To mark Día de la Hispanidad, celebrated on 12 October, the Spanish team at Lycée Français René Cassin d’Oslo chose to highlight “El español y todo lo que nos une”: Spanish and everything that brings us together. From first words in 5e to literary discussions in 1re, two projects gave students opportunities to discover the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world and share their language learning.
Our 5e students, who have just started learning Spanish, took part in the celebration by sharing their favourite words in a video. It was a simple way to practise speaking the language they have chosen to learn and introduce others to the words they enjoy. As they progress through school, these early steps will help them develop a deeper understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures and countries.
Meanwhile, students in 1re 2 welcomed the Ambassador of El Salvador and her husband for a “tertulia literaria”, a gathering devoted to literature and conversation. Led by Mr Casado, the session formed part of the curriculum theme “Identities and Exchanges”, exploring childhood, nature and rural life in Spanish-language literature.
Through short stories and traditional tales, students explored these themes while developing their reading and listening comprehension. Conversations with their guests also gave them opportunities to practise spoken interaction and discover some of the distinctive features of Spanish spoken in El Salvador.
The visit brought classroom learning to life. Literature became a starting point for asking questions, exchanging ideas and discovering a culture through people who had come to share it. It also offered an insight into the diversity of the language, through stories and expressions passed down from one generation to the next.
These two projects illustrate the different stages of learning Spanish at LFO: the enjoyment of discovering and saying those first words, followed by the ability to read, understand and take part in a conversation. Both reflect a shared desire to make language a means of connecting with others and discovering the world.
Our warm thanks to the Ambassador of El Salvador and her husband for their visit and conversations with our students, and to the Spanish team for organising these projects.
