Spanish Teaching

The Cervantes Institute Introducing Spanish To The World

Dilek — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

The Cervantes Institute, which is named after Miguel de Cervantes the author of Don Quixote, is a worldwide non-profit organization founded by the Spanish government in 1991. The Cervantes Institute, a government agency, has the model of the British Council and the German Goethe Institute, and is the largest organization in the world responsible for promoting Spanish language.

The organization has spread out in 44 countries with 77 centres devoted to Spanish and Hispanic American culture and Spanish Language. The Institute's primary goals are to promote the education, the usage of Spanish language globally as a second language, to create and encourage the methods and activities that would help to increase Spanish language education, and to contribute to improvement of the Spanish and Hispanic American cultures in non-Spanish-speaking countries.

It designs Spanish by offering such courses: general and special including business and conversation classes or online courses. Spanish classes for children also take place in their programme. It offers the Diplomas of Spanish as Foreign Language (DELE) examinations on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. The University of Salamanca and Cervantes Institute are in a cooperation in the development of the examinations and delivering the diplomas.

The Cervantes Institute launched The Virtual Center (Centro Virtual) in December 1997. It is an online service to distribute Spanish language and Hispanic cultures. It offers resources and services to teachers, students, translators, journalists and other professionals who are interested in Spanish language and culture. The announcements of cultural events (Actos Culturales), discussion forums, each of which focuses on a specific topic, and the language classroom, Aula de Lengua, designed for both teachers and learners of Spanish. And also the institute creates a flexible Spanish learning platform on-line AVE (Aula Virtual de Espa�ol)

On December 13, 2004 with the foundation of Teacher Training Center (Centro de Formaci�n de Profesores), the institute helps to improve Spanish teaching as a second language and provides various sources to its members. The Center supports the future teachers of Spanish through its 'Master of Education in Spanish as a Foreign Language', in collaboration with the International University Men�ndez Pelayo.

It supports several cultural activities such as sponsors lectures, book presentations, concerts, art exhibitions, The Spain Film Festival and Festival of Flamenco. A wide range of books, music CDs and other materials are available in the libraries for its members.

The Institute uses technology for the advancement of its services. The Automatic Translator Service (Portal de las Tecnolog�as Ling�;isticas en Espa�a), which is a free service of machine translation sponsored by Telef�nica, was launched in 2005. This service has translation of texts and text files, as well as web pages, from Spanish to Catalan, French, Galician, English or Portuguese and vice versa.

Cervantes Institute makes it available to learn Spanish for everyone and works harder for a growing Spanish throughout the world.

Salamanca University An Evolution In Education

Dilek — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:59:00 GMT

Recently, The University of Salamanca (USAL) has developed several new regulations and continues to increase the quality of education in many fields in terms of intercultural relations.

The University of Salamanca and Virtual Educa have agreed on terms for the creation of a future Ibero-American area of higher education. Both institutions signed a collaboration agreement for the joint organization of a biennial Conference on higher education and innovation that linked to the forum for higher education, internationalization and innovation by Virtual Educa, within the framework of its annual international meeting, in Latin America and the Caribbean.

An agreement which is acclaimed "very important" by the rector of the USAL, Daniel Hern�ndez Ruip�rez and the Secretary General of Virtual Educa, Jos� Mar�a Ant�n for the construction of a future Latin American area of higher education. In this regard, it is emphasized that there must be a relationship with the European universities "course through the universities", in order to implement joint projects and exchange students analogous to what in Europe has been the Erasmus programme.

The goal, added by the general Secretary of Virtual Educa, is to have the same development in Latin America and "encourage the creation of a common space, such as the Bologna", he stressed Anton, who sees in the Campus of excellence of the USAL "a great example".

The transnationalism, culture and language exchange have become an important issue that must be taken into consideration in a wider extent. In this context, The President of the Junta de Castilla y Le�n, Juan Vicente Herrera, offered to the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Jos� Ignacio Wert, export "Model of Salamanca" to the universities of Hispanic America as a whole. As explained above, the University of Salamanca USAL has promoted initiatives of exchange of faculty, student mobility of studies and degrees.

