The Spanish Programme of the University of Canterbury, with the support of the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle and LatAm CAPE (Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence), and the amazing collaboration of Spanish language teachers from Burnside High School, Cashmere High School, Hillmorton High School, Middleton Grange School, Rangi Ruru Girl’s School, Rolleston College, Roncalli College and St Andrew’s College, organized on Tuesday 7th June 2022 the Fifth Spanish Immersion Day / NCEA Workshop for high school students of Spanish from Christchurch and the Canterbury area.
This year we had nearly 250 high school Spanish students who prepared for their NCEA exams over two academic sessions organized for 12 groups of students of NCEA levels 1, 2 and 3, taught by teachers of the schools involved and UC senior Spanish students. Students and teachers attending were welcome at the Opening Session by Dr Victoria Escaip, Sergio Esteban Redondo and Carla Fernández from the UC Spanish Programme; Mr Juan Lueiro García, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand; and the keynote speaker Kara Morrison from Tui Tuia | Learning Circle, who gave an inspiring talk full of stories and valuable insights into the Hispanic world. Nikki Lima also talked about the great opportunities LatAm CAPE offer to Spanish language students.
Complementary morning tea, sponsored by the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand, was provided to all the participants, and complimentary lunch, sponsored by Tui Tuia | Learning Circle was offered to the teachers, speakers and organizers. Two Spanish and Latin American food trucks were invited to campus for lunch time so attending students had the opportunity to try delicious Hispanic food.
There was also a fun culture session organized by Sergio Esteban Redondo and Carla Fernandez, which involved games and prizes and proved to be a very successful activity.
We had a lucky dip where several prizes donated by the UC Marketing and Outreach Department, the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand, ImmerseMe, Instituto Cervantes Sydney, LatAm CAPE and Bella Jewellery of Merivale were given away. The event drew to a close where all participants danced to a beautiful bicultural song recently produced by Victoria Escaip: “Bailan (Kotahitanga)” by Oriana Setz featuring Jake Kīanō Skinner:
It was an intense and wonderful day, and all participants left very happy and with a huge smile on their face, visible even behind their masks!
Photo(above): Presenters and particiants at the Spanish Immersion Day. Photo Credit: Victoria Escaip.
Article written by Victoria Escaip, Lecturer and Programme Coordinator - Spanish, University of Canterbury
Kiwi Living in Spain: Language Assistant Programme in Spain by Wairua Anderson
After 2 long days of flying, I finally arrived in Madrid on the 1st of October 2018. My uncle who lives there, picked me up from the airport. I was super lucky that he lived one train station over from where my school was located. For the first month I ended up staying with him until I could find myself an apartment. It was really nice to be around a familiar face and also to have someone who knows the local knowledge and to answer any questions I might have. It was also a relief that I had somewhere to stay straight away as I was still finishing off two uni papers online.
Although it was October, from midday I remember it still feeling like summer. It was great to get a little bit of sun before round two of winter. For me Winter in Spain is different. It was a dry cold where you could really feel the frost bite. Whereas in NZ it feels more like a wet cold. Even though I loved catching the train, it took me a while to get up early as school started quite early. In NZ I would either drive or walk, if where I wanted to go was within walking distance. Thinking back to my first couple of weeks in Spain, I had been on adrenaline since I had arrived. I remember my uncle giving me his train card and him telling me to go check the school out that day, so I would know how to get there the next day and wouldn't be late. When I arrived at the school there were some teachers preparing for the next day and I was introduced to the principal and the head of the English department.
We worked closely alongside a teacher called Clara. She was the best, we were able to go to her with any questions we had and she was more than happy to help. All together there were 4 Auxiliares/Language Assistants. There were 3 girls from the USA and myself, from New Zealand. For the first week we got to go into different classrooms and meet all the students at the school. After the first week we were asked which classes we enjoyed. My favourites were the year 2 and 3 and luckily, we all liked different classrooms and were given the age groups we wanted. The following Monday we were given our timetables and we all got assigned to our preferred choices. I think I was one of the lucky ones when it came to our timetable and days off. I had every Monday off and I had half days on Fridays. This was so handy when it came to traveling during the weekend. During my time at the school, I enjoyed getting to know each and every one of my students. Seeing their level of English improve from when I first met them was really cool. There were a lot of memories made and I am so excited to be able to do this experience again, departing in September 2022.
