I came to help others speak Spanish and learnt so much from them
I’m a pharmacist from Seville. A friend told me about volunteering at Pueblo Español and I loved the idea: a week talking in Spanish with people from all over the world who want to improve. What I didn’t expect was how much I would take home myself.
You don’t need to be a teacher. What you need is to enjoy talking, listening and being patient. The one-to-one conversations feel like a coffee with someone you have just met who is incredibly curious about your life, your city and your customs.
I spoke with an engineer from Texas, a Canadian designer looking for her Galician grandmother’s words and a retired English nurse who made me laugh all week. Every conversation opened a window onto another country.
The pace is intense, I won’t lie. But the atmosphere is so warm that you forget you are tired during the meals, the walks and the evening activities.
I came to help others speak Spanish and learnt so much from them. I have already asked to come back.
CARMEN RUIZ
Seville, Spain · Volunteer, Adults program
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