I came to Salamanca for five months to learn Spanish at Tía Tula Spanish School, enjoy the city and maybe see some of the rest of Europe. I left to go back to my country of Trinidad and Tobago fully satisfied that I have achieved my objectives.

When I first arrived in Salamanca, I didn’t have much knowledge of the language beyond the very basics and I must say that while I have had some very frustrating moments I have also had a very rewarding experience.

Initially I was a bit shy to speak, as I didn’t know the proper use of the grammar or have the vocabulary to adequately express myself. Surrounded by teaching professionals like Vanessa, Beatriz, Alicia and the other staff have motivated me “poco a poco”. Now thanks to the dedicated teaching of the staff at Tía Tula, and from my time spent as an intern being constantly encouraged by Ana and the rest of the administrative staff, I am well equipped to communicate with other persons in the language.

I also want to give many thanks to my roommate Noriko and the many other students who I met while at Tía Tula who encouraged me and corrected me during our conversations. Their input and motivating words really helped a lot. I now feel more confident in my ability to communicate in Spanish and I look forward to continuing my studies in my country. My time here was well spent and I think that no other experience can top being immersed in the culture and language if you are trying to learn another language.

Salamanca is a beautiful city and this is an understatement. A well-preserved historic city with truly stunning architecture and a wide variety of cultural activities keeps one from getting bored, as there is always something new to do, discover or to see. I felt warmly embraced by not only the school but also the city. The many events, concerts etc. that I attended in Salamanca showcases the city in such a positive way and it is heartwarming to see how proud Salmantinos are of their city and its heritage.

When I came to Salamanca I was focused on experiencing Spanish culture but what I did not expect was to also become familiar with so many other different cultures as well. Being in Tía Tula I have met students from so many different countries… One of the things I enjoyed the most was all the different foods that I learned to prepare from my international friends in Salamanca. I can’t wait to go home and show off my new found skills! To Noriko who taught me to make sushi, Nari who taught me Korean food, Valeria who taught me tiramisu thank you for the pleasure! I also learned to prepare popular Spanish foods as part of the extra-curricular activities of Tía Tula. I’m going to be very popular when I get back home!

This was my first time in Europe and being in Salamanca made it easy to travel around. I enjoyed visiting other parts of Spain and I had the opportunity to visit Portugal, London and France. All the countries were definitely beautiful in their own way and I will carry special memories with me from my first visits to these places. I feel very blessed and as I embark upon another journey in my life, I wish to truly thank the staff of Tía Tula for a phenomenal experience! You have added to the enrichment of my visit and I am grateful.

Debra, former student at Tía Tula.

Tía Tula Spanish School will shortly launch a Summer Scholarship for NSHSS members. In addition to a scholarship for Spanish teachers at High School, College or University. Stay tuned!

We will also attend ACTFL in San Diego, November 2015. Come to visit us at our booth #1652!

For further information about Tía Tula, please visit:

Tía Tula website: http://www.tiatula.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colegiotiatula

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colegiotiatula

Or write us an email: info@tiatula.com