SPAIN Trip!
Friday, 16th October 2026 at 9:15am
A group of Spanish language learners from GBHS enjoyed soaking up the rich experiences of language immersion, art, history, and culture during their visit to Sevilla, Salamanca, and Barcelona, with a short stop in Madrid.
Nika Plesnik (Year 13) wrote the following report:
I found out about the trip from my teacher, who offered it to our class as a school program designed to experience Spanish culture and receive short-term language education at a local school. I wanted to go to Spain because I believed the idea of a full immersion in Spanish culture would be incredibly beneficial for my language skills and an incredible experience overall. Especially going to school and living in a Spanish household. That experience is just impossible to replicate in NZ and is a once-in-a-lifetime possibility I wanted to take. My original feelings about the trip were being incredibly nervous about my homestay, but really curious about how their everyday lives would differ from life in New Zealand. Although I felt equally excited to explore the city of Salamanca and meet my teachers and guides to improve my speaking and understanding, I was apprehensive about throwing myself in at the deep end of a foreign country, but I was also excited to immerse myself fully in every aspect of Spain.
I was most looking forward to seeing the small, overlooked differences of the culture and country. I thought it was going to be like an entirely different universe, and in a way it was. The social behaviours of the community, the bottle caps that didn't get removed, how small shops and dairies were in buildings centuries old. I wanted to see if these things were really true in Spain. I was especially looking forward to experiencing the historic infrastructure and hearing the stories of the city's past: History, Buildings, Culture.
My best memory from my trip to Spain would probably be the tunas and tapas farewell night at Tia Tula, a Spanish language and immersion school. The combination of community, culture, food, and music was a perfect mix of everything to create a fond memory for me. I will remember this night for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the activities that allowed me to explore the culture but also to spend time with the people I was with. I believe the mix of familiarity and a new city helped to improve my language and learn new words, especially in activities such as the scavenger hunt around the city, and making paella.
My homestay was absolutely lovely. Our host mother made traditional Spanish food and really made me feel like I was experiencing an authentic Spanish household. It was completely foreign to me, and I loved that immensely. I liked that they made us feel comfortable but did not cater to us in a way that we would not experience an authentic culture such as the language, food or housing. It was a perfect blend; I loved not speaking English and still feeling safe and understood. The family we stayed with were friendly, asked about our day, and I was excited to come home and speak to our host mother.
Food-wise in Spain, I loved patatas pravas. They were my favourite local food, and I thought it was interesting how they taste different in different places but had the same concept. The tapas and concept of sharing food was really interesting to me, as well as the variation of sharing foods. There were so many options, and they were also so authentic. So much paella!
A key memorable moment of the trip for me was walking through the streets of Salamanca at around 9 o'clock and seeing how many people were out and about in the centre. The city was so social, and the activity amongst young people was so alive, and I thought that was really interesting and so cool. I loved the way the city was so busy but not overwhelming, and all of the stores and restaurants seemed alive.
My Spanish understanding improved immensely by the end of the trip. I understand far more than I did in the beginning, and by the end of my 5-day school stay, I felt as though I could understand the majority of what was being said in the classroom. In the beginning, sometimes it was difficult for me to understand when I was being asked a question, so I felt as if this was a really large improvement. By the end of my stay, I felt more confident expressing my feelings and thoughts and speaking about things in Spanish. The only things that still made me struggle were tenses when speaking and also vocabulary limitations, but that will come with time. The fact that my native language was not spoken in the class was very beneficial for me. Going out to explore and buy things and interact with people has made me understand the culture a lot more. It is easier to learn about dress, food, and culture while experiencing the city in authentic ways, such as trying to order food at a cafe.
My advice for anyone who has the opportunity to go on a trip like this is to allow yourself to be scared. Feel anxious and worried, and do it anyway. It will turn into curiosity and excitement once you're in the flow of the city. I was absolutely terrified of my homestay at first, but now I have been in contact with her after I left. I think it is so intimidating to be in a new city with a language you don't know and feeling scared that you won't understand, but it is the opportunity of a lifetime, and being able to immerse yourself in something so otherworldly makes you feel like a new person by the end.
Put away your doubts, put away your phone, be present in the moment, and let the fear push you to be better. Throw yourself all the way in!
