A beautiful school with helpful staff I am just back from a week in Valencia studying Spanish at Taronja School. This is a beautiful boutique school. The team at reception are helpful and I loved their speed in replying to emails - they are very good at that. Prior to my visit, as I was travelling solo, I asked questions about the school, the lessons, the type of classes and ages as I was looking for something suitable to over 30 y/o, the accommodation, additional dates and Valencia in general and they were always happy to answer at the speed of light! They are very good at that and it helps when you are in front of your computer, you are tryng to book a flight and you need a quick answer.
The school
Right in the middle of the city centre, great location, near bars, coffee shops, restaurants, metro, bus, taxis, everything really. The entrance is quite understated, the school is located at the first floor of a building. Every class is decorated differently and all have air-con whichis great at this time of the year, when the tempretaure in Valencia is above 32 degree celsius everyday.
All the teachers I had this week were very nice (Isabel, Manu, Sonia), friendly, helpful and they really ensured that we learnt from this experience. The teaching is not based on any book, we were provided with a handout and additional pages during the week to cover the areas which we were going to explore during each lesson. All lessons are interactive with plenty of opportunity to ask 'preguntas' (questions). Internet is used in the school by the teachers to explain words or provide images and other digital tools are also used to write as a board (instead of the out of fashion board and marker). Classes are small, I was in a class of 9. I know that some of the people I met there were in classes of 6 so the classes are of a reasonable small size which is good and allows the teacher to provide full attention to all. Classes last 50 minutes each. You would usually have 2 teachers a day, one for the first two hours of 50 mins each and the second for the remaining 2 hours of 50 mins each.
Oh yes, once you get to your class forget your language as all the teachers will speak to you in Spanish only, which is fine and correct in the approach as you are there to learn Spanish. However, if you are totally unable to understand a meaning of a word or a sentence they will try to tell you the equivalent in English or Italian or French to heelp you.
You may have a T1 or T2 programme. T1 - Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning classes, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon class. T2 - the other way round. I had a T1.
If you want to go to museums or go shopping it may be worth booking some additional days in Valencia so that you will have entire days to visit them as it is a little difficult when you have classes in the morning or the afternoon, you would just be rushing around and the majority of the museums close at 13:00 for the day or some reopen at 16:00 but only few of them.
Weekly activities
I did not participate in all the activities as some were aimed at the younger crowd (I'm not old, just in my early 30s but what may be fun for a 17/18 y/o may be less fun for a 30 y/o - however, it is always great to mix with all ages) but the ones I participated in were the following:
Noche the tapas - Monday:
A little bar not far from the school (can't remember the name) with seats outside-only. One drink included with your 'tapa' but you could not choose which tapas to go for as you were given what came from the kitchen so it was more about luck. I was fine as I am not allergic to any food but one of the girls in my group was allergic to dairy products and she got a ham and Cheese croquette which she could not eat so I and the rest of the group helped her what are friends for!!!
Fiesta de bienvenida con paella - Tuesday
This party for all newcomers was a great idea, a great opportunity to meet other students and the teachers, in a location near the beach. We all met in front of the school and then we all went to the metro, we all bought tickets and then we got to the other end and got the tram, then we walked a bit and got to the location of this bar. The idea per se is very nice but I think more can be done in relation to the place where the 'fiesta' takes place. The bar was just a little run down, the drinks were cheap but we all complained about the quality of them. The Sangria tasted bad, the white wine we wondered why it was sold with ice (?) and tasted bad anyway, a mojito was prepared from a mixer so forget mint leaves, brown sugar etc there was none of that so it didn't taste like a mojito but like something with a little bit of rum and the chupitos (shot) were of an unknown taste. The paella was nice, there was a meat and a vegetarian option.
The music was ok, some was from the 90s (not a problem for those over 30 y/o!) but generally fine.
I think Taronja should consider other options when organising this party in terms of the bar and the quality of the service provided by the bar. The idea of the party is great but the bar 'not so great'.
Noche de Orchata and historia - Wednesday
The Horchata is a typical Valencian drink made with chufas. It looks milky but it's not as it is made of a root (I think). It tastes nice, it is very sweet and it is supposed to be had with fartons which to me are like sweet light bread, to be dipped in the Horchata.
We all met in front of the school with Vito (he is a cool man!) and walked to Mercado de Colon to taste the Horchata, oh, yes, with a little bit of history of some buildings in between. There are several bars were you can have the Horchata in the Mercado so we did not all have to be in the same location. I think we sat in 'Daniel', it was ok.
There were other activities organised by Taronja during the remaining days but I and some others opted out and did our own thing!
30Hood - group for 30+ y/o - great concept and a WhatsApp group was created for 30hood to share ideas, activities etc. However, may be Taronja could consider putting together some activities which may be suitable for those in their 30s? Just a thought
Accommodation
I booked a single room with the school. Taronja provided all the details, map etc of the school, very good service. I had to pick up the keys from a specific location, a beautiful yellow building nowhere near a metro station so you could either come out of Angel Aguillera metro and walk to the building (about 15 minutes walk) or get the taxi service provided by the school at 55 euros or also get a taxi from the aiport which should cost about 25, 26 euros.
When I got to the building I was given the keys for the house and my room and some bedsheets. I was based in Ruzafa. I waited for a taxi which took me to Ruzafa and costed just over 6 euros. My room was beautiful, large, massive window, double bed, a wordrobe, a sofa a big table for at least 4 people, 4 chairs, 2 side tables and lamps. The only issue was the lack of a fan. Valencia is extremely warm in this period and I believe that fans should be provided. Although the room was big the heat made nights and even the the day uncomfortable. A fan or air con should be provided.
My room was quite big but I had a look at that of my other flat-mate/student, I think it was half the size of mine and not very spacious, there was also another room which was an inbetween size. I think I was lucky with the room but I guess what you get may depend on availability.
The apartment had 5 rooms but only 3 were in use, there was no leaving room which was a shame as we had to stand in the corridor to have a chat. The kitchen was very small and would have been impractical if all rooms were taken and all were using the kitchen at once. Luckily it never happened!
The apartment had 2 bathrooms which was quite good and we never queued. However, one of the locks in one of the batrooms didn't work so you had to ensure that you made people aware that you were in there - not an issue though although may be it is best if this is repaired.
Ruzafa is a very nice area for bars, restaurants and there is a nice covered market, Mercado De Ruzafa where you can buy fruit, veg, meat and fish. It is smaller than the central market and there is no sit down bar/restaurant inside of the one in Ruzafa but it is equally good.
The apartment was at a 15 minutes walk to the school, the distance was ok or you could take a bus, line 7, to Xativa which is 1 minute away from the school and the center of Valencia or 2 minutes from Placa de Ayuntamento.
All in a all a great school and I had a great time!!! The teachers are great and the staff at reception are lovely and helpful.