He stressed higher academic institutions are playing a crucial role in the modernization of the country, as well as the construction of a mature, educated, enterprising, solidary, driving society and engine of change towards a model of smart growth to leave behind the crisis and, above all, to build a future based on the training, knowledge and excellence." The salmantine academic institution, must reverse the use of "all the advantages deriving from strong historical, cultural and academic ties, also structured around as universal as the Spanish and Portuguese languages"

The Minister considered that Salamanca represents a milestone for the Spanish Universities and for the other side of the ocean he said, "drink of the spirit born here".

Within this constant innovation and development, Salamanca is an ideal place for learning Spanish, live the culture and studying. The university and the city offer a warm and lively atmosphere with full of excitement.

The importance of a DELE course

Dilek — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:16:00 GMT

DELE is the official test in Spanish as a foreign language and stands for Spanish Diploma as a Foreign Language (Diplomas de Espa�ol como Lengua Extranjera). It is the only certificate for non-native Spanish speakers that is officially recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education. It is arranged twice a year (in May and in November) and on some occasions also in August, such is the case in 2012. Applicants can test their Spanish knowledge in three different levels.

· Basic level (Nivel Inicial)

This qualification attests to sufficient linguistic ability for basic understanding, responding appropriately in normal day-to-day situations, and for expressing desires and needs in a basic way.

· Intermediate level (Nivel Intermedio)

This qualification validates sufficient linguistic ability to get by in average day-to-day situations in normal communication circumstances, which do not require specialized use of the language.

· Advanced level (Nivel Superior)

This level accredits an advanced knowledge of the language allowing communicaton in all situations requiring advanced use of the language and a cultural background knowledge.

It is essential to take the DELE exam to study in Spain and to apply for a job as a Spanish teacher or any private sector directly related to Spanish or Latin American markets. However, Spanish is not only important in these places. Job applicants fluent in Spanish are also in high demand in the United States, particularly in the southwestern region of the country. Hispanics currently comprise almost 15 percent of the American population, meaning that over 40 million Americans speak Spanish at home, making fluency in the language a vital skill for job seekers.

A DELE certification is the best way to demonstrate Spanish knowledge.

There is no better way to get a good result on the exam then studying the DELE while living in a Spanish speaking country. Since the DELE exam is a collaborative effort of The Instituto Cervantes, the University of Salamanca and the Spanish Ministry of Education, we recommend that you take a DELE preparative course in Spain.

According to our experience, long-term courses help students improve their Spanish rapidly and greatly contributes to their performance on the exam. While studying in Spain, students will be able to take a special DELE Preparative course while practicing in their free time with native speakers. This will help students assimilate the language and culture while learning grammar, vocabulary and pronounciation.

The DELE preparation course can also be taken in some Latin American locations.

Choose to study a DELE Spanish course while living in one of these cities and studying Spanish in Spain:

Barcelona
Granada
Madrid
Salamanca
Tenerife
Valencia

Successful Plan to increase Spanish students to Castile and Leon

Kimberly — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 16:10:00 GMT

The 2005-2011 "I Plan del Espa�ol" (Spanish Plan I) has, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, incremented the volume of students who choose Castile and Leon, Spain to study Spanish by 37%.

According to Alicia Garc�a the Spanish Plan played an extremely important role in this increase. By the end of 2010, 45,000 students came to Spain to study Spanish either in Castile and Leon or through companies registered to the Spanish region.

Additionally, at the beginning of the initiative the region had 17 Spanish schools accredited by the Cervantes Institute. Today, that number has increased to 24. In fact, in 2005 only 55% of the Spanish schools offering courses to foreigners were accredited by the prestigious Cervantes organization, whereas today 94% of them are accredited and fully functioning Spanish schools.

Another focus of the first Spanish Plan was to offer scholarships in order to make Spanish learning less seasonal, with the majority of students arriving in the summer. The scholarships offered used to number around 300, now the scholarships available to learn Spanish have nearly doubled.

According to the Minister of Tourism and Culture, their direct promotion efforts used to only make direct contact with 1,000 students a year, whereas today over 20,000 students are contacted in Spanish promotion efforts.

