Steve's sandbox

Tag: Spain

  • Michelle Dalgety – Case Study, Bilbao, northern Spain (1986)

    The year was 1986; I was 21 years old and had just finished a Business Studies Course at Bradford College.

    I had taken a linguistics option with advanced French and beginners Spanish so when I learned about the John Speak Language Scholarships I was eager to go to Spain to bring both languages to a similar level.  At the time, I think the scholarship was mainly given to people working in companies with European ties. I was told I could have the scholarship if I could find a company who would employ me on for the six months.

    My father was a printer and one of the printing ink suppliers told him they had connections to a Spanish ink company.  I wrote to the Spanish company and they agreed for me to work there for a six month period.

    Michelle Dalgety, Spain 1986

     

    The Spanish company was based in Bilbao, northern Spain.  I travelled by train, through France and onto Bilbao.  I stayed in a hostel for the duration of my six month scholarship.

    It was quite difficult at first as this was my first full time job and I was doing it in a foreign language.  It was also the first time I had left home, so I was growing up in a sense too. My Spanish was very basic and I thought I would never become fluent.  I was lucky to have landed in Bilbao as historically it had many connections with England due to the iron ore mines and people tended to like the British. They are fiercely proud of their football team which was set up by the English so right from the start everyone was extremely helpful, welcoming and eager for me to learn.

    Bilbao was in a period of industrial unrest when I went over, the ship builders were due to close and there were lots of street protests and barricaded roads. It was also politically tense and there were fights between police and masked demonstrators most weekends. The Basque government were negotiating the devolution of more powers which later resulted in the astounding transformation of Bilbao from a dirty industrial city into a vibrant modern city.

    Just as my scholarship was ending, the Spanish company I was working for was bought by a US multinational and my English became vital to the company, so they asked me to stay on a further 6 months. This turned into a permanent contract and in the end my six months became twenty three years! I worked in the same company until 2009 when recession hit and I was made redundant.

    I am obviously bi-lingual and still use Spanish when Skyping my friends in Spain and I often read Spanish newspapers too!  Unfortunately I have not used my Spanish professionally since I moved back to Bradford.

    The John Speak Trust was a complete life changer for me, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to live and work in another country.  I am astounded that the United Kingdom gives such low importance to foreign languages.  People should leap at the chance to take up this opportunity, not only to learn the language but for understanding other cultures too!

    Michelle Dalgety – November 2014

     

    Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,300 ft).

    Bay of Biscay

     

  • Spanish Super Cup 22 August 2014 – Ashton Lily-Woolley

    Watching Atlético win the Spanish super cup on the 22nd August. Possibly one of the best atmospheres I’ve experienced when watching a sport. After ice-hockey of course..

  • A final report to say “Muchas gracias y hasta luego” – by Hannah Phillips

    My John Speak scholarship took me the capital of Spain, Madrid, to support me as I took part in a year’s internship within the Spanish multinational company NH Hotels. After previously studying in the North of Spain for 5 months, my year working as a trainee Buyer within the International Purchasing Department of NH was about perfecting my use of the Spanish language and getting real experience in an International company.

    The John Speak scholarship was a huge part of my experience abroad, giving me the financial ability to be able to submerge myself in the Spanish way of life and also travel the country that I was lucky enough to be able to call home. My time and travels here has opened my eyes to the Spanish culture, something you don’t see through the text books at University, and has made me appreciate even more how useful a second language is and will be for my future career.

    I recently read a quote which really summarises how I feel about learning such an important second language such as Spanish and it says “The limits of your language are the limits of your world”. This is something I totally agree with and thanks to this year, and thanks to John Speak, my world has been opened to the 350 million people that speak Spanish as their native tongue in 21 countries over four continents.

    Once again, I would like to say a huge thank you to John Speak and everyone involved in the scheme for letting me have such a memorable experience in Spain. I thoroughly recommend to anyone who is in a similar position to me to also apply! The next stage involves me returning to the UK to finish my University degree and I will keep the trust updated as to where my future takes me!

    Thank you again,

    Hannah Phillips

  • Two Weeks in Cordoba- January 2014

    I have been staying with a friend in Cordoba for two weeks in order to improve my Spanish before starting the second semester in Geneva. I could talk about the monuments in Cordoba, Granada or Seville (as we also visited these two cities), or perhaps of the prodigious amounts of food, all delicious, which my friend’s mother serves, but I will limit myself to talking about the Mezquita, the best known monument in Cordoba, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

    We have visited the Mezquita twice- once during the day, and another time at night with an audio guide. Today, the Mezquita is a cathedral, constructed inside a mosque, which in turn was built over a Visigothic Basilica already on the site. The construction of the Mezquita began in 785, and it was extended during the Emirate of Cordoba and the Caliphate of Cordoba, until the Reconquest of the city in 1238, when it was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Work on the Renaissance Basilica began in 1523.

    Today, the Mezquita represents an architectural mix of Arabic and Christian styles, which is very typical of Andalusia. This combination of styles can also be seen in los Alcazares Reales, the royal residence in Seville, and many other religious and residential sites across the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. The external walls enclose a traditional patio which leads to the main building, complete with orange trees and the original irrigation system installed by the Moors. Later, a portico was constructed, giving protection from the fierce summer sun.

    The main building is the jewel in the crown. Inside the Mihrab, or prayer room, there is arch after arch, all with different columns of stone, gypsum and marble. Beyond the arches, in the centre of the building, the Central Chapel extends up to the sky. It is taller than the rest of the space, with columns ending in gothic arches, unlike the horseshoe arches of the Mihrab. There are two enormous, intricately decorated organs, which despite having been made in the 17th century, are still used for concerts and other cultural and religious events.

    In all, it is an impressive building, both inside and out. It dominates the skyline, especially viewed from the Roman Bridge when it is lit up at night. Moreover, the Mezquita is representative of the city itself, as it combines the Muslim and Christian styles, with influences from both cultures, just like the other buildings and streets in the historical centre. It is a building which I find particularly enchanting as you can read its history in its walls.