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.

Taronja school has a very special atmosphere. Just being in the school is an immersive language leaning experience. The teachers are enthusiastic and great at engaging everyone in the lessons. As each lesson is with a different teacher, we experienced a range of teaching styles and ways of explaining the nuances of the language, which further improved our understanding. The students in the classes are varied too, of all backgrounds, ages and languages. Highly recommended. I hope to be able to return.

I had a wonderful 2 weeks at Taronja and improved my Spanish a lot. It is great that the whole school is run in Spanish with all teaching and explanations included and students encouraged to speak to each other in Spanish even when not in class. This works very well even for complete beginners. I found the teachers very creative and knowledgeable and the lessons were entertaining as well as educational. The cultural and social activities organised by the school are a big bonus in a city as beautiful as Valencia. I can recommend Taronja very highly and will definitely be returning for more lessons and tp spend more time in Valencia as soon as I can.

Taronja is an excellent place to learn Spanish, the lessons are well prepared, interesting and full of surprise. There are also diversified social and cultural activities at a very moderate price. The school offers rooms in shared flats, what suited me best. Everybody is very helpful and sociable . Taronja is the perfect place for getting introduced into Spanish culture. It was my second time at Taronja and I shall come back!

A really great place to study Spanish and interact with people from all over the world!

Очень понравилось! Училась 7 недель. Очень домашняя атмосфера и супер приятные люди. Консультировали по любому интересующему туриста вопросу. Проводятся ежедневные мероприятия помимо уроков(включено в стоимость обучения), это и экскурсии, и кино, и караоке, и кулинарные уроки и много чего другого!!! Удобное месторасположение - в самом центре! Обязательно вернусь в эту школу для продолжения изучения испанского. Спасибо, Taronja

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!

Highly recommended language school to learn Spanish in Valencia! A great range of cultural & social activities as well as parties & events appropriate to the time, season & location. This is my second time here studying Spanish & I have not only improved my confidence to articulate myself both written & verbally, but been open to new ideas & new cultures & perspectives from around the Spanish speaking world- muchos gracias!