Alicia Garcia went on to explain that the city of Salamanca is at the head of Spanish teaching in Castile and Leon, attracting more than 28,000 Spanish students every year. However, the other provinces of Castile and Leon have also seen an increase, indicated that Spanish learning has a great economic potential for the region.

Spanish Plan II

With a solid framework for the future, the Spanish Plan II initiative is on the table to promote Spanish as a Foreign Language from 2012-2015. The plan is set to be approved in the spring of 2012.

The new program will have 2 major objectives and 3 principal strategies. The first is to bring together the public and private sector to be more competitive abroad, increase and diversify activities and create jobs in the sector. The second objective is to increase institutional cooperation and coordination to improve the efficiency and use of the resources available to the different departments of the Castile and Leon government, the initiatives of local authorities, the chamber of commerce and other participating foundations.

Study Spanish with don Quijote in Salamanca, Castile and Leon

Scholarship Opportunities for Latinos & Hispanics

Kimberly — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:18:00 GMT

MALDEF Law Scholarships for Latinos Deadline Extended

MALDEF is a civil rights organization who aims to help advance the Latino community of the United States.

The current scholarship application deadline is January 2, 2012 and is open to any law students who will be enrolled at an accredited US w school during the 2012 year.

Applicants must prove demonstrated commitment to advancing Latino civil rights in their careers; other factors include academic performance, financial need and past achievements.

Get more information about MALDEF scholarships here

Dr. Juan Andrade Scholarships for Young Hispanic Leaders

The US Hispanic Leadership Institute recognizes outstanding high school seniors or college students for being outstanding Hispanic leaders committed to making a change in their communities.

$1,000 scholarships are available for students accepted to a 4-year undergraduate program in the US.
$500 scholarships are available for those who are accepted to a 2-year undergraduate program in the US.

In addition to the money reward, winning students will also be invited to attend the 30th annual USHLI National Conference. Attendance is required for the scholarship.

Students must show their financial need and the Hispanic ancestry of at least one of their parents.

Hurry! The deadline to apply is December 31, 2011. All applications must include a cover page, background information, leadership essay, transcripts, resume, picture and letters of reference. Download the application

10th Anniversary: Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

The 10th Anniversary reception of the partnership between the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) in partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE) took place on December 15th, 2011.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is aimed to increase American student diversity abroad. The scholarships are destined for students from diverse backgrounds with financial need who want to study in non-traditional study abroad locations.

The Gilman Scholarships award $5,000 to lucky winners who choose to pursue college credit abroad.

Get more information about the Gilman Scholarships and apply online here.

Chrysler Foundation Donates $50,000 to Hispanic Scholarship Fund

The Chrysler Foundation recently announced that it will donate $50,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF).

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is the largest provider of scholarships and financial aid to Latino students in the US. The grant will support those Hispanic students who wish to pursue degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math.

This is not the first time that Chrysler has supported the Hispanic Scholarship fund, they have donated a total of 25 grants over the years worth more than $750,000. The Chrysler Group believes that a diverse group of leaders is needed to drive the next era of the country's economic growth.

Visit the HSF Scholarship website for more information on available scholarships

National Hispanic Health Foundation Scholarship Program

The Hispanic and Latin population in the US is growing, and along with it the need for qualified health professionals.

To help meet this demand, the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF) has established a unique scholarship opportunity to Hispanic students who are committed to careers in health care: medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, health management, health research and allied health.

According to the US Department of Health, Hispanics face health disparities in the US due to lack of health insurance and limited culturally competent providers making them twice as likely to suffer diabetes and obesity.

NHHF has awarded over 100 health students nearly $400,000 dollars since 2005. To get more information, visit the National Hispanic Health Foundation.

$30,000 for Latinos studying Master's Degrees in Education

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation is offering $30,000 to Latinos who wish to obtain a Masters Degree in Education.

Apply for the teaching fellowships at http://www.EducaWW.org by January 10th, 2012.

Individuals must have Bachelor degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) in order to qualify.

