Learning Exchange to Valencia in 2022

In the first learning exchange we took in WEBS, there were two teachers and five students attending from each country, all students having a bilingual background, some of the teachers as well. They used English as the main communication language, but also their other native languages.

On Monday we had the introduction of students and teachers, the students held presentations about the four different schools and bilingual systems and there was a tour around IES Benicalap school. Later on there was a visit to Natural Park L’Albufera. Populated with distinctive plant and wildlife, the landscape here fuses rice fields, dunes, a coastal lagoon and wild beaches. The students were given a boat tour around the rice fields.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were dedicated to the workshop on the digital tours. Thus, the students created and used an app to create a digital tourist guide of each of the countries: Germany, France, Poland, Spain. The students worked in bilingual groups and used different languages to edit it. In the afternoons there were quick visits to the Arts and Science Museum, an example of Valencian avant-garde architecture, designed by renowned architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela and also a visit to El Cabanyal, a traditional fishing area in Valencia city, there was also a historical tour around the area and the Valencian beach. Besides, the students visited the Valencian Town Hall, a majestic building in Valencia's city with an impressive clock tower. There was also a historical Gymkhana around Valencia old city centre. two guided tours and exhibitions at MUVIM, Valencian Museum of Enlightenment and Modernity, a tour that offers and intelectual and historical adventure which helps us understand today's society. All the information gathered was then added to the app the students created. There were also some activities in the evening, such as a volleyball activity at the beach and optionally a taste of “horchata”, a typical Valencian sweet (non-alcoholic) drink made from “chufa” (tigernut), and “fartons”, long, sweet yeasted buns which accompany this drink.

On Friday everybody participated to the Workshop: Creation of a video about the Erasmus experience in Valencia, the students created short videos of their most meaningful experiences staring with their departure in their countries and ending with their last day in the host school. The videos were made in groups, in English and partly with subtitles in the second native language, and will be shown in conferences in each participant school. After a common paella lunch, the day ended with a visit to Fallero Artist Museum, a workshop where the traditional monuments of the typical festival of Valencia, Fallas, are built and a visit to visual arts space BOMBAS GENS and a guided tour through its exhibitions.

The activities in Valencia were very diverse and aimed at getting acquainted with the life, history and surroundings of the bilingual students and their families in Valencia.  Besides improving their intercultural competence and language abilities by communicating with their partners and host families in English and/or their second native language and editing videos, the app and subtitles in different languages, the students used the knowledge they acquired in their schools to present their schools, families and historical background and learnt a lot about the historical background of their Spanish bilingual partners. The learnt a lost about the major historical events common to all countries and noted similarities and differences on how national history impacts family history. All this new knowledge and the experiences they had were documented in short videos and will be presented in the regular history and language classes, as well as in the students’, teachers‘ and school conferences, so that they will also benefit their classmates and encourage the participation to Erasmus projects. Finally, both students and teachers improved their digital skills by creating the above mentioned app.

Participant teachers:

Mrs. Kaup

Mrs. Buller-Douche

Students of Year 10