* El programa de Auxiliares de conversación para neozelandeses en España es un programa que permite a estudiantes y personas graduadas tener la experiencia de pasar una año en una escuela española como apoyo en las clases de inglés. Toda la información puede encontrarse en: Embassy of Spain Website
Wairua es miembro del clan Paniora, cuya raíces están ligadas a Valverde del Majano, en la provincia de Segovia. Si tenéis interés en saber más sobre el programa o de los Paniora, podéis escribir a Wairua, wairuaa@gmail.com
Article by Wairua Anderson
Photo: Wairua Anderson(left) and Clara Gómez Jimeno(right), Spanish National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle photographed at the Embassy of Spain in Wellington, NZ.
Festival de la Primavera - Spring Festival 2022
The Waikato Hispano Latino Cultural Trust is delighted to bring back one of our most vibrant and colourful community festivals. Yes, after a two-year absence (for obvious reasons) we would like to invite you to join us to celebrate the beginning of springtime.
The spring festival is a great opportunity to experience Hispanic culture. It features traditional dancers from around Latin American and Spain, and there will be a variety of delicious food to savour.
El Festival de la Primavera is an event that caters for the whole family. Join us on Saturday 24th of September, at the Hamilton Gardens, from 1:30 to 5pm.
Atrapa la bandera
En un pequeño instituto de la localidad zaragozana de Magallón, en España, iniciaron hace dos años el proyecto "Atrapa la bandera", con la finalidad de trabajar los contenidos de las diferentes materias de una forma distinta y compartir, a la vez, experiencias con alumnos de todo el mundo. El proyecto consiste en contactar con profesores y alumnos de otros países para que les propongan una serie de retos, con el objetivo de superarlos y conseguir de este modo la bandera de su país. Una vez lograda la bandera, la colocan en el gran mapamundi que cuelga en la pared de su aula.
El pasado mes de febrero, gracias a la ayuda de la Asesoría Técnica de la Consejería de Educación en Nueva Zelanda, iniciamos la colaboración entre los dos centros: el Instituto CRA La Huecha-ESO Magallón de Zaragoza y el ACG Parnell College en Auckland. Los alumnos españoles se mostraron emocionados al enterarse de que iban a contactar con alumnos de un país tan lejano, ¡del país más lejano!
En Auckland, a siete estudiantes del instituto ACG Parnell College se les presentó el reto de elaborar actividades que ayudaran a los alumnos españoles a conocer Nueva Zelanda y que se ajustaran a su propio currículo. Tras intercambiar varios vídeos introductorios, los estudiantes kiwis se pusieron manos a la obra para preparar preguntas sobre geografía, ciencias, historia, flora, fauna y, por supuesto, tareas prácticas (baile) y plásticas (arte) que les acercaran a la cultura maorí. Por su lado, los estudiantes de Magallón les retaron a completar un libro de trabajo sobre un clásico de la literatura española, “El Quijote”.
A lo largo de varias semanas, los alumnos de ambos países se esforzaron en completar los retos llegados desde las antípodas y los resultados fueron para todos más que satisfactorios. Interpretar un haka, descubrir y analizar la impresionante biodiversidad neozelandesa o elaborar creaciones de arte koru, hicieron posible que en el aula de Magallón ondee ya la bandera de Nueva Zelanda.
Este proyecto ha servido, no solo para trabajar los contenidos curriculares de una forma diferente, sino también para crear lazos amistosos entre alumnos que tienen el español en común.
Animamos a otros docentes a promover y tomar parte en este tipo de actividades que resultan muy enriquecedoras para nuestros estudiantes al permitir conocer de cerca otros países, a pesar de la distancia.
¿Te animas? ¡Atrapa a bandera!