The grants are intended to increase the amount of teachers in the STEM fields, as an estimated 280,000 teachers will be needed by 2015.

The Famous Lions Return to Granada's Alhambra Palace

Kimberly — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:31:00 GMT

The famous marble lions are being returned to the famous Lion Fountain in Granada's famous Alhambra Palace.

The number 8 (of 12) lion was recently put into place; it took various workers 45 minutes to place it correctly. It may seem like an exaggeration, but the marble statue from Muhammad V's time in Granada weighs over 300 kilos (660 lbs). The Alhambra Moorish Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the court of the lions is one of its most famous attractions.

The large court of lions, 116 ft (35 m) by 66 ft (20 m) is paved with typical Andalusian colored tiles and white marble. In the center of the court is the famous Fountain of Lions, featuring an alabaster basin supported on the backs of 12 marble lions. These lions represent strength and courage and were part of the Naghrela Palace.

The famous lions have been being restored, along with the rest of the Alhambra Palace's Court of Lions. By spring 2012, the restoration project is scheduled to be finished and aims to return the whole area to its original splendor. This difficult work requires investigation to guarantee proper conservation. The idea is that the 12 lions recover their beauty and purpose in modern times so that water again runs through their mouths, as was originally intended.

More than 200 people have been involved in the restoration project including technicians from Alhambra's Conservation Team, the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute and the Andalsusian Historical Heritage Institute. Additionally, engineers from Seville's Professional College and from the Department of Computer Languages of the University of Granada have participated.

The 2.1 million euro restoration project is expected to finish in March, and the beautiful Court of Lions will be ready for the millions of visitors and photos it will continue to appear in.

Soon, those who visit the city of Granada will be able to view the Alhambra Palace in its true splendor!

Where is the best Spanish Spoken?

Kimberly — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:24:00 GMT

Jos� Manuel Blecua has occupied the "H" seat of the famous Real Spanish Academy since 2006 and a year ago was elected as the president. The Royal Spanish Academy is an official institution responsible for the regulation of the Spanish language.

Yesterday, the 15^th of December, Blecua presented the final volume of the New Spanish Grammar guide of phonetics and phonology. The new volume sells for 39,90€. The new edition was put together with the help of many university graduations from different capitals of each country and also the Association of Spanish Academies, formed by 22 different countries. The idea is to ensure that the Spanish language adapts to the different linguistic varieties that exist, while protecting the essence of the language.

Regarding the myth that the best Spanish is spoken in Valladolid, Spain, the director noted that:

"There is no language better than the next. Nowhere is the Spanish the best in the world. It is a myth that came from Madame D'Aulnoy, a French traveler in the 18^th century, who wrote a beautiful book about Spain. When they asked her where the best Spanish was spoken, she said Valladolid, and that is how it stayed. I learned to speak there, so people won't get upset with me if I say that the best Spanish is spoken in Cochabamba, Mexico DF, Buenos Aires, Tenerife…. and in Valladolid."

Living and Working in Spain: What�s it really like?

Matthew — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:00:00 GMT

During the final week of a 6-month work placement at don Quijote's central promotion office in Salamanca, I find myself in an increasingly reflective mood looking back at the past half a year and wondering how to sum up my experiences of life and work in Spain. For many people Spain doesn't represent much beyond the primary cities of Madrid and Barcelona or the sun and sea of the Costas. In short, a holiday destination rather than a place to live and work; so what's it really like?

Largely unknown outside of Spain, Salamanca has been an incredible place to spend the last 6 months. Known as the "Golden City" due to the colour of the local stone, Salamanca's centre is packed full of renaissance splendour with a whole host of noteworthy sites including the ancient university, two spectacular cathedrals, and without doubt the country's best Plaza Mayor. Even after such a long time living here, Salamanca's beauty is still breathtaking both by day and at night, come rain or shine.

This city is largely what has made my time in Spain so great. During the summer months, fellow blog contributor Chloe and I would enjoy our lunch break on the shady banks of the Rio Tormes that runs adjacent to the office (see picture above) and after work we savoured the evening's warmth in the park or with a drink and pincho outside one of Salamanca's hundreds of caf�s and bars. Weekends were spent basking by the open air public swimming pool for hours on end or exploring every inch of the Golden City. Beyond Salamanca there is a wealth of places to visit with historical places like Segovia, La Alberca and Zamora just a bus ride away.

