Motivation
I started learning Spanish a long time ago and had already been to Spain several times on educational leave from my previous job. However, for personal reasons, I stopped learning at some point. Over the years, I naturally lost a lot of what I had learned, especially the rather complicated Spanish grammar. For about two years now, I have been attending courses at the adult education center in Flensburg again. Since I recently started supervising a third-party funded project with a Spanish-speaking partner, it was time for me to take an intensive course that would allow me to apply what I had learned directly. So I decided on the very appealing program offered by Universidad Católica de Valencia.
Preparation
It is always advisable to arrange accommodation and travel as early as possible. I was lucky to find accommodation very close to the campus, which meant I didn't have to use public transport in the mornings. As I was put off by the prospect of a 30-hour train journey with several changes, I flew to Valencia instead.
Stay
We were 15 participants in the course, coming from Morocco, Pakistan, and universities in Poland, Italy, France, Croatia, Switzerland, and Germany. This diverse mix ensured that Spanish was spoken even during the breakfast break and lunch together. The course had a very good mix of grammar, listening comprehension, and speaking exercises and was appropriate for the level of the course taken. The Language Institute at the Universidad Católica de Valencia is run by a very young team who accompanied us throughout the day and put together a great cultural program.
Conclusion
I learned a lot from the intensive course and the opportunity to use the language in my free time while I was there. Speaking is now much easier for me again and I am highly motivated to continue learning.
Participating in the Erasmus+ program is a wonderful opportunity to develop personally, make contacts, and broaden your horizons.