Grace Edwards OH 2023
Wednesday 05 February 2025
The OH Travel Scholarship helped Grace with research for her EPQ
After completing my GCSEs at HCS in June 2023, I decided to continue with my Spanish studies at A-level, alongside Biology, Chemistry, AS Core Maths, and an EPQ.I was keen to take part in additional study in Spanish before term began and I found a language school, Don Quijote, which provides tutoring in Spanish at an advanced level. With schools in almost every major city across Spain (as well as many countries in Latin America), it provided me with a wide range of options. After investigating further, I chose to study in Seville, southern Spain. Seville is an incredible city which is home to 1.5 million people, making it 28 times bigger than Hereford. It is the capital of Andalusia and is renowned for its food, flamenco and architecture. When I arrived at the language school, I was welcomed by my teachers and given a timetable for the week. I met some other students at the school and we got to know each other over coffee before going to our first lesson. I had two different lessons each day: the morning lesson was several hours long and involved discussing and debating a range of topics, and completing exercises from a textbook. We exchanged views on politics and cultures from our own countries, and we each brought a news article to the lessons to look at. I was very motivated by the other students and there was a supportive working environment. The afternoon lesson was shorter and focused on culture and conversation, including analysing Spanish recipes; both how to make them and the grammar of the written text itself. We also looked at how to write formal letters and emails in Spanish. Due to the small class sizes (only two other students!), there were constant opportunities to contribute. Outside of the lessons, I enjoyed exploring the city with the other students. We visited Seville Cathedral and walked up all 35 ramps to see the view of the city from the top of the tower. The whole of the city came alive after 9pm, and it seemed very common to head out for late-night ice cream, a tradition that many of us got involved in without complaint! I also attended flamenco classes with a professional bailaora. The clapping, loud music and stamping of heels in the studio gave me a taste of the movements, the emotions and expressions which are all essential in flamenco. The dance classes were taught in Spanish, so I really developed my knowledge of the imperative too! I stayed in a shared house with seven other students and we had access to multiple kitchens, bathrooms and living areas including a rooftop terrace. In the evenings we often invited other students from the school to have dinner with us. Around the table were people from Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Thailand and the USA, aged between 17 to 50 years old. The majority of us were younger than 25. It was so interesting to share cultures and language with these people, despite knowing them for just a week. We spoke in Spanish – good practice for everyone! Full immersion in the culture of Spain has allowed me to see for myself how the language is used in real-life situations. I have been able to hear the pronunciations of the words, expand my vocabulary, and understand the nuances of the Spanish language. As well as the academic benefits, travelling abroad on my own whilst aged 17 has developed my self-reliance, self-confidence and independence. As I intend to work in Spain in the future, I anticipate that this trip will improve my career prospects. I am very grateful to the OH club and Dr Gray for supporting this trip.Grace Edwards OH 2023