ASPect 6fev 15h30.indd - American School of Paris

08 FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNINGLearning in the fieldby Anna Bradley Webb and Chloe Dorgan(Grade 11)Upon arrival in Madrid, we took multiple metro lines to get to ourhostel, just in time to enjoy a traditional Spanish breakfast of tostadas(toasted bread with jam) and consume some much-needed caffeine.After settling in, we left the hotel and walked to the Palacio Real,where our tour guide, Javier, gave us a tour, providing Spanishexplanations of the various rooms and decorations of the home ofmany previous monarchs. We enjoyed the panoramic view of theterrace of the Palace, and after lunch, we walked to the Museo delPrado. Although at this point staying awake had become a struggle,we were engaged both by the art and by Javier’s explanations aboutBosh, Velazquez and Goya.After our tour of the museum, we had free time to explore the city,in which some students shopped at the Spanish department storeEl Corte Ingles, while others had far too much chocolate con churros,Living a languageEvery year Upper School Spanish program founderClaudine Delalande takes students from ASP’sadvanced Spanish classes to Spain. She said:“It is an invaluable way of reinforcing their learningand although short, the immersive aspect of beingsurrounded by Spanish is extremely importantin bringing language learning alive. The trips toMadrid or Barcelona are art orientated and beforeleaving, students learn about Spanish paintingand architecture in the context of some aspectsof Spanish history. This year we studied somepaintings of the most famous Spanish artists likeEl Greco, Velazquez, Goya and Picasso.“Also, a part of this academic trip is to observe andparticipate in the Spanish way of life. We use publictransportation, walk through the city, go shoppingand the local guides we use speak only in Spanish.It reinforces their confidence in comprehension asmuch as giving them an opportunity to practice.”This year 18 students visited Madrid and Toledoduring the Thanksgiving break.“The Spanish course at ASP has been one of mybiggest sources of growth. I started in Spanish 1,clumsily stumbling over verb tenses and nowI am in Spanish 5, actively debating in class.”Chloe Dorgana traditional Spanish desert of deep-fried dough and thick hotchocolate, and lost their appetites for dinner. Dinner was a threecoursemeal at the Museo del Jamon (the Museum of Ham), includingthe traditional paella, with shrimp and sausage.The next day, we explored the beautiful Atocha station or thebotanical gardens before taking the train to Toledo, Spain’s formercapital. Our guide gave us a tour of this beautiful, medieval townwhere there were few tourists, and we saw the cathedral, synagogue,and other historical monuments. We also saw one of the mostfamous Greco’s painting “El entierro del Conde de Orgaz”.We learned about its intricate religious and cultural history. Thatevening, we ate at a traditional tapas restaurant, where we wereoffered a variety of Spanish dishes.Saturday, we made the most of our last day in Madrid. We walked tothe Museo de la Reina Sofia, the modern art museum of Madrid. Wehad a tour centered around Picasso’s famous Guernica, his piece inprotest of the Spanish Civil War, and saw other pieces on this subject.We spent our last few hours before going to the airport havinglunch, and no one was ready to leave Madrid when we got backon the plane to Paris.