The work side has also proved incredibly enjoyable. According to the stereotype, Spaniards are very laid back people and for once I'd say that this is true. I'm not saying that nothing ever gets done, quite the opposite in fact as I've found that a relaxed and informal work environment allows people to be more productive. The shirt, trousers and smart shoes I turned up wearing on the first day in July soon gave way to more comfortable shorts and t-shirts, until winter arrived at least. The whole culture of work here seems very different to the UK and in spite of being a relatively large office with more than 30 people in 5 separate departments, everyone is sociable and talkative whilst at work.

Simple things make the difference, like the fact that everyone will take time off to eat their lunch together. Nobody rushes out of the office to grab a sandwich to then eat at their desk as often happens in the UK. Instead lunchtime is savoured as a time to enjoy food and the company of others, and afterwards everyone is ready to go back to work having actually had a proper break.

The first few weeks were understandably daunting being thrown in at the deep end to work in Spanish among Spaniards when I wasn't very confident with the language. However, don Quijote's classes did wonders at the start and when working in the office it's deceptive how much the complete immersion improves your language acquisition. Although I may not have felt I was improving at the time, when I think back to my level of Spanish in my first few days compared to my level now, the gains have been massive. Ever since arriving at the end of June I have had a fantastic time gaining valuable work experience, making new friends, and most importantly for my university degree, increasing my knowledge of the Spanish language and culture to a level only attainable by living in Spain for a sustained period. Best of all is that I now have the confidence to live and work abroad after graduating.

All in all, it's been an unforgettable 6 months and when visiting Spain I will definitely find myself drawn back to Salamanca time and again in the future.

Spanish words- the best and the worst!

Chloe — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

This year has been an incredible one for the growth of the Spanish language. There have been international festivals and cultural celebrations galore. But perhaps, one of the most interesting aspects of the Spanish language this year has been the search for the Spanish language's favourite word.

With over 500 million speakers and such a great diversity of accents, vocabulary and colloquialisms, there is an abundance of words to choose from. So when the Cervantes Institute launched a survey aimed at finding the most popular Spanish word, it was met with huge interest, and over 33,000 people voted from the 70 short-listed words.

The Cervantes Institute asked famous Spanish speakers to propose their favourite words, with people including Shakira, Mario Vargas Llosa, Antonio Banderas, Isabel Allende and Pau Gaso l.

After thousands of votes, it was announced that the winning word, with a staggering 5,489 votes, was Gael Garcia Bernal's entry- "Queretaro'. The top five words (in ascending order) were "amor', "libertad', "sue�o' and "gracias'. "Queretaro' is the name of one of the 32 Mexican states, the origin of the word is likely to date back to the indigenous Puerepecha tribe, when the word "Kerhiretarhu' was used to describe an area with big peaks.

In addition to favourite Spanish words the least favourite word was also decided. The phrase "me entiendes' was voted by many as the worst, often associated with irritating or frustrating circumstances. It was, however, closely followed by "Me da igual", very similar to the recently announced least popular english word- "whatever'. So too was the adjective "insoportable' which was a very close contender. A habit that was picked up on throughout the survey was the great dislike for the use of "Spanglish'. This strange mix of Spanish and broken English is universally unpopular, with the phrase "Te llamo pa' atr�s' highlighted for its poor construction.

While the surveys may not be open any more, they are, without doubt, a great interactive way to get people talking about Spanish, discovering more about the origins of words and expanding their Spanish language vocabulary. Whether it is learning colloquial phrases to express annoyance, or deciding which of the many Spanish words is your favourite, the Spanish language is an exciting and varied linguistic terrain waiting to be explored!

Spanish slang at the cultural forefront.

Chloe — Wed, 7 Dec 2011 11:23:00 GMT

This year's Cervantes Prize, the highest literary honour in the Spanish speaking world, has been awarded to the Chilean "anti-poet' Nicanor Parra.

