I came to practise my Spanish and went home with new friends
I spent thirty-five years as a nurse in Leeds, and when I retired I promised myself two things: to walk more and to finally speak decent Spanish. I had done evening classes for years, but in a real conversation I froze. I could read a menu, but I couldn’t tell a story.
A friend from my walking group told me about Pueblo Español. Eight days, Spanish only, with Spanish volunteers who simply want to talk. I was nervous on the coach from Madrid, and I was not the only one.
What surprised me most was how quickly the nerves went. The one-to-ones are just two people chatting, walking in the gardens or sitting with a coffee. Nobody corrects you every five seconds. They listen, they ask, they laugh with you. By the third day I was telling Antonio, a retired teacher from Valladolid, about my grandchildren and my disastrous attempt at making paella.
The meals were my favourite part: long tables, Spanish and students mixed, and conversations that went on far longer than the food.
I came to practise my Spanish. I went home with friends from Canada, Germany, the United States, Ireland, Australia and, of course, Spain. We still have a group chat, and yes, we write in Spanish.
MARGARET ELLISON
England · Adults program
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