Since beginning my Spanish studies with FUNIFELT I have had two excellent opportunities to interact with groups of students in Colombia.
The first was an invitation to talk about my home country of the United Kingdom; to discuss issues of cultural interest in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
Though somewhat daunted by the scale of the remit, not to mention the thought of presenting totally in Spanish, I found myself inspired to reflect on what it was to be British and learn a great deal from my research not only about England but also my home city of Newcastle. The students, despite the early hour in Colombia, all 58 were attentive and enthusiastic; their inquisitiveness shining through in the scope of their thoughtful questions.
My second encounter was to deliver an English lesson to a different group. In order to cater for the varying levels of experience and confidence in the group, I chose the topic of ‘feeling and emotions’ focusing on describing adjectives and conjugating the verb ‘to be’.
Once again, I was impressed with the way in which the students engaged with the session and made the most of the opportunity, showing off their language skills and also their appreciation of current events in England; discussing the recent funeral of Prince Phillip through photographs of Queen Elizabeth.
See the Spanish version, it was written by himself!