Parra's educational background is in mathematics and physics, and he was a professor of theoretical physics in Santiago for many years. His poetic career, however, has spanned over 70 years, and his work is enormously influential and popular throughout Latin America due to his incorporation of everyday life into poetry, using the "language of the people' in simple, direct forms.

He is considered one of the most important poets of the Spanish language, and describes himself as an "anti-poet', due to his distaste for standard poetic pomp. He writes in a colloquial and wry way that eliminates elaborate gestures and pretentious inflation, and often introduces slang to create an accessible voice.

Anti-poetry broke with the traditional rules of poetry, replacing careful, metaphorical syntax, with everyday language, unheroic characters, humour, irony and sarcasm. His poem, Test, discusses the premise of "anti-poetry':

Test

Qu� es un antipoeta:
un comerciante en urnas y ata�des?
un sacerdote que no cree en nada?
un general que duda de s� mismo?
un vagabundo que se r�e de todo
hasta de la vejez y de la muerte?
un interlocutor de mal car�cter?
un bailar�n al borde del abismo?
un narciso que ama a todo el mundo?
un bromista sangriento
deliberadamente miserable?
un poeta que duerme en una silla?
un alquimista de los tiempos modernos?
un revolucionario de bolsillo?
un peque�o burgu�s?
un charlat�n?

un dios?

un inocente?

un aldeano de Santiago de Chile?
Subraye la frase que considere correcta.

Qu� es la antipoes�a:
un temporal en una taza de t�?
una mancha de nieve en una roca?
un azafate lleno de excrementos humanos
como lo cree el padre Salvatierra?
un espejo que dice la verdad?
un bofet�n al rostro
del Presidente de la Sociedad de Escritores?
(Dios lo tenga en su santo reino)
una advertencia a los poetas j�venes?
un ata�d a chorro?
un ata�d a fuerza centr�fuga?
un ata�d a gas de parafina?
una capilla ardiente sin difunto?
Marque con una cruz
la definici�n que considere correcta

Parra has always been in constant opposition of the current of artistic movements and literary styles. His introduction of "anti-poetry' truly revolutionized Chilean and Latin American poetry, of which he says- "for half a century poetry was a solemn fool's paradise until I came and settled with my roller coaster"- he created a new caustic path, with a simple, yet irreverent voice.

The Spanish Ministry of Culture annually awards the Cervantes Prize to honour the lifetime achievement of an outstanding writer in the Spanish language, and is considered to be the Spanish equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The award is named after Miguel de Cervantes and the prize will be presented to the 97 year old poet on 23^rd April 2012, the 396^th anniversary of Cervantes' death.

Parra joins the long list of prominent Spanish and Latin American authors awarded the Cervantes Prize, such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Octavio Paz, Mar�a Zambrano and Ana Maria Matute. Jury President, Margarita Salas, stated that Parra had "devoted his life to poetry" and that the award was recognition of his great poetic genius and talent (see video).

The use of slang and colloquial Spanish is often not recognised in a formal educational setting, but constitutes an incredibly important aspect of language learning, especially in achieving fluency. Whether its Nicanor Parra's satirical verses, or just a few Spanish sayings that you want to learn, the recognition of a poet famed for his use of everyday language highlights how accessible Spanish literature and poetry can be.

Number of Chinese Students studying in Spain reaches all time high

Matthew — Mon, 5 Dec 2011 16:26:00 GMT

More Chinese students than ever before are being attracted by opportunities to study in Spain. Earlier this week Wang Zhiwei, who works at the Chinese Embassy in Madrid spoke at a cultural exchange event in �vila and revealed that since 2003, the number of Chinese students in Spain has risen from 500 to 5500 in 2011. That's an increase of over 1000% in just eight years. Impressive.

So what's the reason for this sudden explosion in numbers? Chinese and Spanish are undeniably two of the most important languages in the world right now and along with English are set to dominate the business world for the foreseeable future. Chinese students are therefore driven to come to Spain and study Spanish in order to increase their employment prospects as anyone fluent in both languages would be indispensable for a number of businesses.

