School Blog

On 19 April 2024 the tenth edition of the Spanish song contest has taken place at the II Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Racibórz, Poland. As in the past, our school has participated in the event and has offered a free 1 week Spanish course for one of the winners. We were present in the promotional materials and during the gala concert.

The song contest was magnificent. Participants came from all over the country. The level of performances was fantastic.

The prize of Escuela Montalbán was won by one of the following participants: Zuzanna Hezner, Patrycja Baran, Weronika Kramarczyk, Zuzanna Szpilarewicz, Zofia Pawlik, Mateusz Przebindowski, Natalia Smagacz, Szymon Tucki, Milena Szuster.

Thursday, 02.05.2024 / 20.15 hrs
Día de la Cruz: ¡Nos vamos de tapas!
Meeting point: School
Guide: Marisa
Price: each student pays for their own drink*
* minimum: 4 students

Saturday, 04.05.2024 / 08.45-20.00 hrs
Excursion to the Alpujarra Mountains
Meeting point: School
Guide: Juan
Price: 55 €*
* includes transport, guide, ham tasting, insurance

This is, in fact, one of the most popular holidays in Granada, which will take place on the 3rd of May. Year by year, Granada has been a host city for thousands of visitors from all over Spain who want to enjoy this special day in a unique atmosphere.

This festival was founded by St. Helen in the 4th century who wanted to show special respect for the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. As the history tells us, St Helen had a son who dreamed of a cross, which would help him to win a battle he was losing. So, a large cross was built by his troops and then carried into the battle, which ultimately was won. The family was inspired by it so much that they converted to Christianity. St. Helen went to Jerusalem to find the authentic cross, which performed miracles, and urged people to continue worshipping after her death. The modern celebration tradition of the cross dressing has been revived in the 18th century.

Nowadays in Granada the City Council runs a competition to promote the tradition. A lot of crosses - decorated by thousands of carnations - compete for the prize. Moreover, courtyards, streets and squares, shops windows and schools are part of this contest too. As a result, Granada is decorated by thousands of flowers that perfume the city with amazing aroma. Women and children wear typical andalusian dress; decorate crosses, dance and sing. The Granadines walk around the city visiting the crosses, dancing and celebrating this special day.

We advise you to visit Plaza Larga, Casa de los Pisas or calle Zafra in Albaicin and the Corrala de Santiago in Realejo where crosses get the best prize every year. Moreover, Plaza del Carmen or Plaza Bib-Rambla and its surroundings are great places to enjoy the beauty of this tradition. There you can watch flamenco performances during the afternoon or evening on the 3rdof May.

Tuesday, 23.04.2024 / 16.00 hrs
Guided tour of the Albaicín
Meeting point: School
Guide: Francisco
Price: 10,00 €

Thursday, 25.04.2024 / 17.00 hrs
Walk through the Alhambra forest and the Carmen de los Mártires
Meeting point: School
Guide: Marisa
Price: 10,00 €

BOOKINGS AT THE OFFICE:

Hammam Al-Andalus
C/ Santa Ana, nº 16 - 18009 Granada
For more than eight centuries of Muslim customs, the Arab baths have formed part of Granada's culture.
part of the culture of Granada.

Enjoy a Flamenco show at any time of the week!
We can inform you about availability and prices in different places!

Wednesday, 17.04.2024 / 19.15 hrs
Walk through the centre and visit of the exhibition
"Spinning Ahimsa" (Marilyn Villena)
Meeting point: School
Guide: Marisa
Price: 10 €*
* minimum: 4 students

Saturday, 20.04.2024 / 08.45-20.00 hrs
Excursion to the Costa Tropical
Meeting point: Palacio de Congresos
Guide: Juan
Price: 55 €*
* includes transport and guide

RESERVATIONS AT THE OFFICE

Hammam Al-Andalus
C/ Santa Ana, nº 16 - 18009 Granada
For more than eight centuries of Muslim customs, the Arab baths have formed part of Granada's culture.
part of the culture of Granada.

Enjoy a Flamenco show at any time of the week!
We can inform you about availability and prices in different places!

Monday, 08.04.2024 / 20.00 hrs
Tapas Tour
Meeting point: School
Guide: Marisa
Price: each student pays for their own drink*
* Minimum: 4 students

Saturday, 13.04.2024 / 08.45-20.00 hrs
Excursion to the Alpujarras
Meeting point: Palacio de Congresos
Guide: Juan
Price: 55 €*
* including transport, guide and tasting.

BOOKINGS AT THE OFFICE:

Hammam Al-Andalus
C/ Santa Ana, nº 16 - 18009 Granada
For more than eight centuries of Muslim customs, the Arab baths have been part of
Granada's culture.

Enjoy a Flamenco show at any time of the week!
We can inform you about availability and prices in different places!

