¿Por qué Valencia es la Capital Verde Europea 2024?

4 week intensive course I spent 4 weeks at Taronja on their intensive course (20hrs/week with 4hrs of lessons each day). Class times alternated between the morning and afternoon which meant plenty of free time to enjoy the city. The teachers made sure lessons were interesting and varied, and organised lots of different activities during the evenings at which you were encouraged to practice speaking Spanish. I would highly recommend Taronja!

OVERALL As a school teacher (of Maths and some other things), I had supported the Spanish trip here with my pupils in April 2023. I could see what a transformative experience it was for them so much so that I wanted it for myself. My time at Taronja can only be described as excellent. Everyone at the school tries to ensure you have the best time possible which is impressive based on the carousel of students who come-and-go each week. All the staff treated me with kindness and respect. Thank you to Maxi and Fernando for running such a unique place. The last 4 weeks at Taronja have been exciting, interesting, eventful, busy, enjoyable and compact with information. The last time I studied a language was 14 years ago. I was not very keen on languages in school but my time spent at Taronja has made me believe that I can learn a language to a much higher level than I ever thought possible. That alone has been worth it. LEARNING EXPERIENCE The teachers were fun and engaging. As an absolute beginner, I did the Intensive course + conversation class + private lessons. That helped with my exposure to the language and the private classes were helpful in ironing out some issues. I did this for the first three weeks, then extended by a week and "dropped down" to "only" the intensive course, which is plenty. If I were building up for an exam I would definitely pick up the private classes again. And the conversation classes were energetically delivered to give you important insights of Spanish conversational etiquette. Overall, I was able to enjoy lessons taught by patient, *knowledgeable* and kind teachers, who have reminded me about the importance of these characteristics in my own teaching practice. Teaching beginners must be tough and it was done with grace, style, poise and importantly, a smile. Thank you Laura, Carmen, Antonio, Miguel Angel, Nestor, Carol, Jenny, Nerea, and especially Mica and Paula for your infectious energy and humour. ACADEMIC ADMIN The organisation of the timetable and classes was clearly communicated in advance via WhatsApp. I know some people didn't feel as though they were in the right class for their level and changes were made almost instantly to help. This was managed by the academic team. SUPPORT Organising, arriving, and extending my stay was made very easy by the ladies at the front desk, in particular Elena and Roza! Emails were responded to promptly and they were always so helpful. Waving to them in the morning and getting a wave back made things feel a bit more like home! SOCIAL Plenty of opportunities to socialise with others at the school. Most people I attended school with were between 19-25. But there was also a considerable contingent of older pupils too (e.g. 31, 40 and 70!). This is all taken into consideration when forming classes and social activities. There are activities organised by the school for every day of the week. I went during high season (i.e. the summer) so there were a lot of people. Some activities are linked to other language schools which broadens your pool of potential connections. A lot are free. Many are heavily subsidised. Because there is a fluid change of people from week to week the extent to which you find things socialable will depend on who you share your time at the school with. But similarly minded people would pay money to attend a summer school, so it's likely to be fine for you, as it was for me! As an over-27, I was added to a WhatsApp group for additionally organised activities. BOCARIOS (Interns) An excellently led intern team support the activities and were a good group to talk to in general. Very helpful! GENERAL THOUGHTS When in Spain and doing things, there is a naturally occurring opportunity to practice the language. Whether you decide to is your own choice! And indeed your experience in general heavily depends on you 😇 . Approach it with an open heart and fresh eyes.

I enjoyed my classes at the Taronja school. I had nice teachers (Ne, Sa, Ya) and learned a lot of Spanish. I got a lot of attention from the teachers, the interns and the organizing staff. There are a lot of younger students (18-30) but I am sure middle-aged or older students have a lot of fun as well. I felt a little bit like back in school 18 years ago. I enjoyed this feeling.There are many activities during the week. You get the chance to talk a lot of Spanish (if you want to talk Spanish). I can't understand most bad recommendations. If you want high-educated native speakers with classes of 4 persons and the very same Spanish level someone has to tell me a country in Europe where you get this below 800 Euros a week! The price-performance ratio is very good, in my opinion. I am sure for the money you pay you get a Spanish boost and a good time (I can't say anything about the accommodations, because I stayed somewhere private). I sometimes have the feeling that in the eyes of foreigners spanish teachers and staff are expected to work for small salaries (instead of a fair salaries). Maybe this is something to reflect on and everybody is free to invest in private lessons. The new school building is very, very nice! I strongly recommend this school (also for students older than 30)!

Awesome school and amazing teachers! A great place to meet new friends and learn Spanish. So happy i chose this school!

Una escuela con los mejores profesores y las mejores actividades!

Оно того стоит Были каникулы в университете, и решила на недельку поехать в Испанию,заодно и испанский получить. Очень классный опыт, даже за неделю я почувствовала, как мой испанский с почти нуля дотянули до основ. Очень вдохновляющие, разные совершенно люди из разных стран были в классах и на мероприятиях, много классных знакомств случилось. Если хотите много практиковать испанский, то вперёд. Ещё в семью заселитесь - не будете говорить ни на русском ни английском вообще. Я общалась с хост мамой с помощью переводчика на телефоне
Учителя преподают не скучно. Мероприятия не дают сидеть дома.
Единственный минус то, что иногда учишься по вечерам, мне было очень тяжело.
И, конечно, самое грустное - уехать после одной недели. Кто-то приезжает на 3 месяца, кто-то на 6,кто-то переехал совсем. А ты погружаешься в эту атмосферу и уезжаешь через неделю. 🙁

Last year I attended a Spanish course in Valencia. Before I made my decision where to go to improve my language I had got very good references about Taronja school. I did not hesitate to go there. My experience with educational process, free time activities at school was very positive. All teaches were well-trained, friendly and very skillful. The classes were full of fun and plenty of new information. Tuesday paella parties were great. All the food prepared by Fernando those days and during the cuisine classes was really delicious! The cultural lessons, walking tours were very interesting. However, the best discovery I made in Valencia thanks to Taronja was the Micro Theatre, which I will certainly visit each time I am in this marvelous city again! I want to thank a lot all school staff for their enthusiasm and kind support! Looking forward to seeing you again in September! Natalia (Slovakia)

The school is really great, the classes are very colorful and they suggest a lot of activities. Actually I'm a beginner and i like the way they learn us, it s really interactive. We're not a lot in the class and I think it helps to learn well too and create friendships. I recommend it a lot!