The classes have been one of the best parts of my Cadiz experience, so far. On Tuesday, my class discussed the structure of the public education system in Spain and then moved onto a review of the different verb tenses. In a school Spanish class, we’d most likely try to cement our understanding of the verb tenses by filling out yet another worksheet. However, here the teachers ensure that the knowledge is cemented in a much more comprehensive way. After the verb tenses review, the class split up into groups to write interview questions using different verb tenses.
We then asked our questions to people on the street and recorded the interviews. Today we did some more review and talked about the film. Then, we took a trip to Parque Genovés to discuss the History of Cádiz and view the historical statues there. There could never be a language experience as hands-on as this back in high school!
Parque Genovés
On Tuesday afternoon, the group participated in a flamenco dancing class.
Flamenco
We were taught by an expert instructor with years of experience. Dressed in a traditional flamenco outfit, she walked us through the complex arm and leg movements that comprise a basic flamenco dance. We laughed as many of us struggled with the dance and applauded those of us who were able to expertly perform the moves. Although I am not a dancer myself, I greatly appreciated the opportunity to directly take part in a centuries-old Spanish custom through the flamenco dancing class. Most importantly, even though the class was taught completely in Spanish, we all managed to understand every command that the teacher had for us!