Dreaming of Spanish in Valencia

Hello! My name is Sylvana. I was an intern for Apple Language Courses back in 2017. I have always dreamt of continuing my language learning and now I’ve got that chance! I’ve just started a Spanish language course with the Apple Languages school in Valencia – I am enrolled on an 8-week Intensive course, so hope to make excellent progress!

In this blog post, I will explain a little bit about what it’s like to stay with a Spanish host family. I’ll tell you my current level of the language and what I hope to achieve during my time in Valencia. I will also give you a small itinerary of a typical week with activities at the school.

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Shut Up and Go with Apple Languages!

Many of you may already know that we have recently teamed up again with our good friends at Shut Up and Go – this time we’re providing an incredible two weeks of *free* language tuition in France or Spain to the lucky winner!

WHO?

Shut Up and Go was first set up by the itchy-footed duo that is Jo Franco and Damon Dominique over 10 years ago, as a way to share their experiences. Originating with Youtube videos documenting their travels, the pair now have over a million followers across various social media platforms. They’ve also grown the partnership. Now a core team of 4 with over 20 regular contributors, Shut Up and Go provides advice and guidance on what not to miss on your own journey, how to make the most out of your time in any of the hundreds of locations the team have visited, and even about learning new languages. Their Spunky Word of the Day is similar to our own Weird Word Wednesdays, giving viewers the opportunity to learn vocabulary as they browse.

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New school in Valencia

As you may have seen from some of our social media posts, our Spanish school in Valencia has moved!

Now situated in a gorgeous building in Valencia’s Casco Antiguo, the school – one of our most popular destinations for adults and juniors alike – couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate all its hard work. Staff invited agents and teachers from across the world to come and see the new building, take some pictures, and share anecdotes over some delicious Mediterranean food.

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Las Fallas de Valencia

If you are interested in cultural festivals in other countries, the lively and colourful spring festival Las Fallas (Valencian: Las Falles) in the Spanish city of Valencia should be on the top of your list. You will be delighted by this spectacle and it will give you a unique insight into the Valencian culture!

The festival, which is also known as Las Falles de San José (The Falles of Saint Joseph) was even declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. The locals celebrate this festival every year in March with the main festivities taking place between the 15th and 19th of March.

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Studying in Valencia

Below is a guest blog from Renée about her time studying in Valencia.

Valencia is an enchanting city with lots to do, but also has a safe small-town feeling. It was one of the reasons why I decided to study there! Another reason is that they speak with the ‘real’ Spanish accent, which is great when you are practicing the language. Valencia has two universities and is very near to a beautiful sandy beach.

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Valencia’s amazing zoo!

Anyone familiar with Valencia will know that the city has some amazing attractions. You could spend several days exploring the futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences, the beach is stunning with miles of golden sand and who wouldn’t enjoy the simple pleasure of enjoying a coffee as you watch the world go by in the sunny Plaza de la Virgen.

What you may not be so familiar with is Valencia’s amazing zoo.  This zoological wonder was opened in 2008, and is built in the gardens created from the bed of the old River Turia.

To simply call this attraction a zoo is really an unfair description, and in my opinion, doesn’t do justice to the either the animal or visitor experience. The ‘zoo’ is in fact a state of the art ‘bioparc’, advertised as being the most advanced in Europe.

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Valencia – Fiesta de Disfraces!

I’m doing a Spanish course in Valencia and really loving it! One of the great things about the course is that, as well as the lessons, the school organizes lots of lots of activities – excursions, guided walks, dance lessons and LOADS more! They really help you settle in and make friends.

Last weekend the school organized a “Fiesta de Disfraces” (“Costume Party”) in a bar near our school.

The theme was ‘the seventies’. As announced on the notice boards in school, all the students had a free entry and received a free drink if they wore a costume. Thanks to that strategy, there were LOTS of students in costumes, creating a really great atmosphere of ‘the seventies’ in the bar.

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I’ll really miss Valencia!

My stay in Valencia has been a fantastic experience at all levels. For me, Valencia has been the perfect city in which to combine studying, cultural enrichment and a GREAT quality of life!

The climate is agreeable all year, helping you feel good. Also (perhaps because of the climate) the Valencians are very pleasant, happy and dynamic.

I have really enjoyed taking advantage of the offerings of such a big city (the culture, spare time and going out) and the other aspects of Valencia like the beach (enormous, with kilometres of soft golden sand!) and the nature. It has truly been an incredible experience for me. The 5km of the old river have been transformed into a garden in which you can walk, study, skate or practice sports – everything is possible. What impressed me most of all is that all this can be enjoyed in a coastal location, with a wonderful beach and a short time after the ski season has finished!!!

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Sun! Sea! Sand! &…..School!

Ok, so imagine attending a school in the heart of a beautiful historic city… that’s also home to ‘space age’ architectural design…and two magnificent beaches. It almost seems too good to be true, but hear it from me – in Valencia you have the best of everything!

I think that being a student in Valencia is perfect, as there is a really young feel to this city – full of life, laughter and at present the pride and thrills of being host to the 32nd Americas Cup.

I also think that studying in Valencia would appeal to anybody and everybody, as Valencia seems to break all the rules as it manages to perfectly cater to a whole range of different tastes.

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