Taronja es la mejor escuela de español en Valencia Fue un placer y buena experiencia pasar en Taronja dos semanas inolvidables aprendiendo español con mejores profesores entre los estudiantes de todo el mundo. He elegido esta escuela porque es el Centro acreditado por el Instituto Cervantes. Tuve suerte de estar a la presentación de Taronja en Moscú y conocer a los profes y su manera de enseñar. Desde entonces tenía muchas ganas de conocer Valencia y estudiar en Taronja. No me quedé desilusionada, todo fue genial! Buena ubicación, ambiente amistoso, actividades interesantes para todos los gustos. Taronja es como una familia grande para sus alumnos, sigo en contacto con mis compañeros del grupo y algunos profes. Es una exelente posibilidad combinar los estudios con el descanso a la playa y el ocio cultural. A pesar de algunos inconvenientes del alojamiento (vivía en apartamento compartido) he estado muy contenta por mi viaje. Este año vuelvo a Valencia y Taronja.

Intensive course for 3 weeks I went to Taronja as an almost beginner in Spanish and after three weeks I think I’ve made such an improvement but I’ve also learnt so much about different cultures and I think it has been an amazing experience.
I stayed in one of the school’s shared apartments with 4-5 other students from the school all of different nationalities and we were from the age of 18-26 and that was one of things that made my time there so special because you make such deep special bonds with other people in the same situation as you.
Over the three weeks the teachers were so engaging and welcoming along with the interns. There were multiple times where after activities we’d go to a bar or get some food and you felt so welcome and they were all so enthusiastic. In lessons each teacher found a different way to make sure you were taking in everything and the lessons were always fun. They also had a massive focus on conversation which was so helpful.
At the school there was such a range of ages and nationalities but I think we all came together really well through all of the amazing activities. My favourites were the excursions and the paella parties but all of them are worth doing as they improve your Spanish and give you opportunities to meet new people.
Thank you so much Taronja for the experience

Excellent school that really focuses on the community element for the students. Teachers get involved in the activities, which is a cool sight to see, as you can get to know them outside the classroom. The lessons are well done also, as each teacher brings a different style. I also love the format of the schedule, in that, the time of classes swaps daily, and so does your teacher. Keeps things fresh. Lastly, Stefano is an EXCELLENT activity coordinator! He really enjoys being around the students and is professional.

I had such an amazing time learning spanish at Taronja! I learned a new language but I also learned lots of tricks and methods to be a better language teacher myself. Muchas gracias!!! The teachers like Aitana, Esther, and Nestor were so fun and made the experience enjoyable. They were understanding and patient.

Amazing summer learning Spanish with Taronja I was here for two months in summer and had a really positive experience. I actually booked only for one month but ended up extending for an extra month. The classes were fun, interesting, and I felt comfortable talking, learning, (and making mistakes), with my classmates mad teachers. You need an intital assesment of your spanish skills (quick questionnaire, and a couple of minutes speaking) and then get placed into a class for your level. However, if it is too difficult, or easy, there is no problem with changing class, and I found the staff, and the headteacher, Jenny, very friendly and easy to talk to, and always happy to help with anything.
It is easy to make friends, which is important if you are coming here on your own (like me) and there were social acitivties every night. These ranged from paella nights, language exchanges, and generally drinking and socialising. Always fun. I was here in summer which would offer a bigger social life compared to low-season/ winter etc.
The lessons are varied and you use handouts, quiz games, group tasks, videos, songs, etc, in order to learn in a varied way.
I would recommend to anyone who values a more fun and social atmosphere to learn and I definitely feel like I improved a lot. In 2 months, I went from a low A2, to a B1 level, and I had a lot of practice actually speaking the Spanish that I had learned.

Did a week here as part of my trip around España in November 2019. This was a very good experience. It is true what people say about this place, it is more than just a Language school, it is a full immersion trip into Spanish culture.
I very much enjoyed my time here and met some proper tidy folks. my only problem was that i couldn't spend a 2nd week here due to timings. Because of this, i feel i missed out on a lot of the extra activities due to the zig zag schedule and not being present for the switch-round in the 2nd week.
All in all though this was excellent and well worth the money. a 2nd trip is definitely on the cards for 2020 for at least 2-3 weeks. Tengo que volver a Valencia pronto!!!

I love Taronja and could not have asked for a better overall experience. I have a friendly recommendation for the school. I think the professors should provide more evaluative comments to students after the week of classes especially for students who stay more than one week. I would like to know: How am I doing? What do I need to work on? What advice do you have for me to practice out of class? This need not be summative or extensive possibly just a few minutes. This could be optional for the students who would like the feedback.