Equipo Taronja

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 weeks at Taronja ( intensive course sept.-nov. 2017). After two years of studying Spanish at university, I by far made the biggest jump in my level of Spanish at Taronja. The classes are a good mix of grammar and culture, taught by enthusiastic teachers. In a short period of time, my speaking and understanding of grammar improved dramatically, as well as my general confidence using Spanish. The school also arranges a wide variety of interesting and fun activities that all involve present the opportunity to practise Spanish, to some extent. Valencia itself is the perfect city, with something for everyone of all ages. I could not speak higher of the school and my time there, I really do recommend Taronja, and I cannot wait to go back later on this summer!

un lugar donde ¡puedes sobresalir! Mi segunda estancia con Taronja solo duró una semana, pero, de nuevo, me di cuenta de que la calidad de los profesores (en mi caso, las profesoras, Desiré y Sara) es muy buena. Estaban dedicadas y profesionales.Tanto los profesores como los administradores son siempre muy amables. Intentan ayudarte y apoyarte todos los días. Y lo mejor, tienen paciencia y llevan una sonrisa. Muchísimas gracias a todos y por todo.

The best school experience i ever had! Everybody was friendly, the classes were a lot of fun and the learning curve was incredible. The social activities were super fun (friends of mine stayed at another school and they were always jealous) and very good to get to know all other students, Valencia and Spanish traditions. Paella fiesta every Tuesday is one of the best! ¡Me voy a Volver!

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.

Bellissima esperienza Taronja non è solo una scuola ma è un’esperienza.
La scuola Taronja è l’ideale per chi vuole divertirsi, vivere il mare e al contempo imparare lo spagnolo.
I professori sono tutti giovanissimi e preparati; si vede che hanno voglia di fare il loro lavoro e sono sempre disponibili.
Il punto di forza è il programma settimanale della scuola, in cui, per ogni giorno, si organizzano attività extra (la maggior parte gratuite) che vanno dalla paella di benvenuto alle feste in discoteca o in piscina.
Come studenti si possono incontrare tedeschi, svizzeri e ovviamente molti italiani, con fasce d'età ben distribuite.

I was a student at Toronja for 2 weeks & really recommend it. The teachers are all really motivated to help the students learn Spanish. There is also positive atmosphere around the place which helps you to study in a relaxed environment. The extra circular activities are a great way to meet other students outside of lessons (especially paella night!) There are also optional interactive lessons during the afternoon where you learn things ranging from Spanish dance to how to cook Spanish food. I would definitely recommend this school & will be going back there to study myself for 2 months. Muchas gracias a todos y nos vemos pronto!

After being with Taronja for a couple of years now online I decided to take the plunge and do their immersion course in Valencia, which, for a 54 year old, filled me with apprehension !! I have to say it’s one of the best things I’ve done to progress and improve my Spanish, the schools new location was ideal situated at the edge of the old town near the Turia park. The facilities in the building and classrooms were excellent with information screens, whiteboards and air conditioning also there is great chill out space on the ground floor to relax in !! The standard of teaching was excellent with varied topics and wide ranging conversations and discussions with time taken to explain things if you weren’t quite sure or needed clarification on vocabulary or grammar. I had 4 teachers in total, including the conversational workshops, and I can’t praise them enough, they were all absolutely fantastic. I must also give special mentions to the reception and activities teams who were friendly, professional, helpful and a joy to deal with on a daily basis with nothing being too much trouble. All in all a fantastic experience one which I hope to repeat in the future.. Well done 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