Minha Lua present their new and most complex musical project in Granada, because of the vocal and harmonic difficulty involved, nothing more and nothing less than paying homage to the legendary band MADREDEUS.

Madredeus is the most important group in the history of Portuguese music. Their international successes and world tours have placed them at the top of World Music thanks to the impressive vocal and lyrical ability of their singer, Teresa Salgueiro. 

FADO-rooted melodies coupled with harmonies and "new age" sounds of unfathomable richness and magic, created a deep and delicate style over several decades.

The next DELE A2 exam of 2024 will take place at our school on the 12 of April.

This Spanish language exam serves to certify that you have a sufficient level of Spanish in order to understand and communicate clearly. The exam was reformed in 2020 and presents important differences in relation to what we have seen until now.

Below we detail its current structure, which came into force in February 2020.

The exam is divided into 4 different parts:

1. Reading comprehension test (60 minutes)
This part has 4 tasks. These tasks are related to your daily life and the environment in which you live. There are 25 questions of which you must get at least 60% of the answers. The first task consists of reading an e-mail, about 250 words long, and answering 5 questions. Task number 2 consists of 8 announcements/job offers, and you will have to answer one question from each one. In task 3 you will find 6 questions. You will have to read 3 texts and relate each of them to 6 different statements. Finally, the last task in this section consists of a slightly longer text, about 350-400 words, that creates 6 questions to be answered.

2. Listening comprehension test (40 minutes)
The listening test is also divided into 25 questions divided into 4 different tasks. Again, you should get a 60% right (minimum). Each audio is played twice. And you will always listen to an example first so that you can understand the mechanics. Task 1 consists of 6 short, informal conversations and 3 pictures. You will have to relate each conversation to the 3 pictures. Task 2 consists of 6 short announcements, with 3 possible answers. In task 3, you will listen to a conversation. You have 6 statements, and you need to answer questions about the interlocutors of that conversation. Finally, in task number 4 you will hear 7 messages, and you must relate them to 10 statements, out of which 3 won't be selected (you must discard them).

3. Written expression (45 minutes)
This writing test, which used to have 3 tasks, is now reduced to just 2. The first text to be written is a letter, between 60 and 70 words. You will have to read what someone writes to you, and answer him or her trough your letter, including everything that is asked in the statement. In the second part you can choose between two different options. Option A is an everyday text, in which you have to write about yourself. Option B is a narrative text, in which you have to talk about events or an anecdote. Here the text should be 70 or 80 words long.

4. Oral expression
It consists of 3 tasks that you will prepare in a preparation room for 12 minutes. Afterwards, you will carry out each of them with the examiner. Task 1 consists of a 2 or 3-minute monologue on a topic, from two options to choose from.
In Task 2 you will choose from 2 pictures. You will prepare a description of the photo you have chosen. Finally, task 3 is related to the previous one. It is an informal conversation between you and the examiner in which you will discuss the chosen photo.

* Between tests 2 and 3 there is a break, so as you can see, it roughly takes about 3 hours.

For further information regarding additional exam dates and the registration process visit our website.

Tuesday, 02.04.2024 / 20.00 hrs
Tapas Tour
Meeting point: School
Guide: Marisa
Price: each student pays for their own drink*
* minimum: 4 students

Saturday, 06.04.2024 / 07.45-20.00 hrs
Excursion to Seville
Meeting point: School
Guide: Juan
Price: 70 €*
* includes transport, guide, entrance fees, insurance

BOOKINGS AT THE OFFICE:

Hammam Al-Andalus
C/ Santa Ana, nº 16 - 18009 Granada
For more than eight centuries the Arab baths have been part of Granada's culture.

Enjoy a Flamenco show at any time of the week!
We can inform you about availability and prices in different places!

In Granada Easter festivities begin on Palm Sunday, 24.03.2024 and las until Easter Sunday, 31.03.2024

The Holy Week (Semana Santa) processions in Granada are very unique when compared with other Andalusian cities. It is renowned for the simplicity and beauty of its "pasos" (floats of thrones with religious icons), and also for the unique surroundings of the processions.

Indeed, the streets of the Albaicín, for example, so narrow and twisted with their typical cobblestones, give a special setting to the procession of the Virgen de la Aurora and the Concepción.

Unforgettable images await the visitor, like those of the procession of El Silencio returning to the home church after midnight by the Carrera del Darro.

And not forgetting the beautiful backdrop, with the Alhambra often to be admired atop its moonlit hill.

And visitors should not miss the Santísimo Cristo del Consuelo y María Santísima del Sacromonte, known as Los Gitanos (the gypsies). It takes place on Wednesday is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking processions of the Semana Santa in Granada.

Undoubtley, one of the best places to see it: on its way back to the Sacromonte Abbey on top of the Sacromonte, where the gypsies receive the icons with bonfires and saetas (prayers sung in flamenco style without instruments). However, this takes place almost at dawn and it's a long way from the city center.