Student Articles

Julio Iglesias is a world famous Latin singer-song writer whose name is synonymous with love ballads and dreamy poems dressed in music. But what many may not know is that the man and the music were discovered almost by accident. As a result of being bed-ridden from an almost fatal car crash, Julio passed the time strumming a guitar given to him by a nurse. The rest, as they say, is history.

Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain, September 23^rd 1943. Julio is the eldest of two sons by Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga and Maria Del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat. Growing up in Spain, Julio played football and was a great athlete.  He was a goalkeeper for the Real Madrid youth club football team and aspired to be a professional athlete. Iglesias completed his education and studied Law at Madrid´s Complutense University.

Fernando Torres, 26yr old football (soccer) player for F.C. Liverpool and striker for Spain´s national team was born on March 20^th, 1984 in Fuenlabrada, Spain, a suburb of Spain´s capital city, Madrid. Torres is married to Olalla Domínguez Liste; the couple has one daughter, born May, 27^th, 2009.

Immediately when we think of skiing in Europe our minds turn toward the Swiss Alps and their famous hot chocolate. However, I’m going to let you in on a secret, the skiing in Spain and café con leche make for a fine combination on the Iberian Peninsula. With shorter lift queues and generally lower prices, Spain’s Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada mountains are begging to be added to your repertoire.

Barcelona Football Club was founded by Hans Gamper on November 29th 1899, when the game was still relatively unknown in that part of the world. It is the second most successful Spanish football club after its long-time rival, Real Madrid FC. It is said that about 26% of the Spanish population support the club; it was recently claimed to be the most popular club in Europe with about 44.2 million fans. It has a long history of success in Spain, being one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga (Spanish football league). Its most recent success came in the 2008-2009 season, when the club won the treble (La Liga, La Copa del Rey and the UEFA champions league), making it the club’s most successful season to date. FC Barcelona have dominated national football competitions over the years, winning the Copa del Rey 25 times, which is more than any other club has managed, and also winning 19 Spanish league titles.

Dictionaries exist all over the world and provide us with an indispensable source of information. Many dictionaries have now adapted to modern-day technology and have online versions so that we can access all types of linguistic information whenever we need it. In learning a foreign language like Spanish a good language dictionary is vital so that we can fully understand the sometimes varied meanings of the same word. There are many different Spanish language dictionaries, but probably the most well-known is that of the Real Academia Española, who published their first dictionary, the “Diccionario de Autoridades”, in the 18^th century.

Apart from those who actually like it, it can definitely be said that there are those of us who hate it: grammar. It is the foundation of the learning and teaching of a foreign language and the one thing that second language learners find the most difficult. Being instructed in grammar is somewhat different to acquiring the grammar of our native language. It compromises rules which we have to follow to be able to form sentences and thus express and actually speak in a second language; with the added help of vocabulary.

Although many Spanish speakers out there will recognise this word as meaning “sauce”, it is more widely recognised for its other use, which is to describe a music and dance genre. Salsa music has taken the world by storm and is recognised by its up-tempo beats and fast-footed dance steps. Although some argue that salsa is a type of music in its own right, others claim that it is a generic term for a number of Latin American dances, including the mambo and the cha-cha-chá. It is a “tag that encompasses a rainbow assortment of Latin rhythms and styles, taking on a different hue wherever you stand in the Spanish speaking world” (Sue Steward, world music author).

For many people learning a language is a feat. Many find it hard to grasp the concept of grammar as well as to get over the hurdle of pronouncing new sounds in another language without feeling embarrassed about it in the process. Even though it may seem dull it shouldn´t be. Learning a language is exciting and you are opening yourself up to a new culture and its people.

Ever fancied whipping off that raincoat and living “la vida loca” for a little bit? Why not take the opportunity to do some Spanish travel and visit the beautifully varied regions of Spain, whilst brushing up on your Spanish knowledge at the same time? Whether your Spanish skills stop at “una cerveza por favor”, or you are already a competent student, nothing can help you improve more than being fully immersed in the Spanish society culture. Experience the language, the people, the sites, the tapas… the list is endless!

In Spanish cuisine tapa is the name given to a wide variety of snacks and appetizers eaten in between meals; these saucer-sized bites, as much a part of Spanish culture as the siesta and the fiesta, come in infinite varieties with no counter of a Spanish bar seen without them.