TWENTY one students from King’s Ely’s partner school, Andres de Vandelvira in Albacete, visited last week for the second stage of the eagerly-anticipated Year 9 and 10 Spanish Exchange Trip.
The week was blessed with fantastic weather, enabling the students to really soak up the sights, sounds and smells of not just the school and the beautiful city of Ely, but also the capital!
Head of Modern Foreign Languages and Spanish at King’s Ely Senior, Esmerelda Salgado, said: “Spirits were high and all students from both countries were nervous yet excited to see their partners again. This is, undoubtedly, a great experience, enhanced these days with the clever use of social media, which has helped these students be in touch while developing social interaction and linguistic skills.
“Our guests had a very busy week as they carried out many activities, ranging from a Physics lesson taught by Mr Kittoe to a sublime interactive English history account from Mr Currie, a geographical exploration carried out by Mr Norbury, Drama activities and a great three lesson masterclass on making promotional videos and editing led by Mr Merrell!
“Students also participated in a Zorbing football activity and of course two trips – one to London with their English partners, and one to Cambridge. It was great to see all 42 students talking to each other and trying to practise their Spanish and English while having fun and socialising.
“Collaboration beyond the classroom with Andres de Vandelvira will continue next academic year with specific language projects aiming to make the learning of languages, in this case Spanish, relevant and fun. This is what learning languages is all about and I have been extremely proud of the commitment and energy shown by all students and the teachers involved.
“I would also like to thank our English families who were all so accommodating and welcoming to every single Spanish student.”