Si queréis saber algo más sobre el proyecto podéis contactar a Ana y a Jesús, que estarán encantados de compartir con vosotros su experiencia:
Ana Pascual-Rodriguez (Ana.Pascual-Rodriguez@acgedu.com), profesora de español y coordinadora IB CAS enACG Parnell College, Auckland, NZ
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
2022 - Spanish - Term 3 Newsletter Articles
Spanish Immersion Day / NCEA Workshop 2022
The Spanish Programme of the University of Canterbury, with the support of the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle and LatAm CAPE (Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence), and the amazing collaboration of Spanish language teachers from Burnside High School, Cashmere High School, Hillmorton High School, Middleton Grange School, Rangi Ruru Girl’s School, Rolleston College, Roncalli College and St Andrew’s College, organized on Tuesday 7th June 2022 the Fifth Spanish Immersion Day / NCEA Workshop for high school students of Spanish from Christchurch and the Canterbury area.
This year we had nearly 250 high school Spanish students who prepared for their NCEA exams over two academic sessions organized for 12 groups of students of NCEA levels 1, 2 and 3, taught by teachers of the schools involved and UC senior Spanish students. Students and teachers attending were welcome at the Opening Session by Dr Victoria Escaip, Sergio Esteban Redondo and Carla Fernández from the UC Spanish Programme; Mr Juan Lueiro García, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand; and the keynote speaker Kara Morrison from Tui Tuia | Learning Circle, who gave an inspiring talk full of stories and valuable insights into the Hispanic world. Nikki Lima also talked about the great opportunities LatAm CAPE offer to Spanish language students.
Complementary morning tea, sponsored by the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand, was provided to all the participants, and complimentary lunch, sponsored by Tui Tuia | Learning Circle was offered to the teachers, speakers and organizers. Two Spanish and Latin American food trucks were invited to campus for lunch time so attending students had the opportunity to try delicious Hispanic food.
There was also a fun culture session organized by Sergio Esteban Redondo and Carla Fernandez, which involved games and prizes and proved to be a very successful activity.
We had a lucky dip where several prizes donated by the UC Marketing and Outreach Department, the Embassy of Spain in New Zealand, ImmerseMe, Instituto Cervantes Sydney, LatAm CAPE and Bella Jewellery of Merivale were given away. The event drew to a close where all participants danced to a beautiful bicultural song recently produced by Victoria Escaip: “Bailan (Kotahitanga)” by Oriana Setz featuring Jake Kīanō Skinner:
It was an intense and wonderful day, and all participants left very happy and with a huge smile on their face, visible even behind their masks!
Photo(above): Presenters and particiants at the Spanish Immersion Day. Photo Credit: Victoria Escaip.
Article written by Victoria Escaip, Lecturer and Programme Coordinator - Spanish, University of Canterbury
Kiwi Living in Spain: Language Assistant Programme in Spain by Wairua Anderson
After 2 long days of flying, I finally arrived in Madrid on the 1st of October 2018. My uncle who lives there, picked me up from the airport. I was super lucky that he lived one train station over from where my school was located. For the first month I ended up staying with him until I could find myself an apartment. It was really nice to be around a familiar face and also to have someone who knows the local knowledge and to answer any questions I might have. It was also a relief that I had somewhere to stay straight away as I was still finishing off two uni papers online.
Although it was October, from midday I remember it still feeling like summer. It was great to get a little bit of sun before round two of winter. For me Winter in Spain is different. It was a dry cold where you could really feel the frost bite. Whereas in NZ it feels more like a wet cold. Even though I loved catching the train, it took me a while to get up early as school started quite early. In NZ I would either drive or walk, if where I wanted to go was within walking distance. Thinking back to my first couple of weeks in Spain, I had been on adrenaline since I had arrived. I remember my uncle giving me his train card and him telling me to go check the school out that day, so I would know how to get there the next day and wouldn't be late. When I arrived at the school there were some teachers preparing for the next day and I was introduced to the principal and the head of the English department.
We worked closely alongside a teacher called Clara. She was the best, we were able to go to her with any questions we had and she was more than happy to help. All together there were 4 Auxiliares/Language Assistants. There were 3 girls from the USA and myself, from New Zealand. For the first week we got to go into different classrooms and meet all the students at the school. After the first week we were asked which classes we enjoyed. My favourites were the year 2 and 3 and luckily, we all liked different classrooms and were given the age groups we wanted. The following Monday we were given our timetables and we all got assigned to our preferred choices. I think I was one of the lucky ones when it came to our timetable and days off. I had every Monday off and I had half days on Fridays. This was so handy when it came to traveling during the weekend. During my time at the school, I enjoyed getting to know each and every one of my students. Seeing their level of English improve from when I first met them was really cool. There were a lot of memories made and I am so excited to be able to do this experience again, departing in September 2022.
