Experiencing Spanish Culture: Our Language Trip to Valencia

Our students travelled to Valencia for a unique cultural and language immersion experience.

The purpose of the trip was “to see, observe, and experience parts of Spanish class that we cannot fully explore in the classroom,” and it certainly achieved that!

During their stay with host families, students discovered what daily life is like in Spain. One student said, “After dinner they would talk for a really long time and weren’t in a rush to leave, this is called la sobremesa” while another noticed, “They eat dinner later.” Meeting local students also gave them the chance to practise Spanish: “The local students were good to practise conversation skills,” and “Speaking with them helped me understand how native speakers communicate and gave me the confidence to speak, even if it’s not perfect, we were able to understand each other perfectly.”

Students explored the city through hands-on activities. The paella cooking class was a clear favourite: “I enjoy cooking Valencian paella,” and “Making paella and flipping the tortilla was a challenge!” Cycling, visiting the beach, and exploring the aquarium were also highlights: “The bike ride was fun and we got to see the city in a different way,” “We loved the beach because we played volleyball in absolutely perfect weather.” and “The aquarium, because of the futuristic architecture of the area, made me think about how modern the city is while still preserving its character.”

Valencia’s traditions and diversity left a strong impression. Students learned about the Las Fallas festival and admired the falleras’ beautiful traditional dresses, seeing how important this celebration is, with many shops devoted to it. While flamenco is typical of Andalusia, each region has its own folklore, and Las Fallas offered a unique insight into Valencia’s cultural heritage. They also noticed that the city is bilingual, with both Spanish and Valencian on signs.
A special moment during the trip was when students bumped into José de Luna, one of the main actors from Campeones, a popular Spanish comedy about a basketball team of adults with disabilities. The movie is used in class as an activity because it demonstrates important values of integration. The students were the first to recognize him and asked for a photo, creating a truly memorable moment.

Students said they will remember the different paellas, the architecture, and the rhythms of daily life, including the homemade meals prepared by their host families. They also loved trying local specialties such as fartons, a pastry unique to Valencia, and horchata, a traditional vegetarian drink. " Spanish architecture…especially the sculpture of a parrot in the market, symbolizing the lively conversations and daily life of people in a city market.” and ‘The food and how the daily schedule is different.’

From exploring the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences to enjoying free time in the city centre, and and noticing how the daily schedule is different, with longer days, this trip gave students an experience of Spanish culture that no classroom could offer, creating memories and language skills that will last a lifetime.

Elena Pelaez-Perez

Teacher of Spanish