In addition, 2007 saw a number of agreements signed between the governments of China and Spain. This resulted in the creation of forums that have in turn set up partnerships between over 100 universities from both countries. A highly successful student exchange programme has flourished from this point across a wide range of subjects from architecture to tourism. The latter is an area constantly growing in importance as last year over 100,000 Chinese tourists visited Spain. This figure is set to rise by 25% each year, showing the increasing interest in Spanish culture across China.

Nevertheless, it is not just a case of one-way traffic between the two countries, with the number of Spanish students studying in China rising from just 100 in 2003 to 2000 this year. With the Chinese economy and many Latin American economies booming at a time when others stagnate, the bonds between Chinese and Spanish speakers around the world are only set to get even stronger.

DELE reaches new heights!

Chloe — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:22:00 GMT

Approximately 20,000 candidates across the world sat the DELE exam this month, the highest number ever recorded. The exams, which took place on the 19th and 20th of November, were held at examination centres in over 100 countries across five continents.

DELE, which stands for "Diploma de Espa�ol como Lengua Extranjera', or Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language, is an official diploma issued by Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, and is officially recognized on an international scale.

The first DELE exams were held in 1988, and since then more and more students have been inspired to sit the test. The staggering number of candidates who sat the final exam session of 2011 this month has certainly consolidated the continued increase in DELE enrolment. The total number of candidates for 2011 reached more than 64,000, which is a 9% increase from last year.

The number of people coming to Spain to DELE has also increased by 14% this year. In addition, this month saw several new countries from Africa and Asia hosting the DELE exams, which further highlights the fact that Spanish is becoming more and more important and influential on an international platform.

The DELE is split into six levels, each corresponding to a certain Spanish language proficiency described by the Common European Framework of References for Languages. The levels range from A1 (very basic range of the most simple expression) to C2 (advanced use of language and extensive knowledge of cultural customs embedded within the Spanish language).

The dates for next year's DELE exams are: 25^th May, 26^th August and 9th November 2012. If you want to get your level of Spanish certified by sitting the DELE exam, all of don Quijote's schools in Spain, as well as their school in Guanajuato, Mexico offer the opportunity to do so.

Without doubt, the best way for DELE exam preparation is to fully immerse yourself in the world of Spanish. Whether it's a vibrant and cosmopolitan city like Barcelona that appeals or a city brimming with fascinating culture and history such as Granada, don Quijote offers a great range of destinations to do a DELE exam preparation course.

New social media site launched uniting the US & Spain.

Chloe — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:44:00 GMT

An amazing new cultural project uniting the US & Spain has been launched this month. SPAIN RED a social network site has been set up by a whole host of important institutions including Spain's Ministry of Culture, the Embassy of Spain in the U.S., Instituto Cervantes and the Consulate General of New York, in collaboration with the SPAIN-USA Foundation.

The digital platform was launched in New York and will function as a social network, digital cultural archive and forum through which Spanish and American people can communicate, promoting career opportunities and cultural exchanges between the two cultures.

According to its creators, SPAIN RED' s main goal is to "bring visibility and promote projects as well as to develop, share and encourage a network of information for all those interested in contemporary Spanish culture".

The cultural network offers a variety of services to its members, providing information about events and projects, taking place in Spain and the US, in the realms of: design, cultural diplomacy, cultural management, film, music, performing arts, literature and visual arts. Each member has a profile where they can add and share photos, videos, links, jobs and their location. SPAIN RED also allows people to share opinions and ask for information on other people's profiles, through groups or by sending private messages to other users.

The site may not have been running for long, but it is already a huge success with events spreading across over 14 U.S. cities and Spain, providing a selection of contemporary art and Spanish culture. Some highlights of current events include a celebration of Spanish Architects in Dallas, Spanish photography exhibitions in Washington DC, the launch of a new Spanish music youtube channel in Salamanca and many more.

The site is part of the cultural program "Spain: Arts & Culture' by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and an amazing platform to promote Spanish arts and culture in the United States while at the same time building bridges between the two nations.