* El programa de Auxiliares de conversación para neozelandeses en España es un programa que permite a estudiantes y personas graduadas tener la experiencia de pasar una año en una escuela española como apoyo en las clases de inglés. Toda la información puede encontrarse en: Embassy of Spain Website
Wairua es miembro del clan Paniora, cuya raíces están ligadas a Valverde del Majano, en la provincia de Segovia. Si tenéis interés en saber más sobre el programa o de los Paniora, podéis escribir a Wairua, wairuaa@gmail.com
Article by Wairua Anderson
Photo: Wairua Anderson(left) and Clara Gómez Jimeno(right), Spanish National Language Adviser, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle photographed at the Embassy of Spain in Wellington, NZ.
Festival de la Primavera - Spring Festival 2022
The Waikato Hispano Latino Cultural Trust is delighted to bring back one of our most vibrant and colourful community festivals. Yes, after a two-year absence (for obvious reasons) we would like to invite you to join us to celebrate the beginning of springtime.
The spring festival is a great opportunity to experience Hispanic culture. It features traditional dancers from around Latin American and Spain, and there will be a variety of delicious food to savour.
El Festival de la Primavera is an event that caters for the whole family. Join us on Saturday 24th of September, at the Hamilton Gardens, from 1:30 to 5pm.
Atrapa la bandera
En un pequeño instituto de la localidad zaragozana de Magallón, en España, iniciaron hace dos años el proyecto "Atrapa la bandera", con la finalidad de trabajar los contenidos de las diferentes materias de una forma distinta y compartir, a la vez, experiencias con alumnos de todo el mundo. El proyecto consiste en contactar con profesores y alumnos de otros países para que les propongan una serie de retos, con el objetivo de superarlos y conseguir de este modo la bandera de su país. Una vez lograda la bandera, la colocan en el gran mapamundi que cuelga en la pared de su aula.
El pasado mes de febrero, gracias a la ayuda de la Asesoría Técnica de la Consejería de Educación en Nueva Zelanda, iniciamos la colaboración entre los dos centros: el Instituto CRA La Huecha-ESO Magallón de Zaragoza y el ACG Parnell College en Auckland. Los alumnos españoles se mostraron emocionados al enterarse de que iban a contactar con alumnos de un país tan lejano, ¡del país más lejano!
En Auckland, a siete estudiantes del instituto ACG Parnell College se les presentó el reto de elaborar actividades que ayudaran a los alumnos españoles a conocer Nueva Zelanda y que se ajustaran a su propio currículo. Tras intercambiar varios vídeos introductorios, los estudiantes kiwis se pusieron manos a la obra para preparar preguntas sobre geografía, ciencias, historia, flora, fauna y, por supuesto, tareas prácticas (baile) y plásticas (arte) que les acercaran a la cultura maorí. Por su lado, los estudiantes de Magallón les retaron a completar un libro de trabajo sobre un clásico de la literatura española, “El Quijote”.
A lo largo de varias semanas, los alumnos de ambos países se esforzaron en completar los retos llegados desde las antípodas y los resultados fueron para todos más que satisfactorios. Interpretar un haka, descubrir y analizar la impresionante biodiversidad neozelandesa o elaborar creaciones de arte koru, hicieron posible que en el aula de Magallón ondee ya la bandera de Nueva Zelanda.
Este proyecto ha servido, no solo para trabajar los contenidos curriculares de una forma diferente, sino también para crear lazos amistosos entre alumnos que tienen el español en común.
Animamos a otros docentes a promover y tomar parte en este tipo de actividades que resultan muy enriquecedoras para nuestros estudiantes al permitir conocer de cerca otros países, a pesar de la distancia.
¿Te animas? ¡Atrapa a bandera!
Si queréis saber algo más sobre el proyecto podéis contactar a Ana y a Jesús, que estarán encantados de compartir con vosotros su experiencia:
Ana Pascual-Rodriguez (Ana.Pascual-Rodriguez@acgedu.com), profesora de español y coordinadora IB CAS enACG Parnell College, Auckland, NZ
