Cursos de español en Valencia

Fijne, gezellige school met veel extra activiteiten! Al een paar jaartjes probeer ik de Spaanse taal onder de knie te krijgen door privéles en zelfstudie. Dat gaat vrij aardig, maar lezen, schrijven en luisteren is niet genoeg. Vorig jaar (2018) was ik voor het eerst in Valencia voor ‘un curso intensivo’ om vooral mijn spreekvaardigheid te verbeteren. Prachtige stad trouwens! Taronja is een hele fijne, gezellige school, midden in het centrum, waar je je vanaf de eerste dag op je gemak voelt. De lessen zijn lekker afwisselend en worden gegeven door twee verschillende docenten. Daarnaast zijn behoorlijk wat extra activiteiten, waaraan je tegen een kleine vergoeding of soms zelfs gratis kunt deelnemen, zoals de wekelijkse kookdemonstratie van chef Nando, diverse gezellige avondactiviteiten en excursies, die zelfs doorgaan in het weekend… en ook dan wordt er lekker veel Spaans gesproken. Afgelopen zomer (2019) heb ik mij opnieuw laten onderdompelen in ‘el baño valenciano’ en mij opwerkt van ‘nivel B1’ naar ‘nivel B2’. Inmiddels heb ik voor de derde maal bij Taronja geboekt voor twee weken cursus in 2020. Dan ga ik proberen de lat weer wat hoger te leggen. Nu alweer zin in!

OVERALL As a school teacher (of Maths and some other things), I had supported the Spanish trip here with my pupils in April 2023. I could see what a transformative experience it was for them so much so that I wanted it for myself. My time at Taronja can only be described as excellent. Everyone at the school tries to ensure you have the best time possible which is impressive based on the carousel of students who come-and-go each week. All the staff treated me with kindness and respect. Thank you to Maxi and Fernando for running such a unique place. The last 4 weeks at Taronja have been exciting, interesting, eventful, busy, enjoyable and compact with information. The last time I studied a language was 14 years ago. I was not very keen on languages in school but my time spent at Taronja has made me believe that I can learn a language to a much higher level than I ever thought possible. That alone has been worth it. LEARNING EXPERIENCE The teachers were fun and engaging. As an absolute beginner, I did the Intensive course + conversation class + private lessons. That helped with my exposure to the language and the private classes were helpful in ironing out some issues. I did this for the first three weeks, then extended by a week and "dropped down" to "only" the intensive course, which is plenty. If I were building up for an exam I would definitely pick up the private classes again. And the conversation classes were energetically delivered to give you important insights of Spanish conversational etiquette. Overall, I was able to enjoy lessons taught by patient, *knowledgeable* and kind teachers, who have reminded me about the importance of these characteristics in my own teaching practice. Teaching beginners must be tough and it was done with grace, style, poise and importantly, a smile. Thank you Laura, Carmen, Antonio, Miguel Angel, Nestor, Carol, Jenny, Nerea, and especially Mica and Paula for your infectious energy and humour. ACADEMIC ADMIN The organisation of the timetable and classes was clearly communicated in advance via WhatsApp. I know some people didn't feel as though they were in the right class for their level and changes were made almost instantly to help. This was managed by the academic team. SUPPORT Organising, arriving, and extending my stay was made very easy by the ladies at the front desk, in particular Elena and Roza! Emails were responded to promptly and they were always so helpful. Waving to them in the morning and getting a wave back made things feel a bit more like home! SOCIAL Plenty of opportunities to socialise with others at the school. Most people I attended school with were between 19-25. But there was also a considerable contingent of older pupils too (e.g. 31, 40 and 70!). This is all taken into consideration when forming classes and social activities. There are activities organised by the school for every day of the week. I went during high season (i.e. the summer) so there were a lot of people. Some activities are linked to other language schools which broadens your pool of potential connections. A lot are free. Many are heavily subsidised. Because there is a fluid change of people from week to week the extent to which you find things socialable will depend on who you share your time at the school with. But similarly minded people would pay money to attend a summer school, so it's likely to be fine for you, as it was for me! As an over-27, I was added to a WhatsApp group for additionally organised activities. BOCARIOS (Interns) An excellently led intern team support the activities and were a good group to talk to in general. Very helpful! GENERAL THOUGHTS When in Spain and doing things, there is a naturally occurring opportunity to practice the language. Whether you decide to is your own choice! And indeed your experience in general heavily depends on you 😇 . Approach it with an open heart and fresh eyes.

Molto buono tutto è perfetto; gli studenti e scuola: le scuole sono molto importanti e molto interessate di risolvere qualsiasi problema

Una piacevole sorpresa Ho frequentato il corso per tre settimane e non mi aspettavo sicuramente di trovarmi cosí bene! Le lezioni sono frizzanti ed interattive, il metodo di insegnamento è dinamico ed i professori molto preparati ed umani. La lingua viene imparata in maniera divertente e colorata, mantenendo sempre professionalitá.
Inoltre la scuola organizza attivitá ed eventi per tutti i gusti e le etá, nei quali approfondire la lingua, scoprire la cittá e conoscere molte persone.
Consigliata!

I came to Taronja on a friends recommendation and I am so glad that I did! I only did one week intensive and am already signing up to do more lessons. The classes are interesting and fun. The teachers are enthusiastic. Also the daily activities are really well organised. Fully recommend for anyone - no questions asked 🙂

I had a fantastic experience at Taronja, I was only there a week, but cannot believe how much my Spanish has improved from a very basic level. Our professors, Pablo & Teresa were wonderful, they made the classes interactive and interesting, and were excellent at making everyone feel welcome. I am already planning my next trip!

I enjoyed my classes at the Taronja school. I had nice teachers (Ne, Sa, Ya) and learned a lot of Spanish. I got a lot of attention from the teachers, the interns and the organizing staff. There are a lot of younger students (18-30) but I am sure middle-aged or older students have a lot of fun as well. I felt a little bit like back in school 18 years ago. I enjoyed this feeling.There are many activities during the week. You get the chance to talk a lot of Spanish (if you want to talk Spanish). I can't understand most bad recommendations. If you want high-educated native speakers with classes of 4 persons and the very same Spanish level someone has to tell me a country in Europe where you get this below 800 Euros a week! The price-performance ratio is very good, in my opinion. I am sure for the money you pay you get a Spanish boost and a good time (I can't say anything about the accommodations, because I stayed somewhere private). I sometimes have the feeling that in the eyes of foreigners spanish teachers and staff are expected to work for small salaries (instead of a fair salaries). Maybe this is something to reflect on and everybody is free to invest in private lessons. The new school building is very, very nice! I strongly recommend this school (also for students older than 30)!

Really impressed with the friendly and inclusive school vibe and the standard of the lessons. They were very attentive to students of all ages. The school facilities provided all the needs of the students to a high standard with areas to relax in comfort, study and resources for use in class and independent learning. During my week long taster I was able to attend 3 evening social events that were great fun and very reasonably priced. I will definitely return later this year for an extended period of time to develop my Spanish further.