Spain's "School of the Year" contest for US Spanish Programs

Kimberly — Fri, 2 Dec 2011 09:44:00 GMT

A competition sponsored by Spain's Ministry of Education is planning its second addition of presenting awards to American elementary, middle and high schools who excel in Spanish teaching.

The announcement came a couple of days ago because the Ministry of Education in Spain wants to reward and recognize those schools that are really making an effort to promote bilingual programs and Spanish teaching.

In the USA, 4 million young people study Spanish as a second language, making up more than all the students of the other offered languages together. 800,000 university students continue studying Spanish, a statistic highlighted by Diego Fernandez Alberdi, the Spanish Education Ambassador in Washington D.C. In fact, the US is the country with the largest number of Spanish-as-a-second-language learners.

Link to PDF brochure from the Spanish Ministry of Education website

What can your school win?

The new edition of the "School of the Year" contest will recognize 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and one outstanding high school.

The top candidates in each category will win a $5,000 prize, 2nd place $2,500, $1,500 for third place and $500 for fourth. The cash prizes are financed by Spain's Santander Bank.

Additionally, the Comillas Foundation will cover the costs of a one week course on Spanish literature and language for one professor from all 7 winning schools.

The Cervante's Institute, another official sponsor of the contest, will donate 2 licenses to each winning school to access their virtual classroom

Last, Anaya and Santillana editorials will provide Spanish learning materials for different language levels for each winning institution.

According to Fernandez Alberdi, there are 500 educational institutions in the US with bilingual English/Spanish programs. Recent studies show that a bilingual education not only helps to learn a second language, but also helps students to master their native tongue.

The Spanish Education Ambassador went on to explain that English speakers in bilingual environments go on to achieve better results in English than those students who receive a more traditional education. Additionally, these centers play an important role in the integration of immigrants.

How can your school participate?

In order to participate as an elementary school, your must have some sort of bilingual program in which at least 50% of the teaching and education is in Spanish, for a middle school the requirement is 35% and for a high school 25%.

In the first year of the contest, only 57 American schools participated.

Candidates have until the 31st of January to apply. Towards the end of February, 15 finalists will be selected and in March the schools will be visited by contest officials. In April, the lucky winners will be announced.

Who is Mariano Rajoy?

Matthew — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:51:00 GMT

If you've been keeping up with the news over the past week then you are bound to have come across coverage of the Spanish General Election that took place last Sunday. For anyone who may have missed out on what happened, Spain now has a new Government with Mariano Rajoy of the People's Party (PP) set to become its new Prime Minister.

Here's a short summary of how Spain has ended up at this point:

Jos� Luis Rodr�guez Zapatero's Socialist Party (PSOE in Spanish) had been in power for seven years after winning the General Election in April 2004 and again in 2008.
In April this year, Zapatero announced that he would bring the 2012 General election forward to November 2011 due to Spain's economic problems. He also stated that he would not stand for re-election, instead giving way to his Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo P�rez Rubalcaba.
Last Sunday approximately 72% of Spaniards eligible to vote went to the polls.
On Sunday evening the results of the election came in and the outcome was clear straight away with the PP recording a landslide victory over PSOE to win by the biggest margin since the reinstatement of democracy in Spain in 1978.

The PP now has a commanding majority in the Chamber of Deputies with 186 seats to PSOE's 110. Over the following month the transition of power between the two parties will take place as King Juan Carlos symbolically selects Mariano Rajoy to form a new government.

So what do we know about Spain's new Prime Minister? Well, he is a 56 year old Galician who was born in Santiago de Compostela. His political career with the PP began back in 1981 and he was promoted to party leader just before the 2004 election taking over from Jos� Aznar. Since then he has guided the PP to consecutive election defeats before finally achieving success this year. His lanky frame and trademark glasses and beard combination make him an easy target for cartoonists. In addition to being a born survivor in the political arena, Rajoy was incredibly lucky to walk away from a helicopter crash outside Madrid in 2005 virtually unscathed but for a broken finger.

These are interesting times for Spain and many wait with anticipation to see whether Rajoy he can find a solution to the country's biggest issues and win over the Spanish public. Only time will tell!