MFL, who organised the trip, said: “The trip was fantastic.  All the students really enjoyed themselves and benefited from being able to use their Spanish in a “real life” context. 

 “Andalucia is a very “Spanish” destination where very little English is spoken so the students were tested on their language skills to do shopping and order food and drinks.   I think the trip has really helped them to learn about the culture of the country too, as well as seeing such spectacular sights of course.   

“I would like to thank our staff Jack Andrew, Tracy Sheard, and Ceri Blunt for helping to navigate us around the narrow streets, and look after the children, they were a great team to travel with.”