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TANDEM Escuela Internacional Madrid - Academic Programs Newsletter nº 3 - Spring 2007 |
WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2007 TANDEM UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER!
TANDEM in constant evolution... as Madrid itself...
Greetings from Madrid,
It is my pleasure to send you TANDEM’s Spring 2007 Newsletter and introduce or reintroduce myself to all of you. I worked with TANDEM and Academic Programs some years ago and in the interim have crossed the Atlantic back and forth and now find myself back in Madrid and am very excited to be working with TANDEM and University Programs again.
This semester’s newsletter includes a special offer to readers on Summer courses, an exciting new series of classes that will surprise even the seasoned traveller to Madrid as well as highlights from this semester’s students. TANDEM is celebrating Summer 2007 in Madrid by offering two scholarships for Newsletter readers – so read on!
Hasta pronto,
Sally Nava (Director, Academic Programs)
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Download TANDEM's 2007 brochure in pdf format and discover or rediscover the wonders of Madrid.
What are you doing Summer 2007?
Madrid means experiencing the extraordinary vitality of a European and Mediterranean metropolis that is a fasinating melting pot of cultures. It means getting to know the heart of the most important cultural events, the center of economic and political activity of Spain, and the gateway to the Hispanic world. It means having fun in a city that is a surprising contrast between the old and new, the past and future. A unique experience.
Celebrate Madrid in all its summer splendor:
Outdoor cafés, the Retiro park in full bloom, fascinating cultural life with the "Veranos de la Villa", a world class exhibit on Tintoretto at the Prado Museum, the traditional Virgen de la Paloma festival in the authentic Lavapies neighborhood...
Discover or rediscover the wonders of summer in Madrid through our special 15% discount on summer courses for our newsletter readers and for more information and enter to win a summer course of two weeks at TANDEM.
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WHAT’S NEW AT TANDEM?
COURSES FOR THE ADVENTUROUS AND INNOVATIVE
For the curious, adventurous and those wishing to explore Madrid’s every facet, we offer one-week stays in the city with a theme. The themes have been carefully selected so participants can enjoy the best and most representative aspects of the city, and have been designed for people with a sufficient level of Spanish (level A2 onwards) to take part in discussions and enjoy the content.
Almodovar’s Madrid, Flamenco Madrid, Madrid’s Gastronomy, Madrid’s Neighborhood and Shops... Get to know Madrid in all its facets. From a tour of Almodovar’s favourite haunts to flamenco dance classes at the Conservatorio Flamenco - even those who have been to Madrid before will be surprised and enchanted by the city all over again.
The program consists of 4 hours of Spanish class a day plus 1 hour preparation of specific content for the theme program.
All activities have been scheduled for the evening and night time.All theme weeks can be organized for confirmed groups of a minimum of 8 people. For a look at what awaits those who take "Almodovar’s Madrid" click here
TO CELEBRATE SUMMER IN MADRID AND OUR NEW THEME COURSES TANDEM IS OFFERING A TWO WEEK SCHOLARSHIP - FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ENTER YOUR NAME TO WIN!!
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SPRING ACADEMIC SEMESTER 2007
TANDEM is hosting a fantastic group of 14 students from various U.S. Universities this Spring. After the first month of intensive language courses the students have added two elective courses to their repertoire and had the opportunity to choose from: Spain in the Silver Age, Contemporary Spanish Film, Spain- Current Events, and Art and Architecture.
We have already ventured forth to Salamanca and the nearby picturesque mountain village of Candelario where students were able to experience the traditional annual fiesta and participate in a ceramic workshop. The students have visited Segovia, Toledo and more... For information on Tandem’s Cultural Program.
Two of this semester’s students: Ashley and Jennifer will be offering their highlights.
Update from Ashley Gray – Clark University
I have been living and studying in Spain for the past month and eleven days, and never had I expected for my life to be completely transformed as it is now. Before I left the United States I had major doubts of my ability to adjust to a new way of life so far away from home, and now that I am here living the life of a Spaniard, I am worried about the adjustment I will have to make when I return home.
I am in Spain through Tandem, an international language school located in Madrid. Through this program, that is connected to my University in the U.S. (Clark University), I have been given unbelievable opportunities to improve my Spanish, meet great people and experience the Spanish culture in many different ways. I live with an incredible, and at times a little crazy, Señora in a typical Spanish apartment. Here I eat all of my meals and am given endless opportunities to talk in Spanish with a native speaker. This is a perfect living situation for someone interested in becoming fluent along with learning more about the Spanish culture. Living with a Señora has taught me about the way of life in Spain and has been the most helpful part of my visit with the language and along with that I receive a sort of motherly comfort and am made to feel at home.
I have yet to find myself bored living in Spain. My average day begins with a small breakfast with my Señora in the morning and then I hop on the metro and head off to school. I have morning language classes, a small break, and then different elective classes about Spanish culture, art or history in the afternoons. Once classes finish I often find myself running in Retiro Park. Most generally there is a cultural activity planned by Tandem that I attend in the early evening; this includes anything from visiting museums, restaurants, or concerts. Then I return home for a typical Spanish dinner late in the evening.
Along with my daily routine there are several planned excursions through Tandem that I am often a part of. So far I have made day trips to Toledo and Escorial, both very important areas to the Spanish culture, they were two very different and very great experiences. Also there are two weekend excursions that we attend through the program; one of those excursions was to Candelario, a very beautiful traditional Spanish city in the mountains. Here we stayed in a fabulous “casa rural,” which is a Bed and Breakfast type hotel. We explored the town and also took a day trip into Salamanca and saw one of the oldest Universities in the world along with a famous cathedral. We were very well taken care of and all had an amazing experience. Our second weekend excursion will be in late March to Granada and I am very excited for it.
My life here in Madrid is amazing and more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined. I have learned more about myself here in the past month or so than I ever have in my life. It has been an eye-opening and huge learning experience for me. I am very grateful for this opportunity and appreciate it more and more everyday. The only complaint I have is that the time is passing too quickly and that before I know it this experience will be over, thus far it has been the experience of a life time!
News from Jennifer Glenn– Erskine College
In January I went on an excursion to Segovia with Tandem. It was an amazing experience, my favorite so far out of all the excursions. Sonia, the excursion leader, was very informative of all the history in Segovia. I’m not really that interested in history but I loved being able to see all of the things that she was talking about. She explained it in a way that made the history come to life.
The first thing that we saw when beginning our tour of Segovia was the Roman aqueduct. It is such an awesome structure that you cannot help but stand in front of it for a few minutes and take it all in. I had seen photos of it before but to see it in person was a great experience. It’s hard to imagine how they were able to build such a great structure that has lasted for so long.
After seeing the aqueduct, we went to a real life castle. This was the same castle that Walt Disney World’s Castle was inspired by, I noticed that right away. It was so beautiful. We climbed the stairs to the top and saw the amazing view of the city and the mountains surrounding it. We then descended down the tower and actually got to go inside the castle. We saw where the King and Queen had slept, had dinner, and the many other elaborate rooms that only a King and Queen would need.
Segovia was definitely an unforgettable experience and luckily I took many photos to make sure I never forget it. The history there is very interesting and Sonia did a great job of explaining it clearly. For Tandem, it’s going to be hard to top this excursion for me but I guess we will see.
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The 3rd. Academic Programs Newsletter finishes here,
see you soon and please visit us!
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www.tandem-madrid.com |
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