fionamw

I've just seen (yet) another really interesting summer course, drama workshops and the like, Alameda theatre, Malaga, culminating in a performance etc etc. Sounds really good. Had flyers from at least two football courses. Sounded really good. However all of them (not just these three) that we've seen have as part of the deal English lessons...... has anyone ever seen any that offer an activity and Spanish? Or at least an option? I'm blowed if I'm paying 130€ or more part of which is wasted from the word go

lynnxa

one of our local International Schools does a summer day camp with Spanish lessons as part of the deal - I'm surprised others don't tbh - although the majority of Brit families I know disappear for the summer, so maybe that's the reason

Fredbargate

Well where do you think they will find work in years to come?

barbaraliam

have you tried the local Spanish schools? Even in my small village there is a summer school might not have as many activities as a big international school but the children and monitors will only be speaking in Spanish.

lynnxa

actually I forgot about that - our local primary schools run summer clubs too - they are run by an outside company but you apply through the ayuntamiento

lynnxa

gawd knows - though even fluent Spanish speakers - including Spanish nationals will find that difficult


I do remember the primary school teachers moaning every September that most of the British kids had forgotten how to speak Spanish over the 12 week hols

Fredbargate

Sorry what I was implying badly was that the Spanish kids would have to leave Spain for work, i.e. go to UK or somewhere where English was useful

lynnxa

oh I see.............

cricketman

10-20 years is a long time

It would be silly of parents to plan their children for the current economic situation

I actually think it is stupid the amount of emphasis they are putting on English in Spain now. All they are doing is training a future nation of hotel receptionists, waiters and maids to speak a few more words of English than the current lot can.

Language skills should be complimentary to a serious education, not the focus of it.

I am actually struggling to find a good guarderia and primaria who dont say they specialise in English. I dont want my child spending 10 hours a week learning to say "dog" and "cat", especially as he will speak fluent English anyway. I'd rather he do something useful, like make mud pies or something

fionamw

As a soapbox-loving trained playgroup assistant, I say ; just to get in before anyone who starts on about kids having to be academically trained before they're out of dungarees!!!

flotsum

Our local AMPA run the summer schools for children in the summer holidays. Last year the focus was on local nature and the year before on recycling, we sent the kids so that they would continue their spanish over the holidays they both loved it. We had to apply through our schools AMPA group.

fionamw

Well albeit I haven't checked this year, the ones they used to do associated with the village school a couple of years back - multi sports & swimming type things, were good fun but pretty limited. I have a feeling the Ayuntamiento money may have run short since then..........

Domino

it may seem wrong, but this is Spain, where the national language is Spanish.
people are seeing that English, the language with the most speakers in the world, should be covered in even a small way.
many of the Spanish television channels are providing films and documentaries in English as well as dubbed into Spanish.

Surely the opportunity for the local populace to gain brownie points at schools where they are only just starting to offer a second language should not be sneezed at.? That they may be getting a small subsidy from Eu and National funds to support the whole course by offering "foreign language" is surely a good thing.

Millions of people around the world have learnt their English from BBC World Service and other similar radio stations.

Would you be posting the same in China if their school activities offered English ??

cricketman

You fail to understand the issue

Firstly, Spanish secondary schools have offered languages for many years. 30 years ago everyone learnt French rather than English. In the UK, kids "learn" 2 languages, but at the end of it cant actually use them at all, pretty much the same in Spain although things are getting better

But most importantly, English is a fad at the minute in Spain with almost every course, school or nursery adding an element of English. Which is annoying if you children already speak fluent English, especially if it is their Spanish skills that you want to improve

Anyway, this focus on English is just to show off to ignorant parents. For example, the state school in Benalmadena Pueblo is now officially bilingual, meaning they do 12 hours a week in English. However, they have no English teachers i.e. teachers who are fluent in speaking English.

The teachers teaching English do so phonetically with no understanding of what they are saying (I played tennis with a teacher at this school who has to give the lesssons, doesnt speak a word of English). So basically the kids are wasting their time for 12 hours every week. I dread to think what their education will be like when they leave school!