Fourth Form visit Córdoba

4th Form pupils spent 6 days in the historic city of Córdoba in the south of Spain over half-term alongside pupils from Leweston and The Park School. They were there for an immersion experience in Spanish – staying with Spanish host families and going to Spanish language classes at the Academia Hispánica in the old town of central Córdoba. They also took part in two language workshops with pupils from Córdoba at the Academic Hispánica and at the Colegio de La Inmaculada, getting a chance to share opinions and insights in both English and Spanish. The highlight of the beautiful surroundings was the vast medieval mosque. The pupils learned how it had been the religious centre of Al-Andalus, when the Iberian peninsula was ruled by Arab Caliphs and the lingua franca was Arabic. They also visited the Medina Azahara, the palace-city from where the Caliph could survey his city in the 10th century, as well as the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, the medieval fortress and tower built by the Christian Kings in the 13thcentury when they conquered Córdoba from the north. For others, the highlight was the ‘tapas’ night or the ‘churros con chocolate’ while everyone got involved in the flamenco workshop, learning how to dance the main steps of a ‘Sevillana’. The pupils enjoyed the challenge of the immersive experience and had to get stuck in with their Spanish quickly.

Phillip Morrow
Modern Languages Teacher