A group of 34 schoolkids from the secondary school in Almuñécar, IES Puerta de Mar, set off for a short stay in Ireland to improve their English skills.
They went by bus to Málaga and from there flew to the Republic of Ireland before ending their outbound journey in Bray. They will be there until the 6th of April, explained the school Head, Valeriano Antequera.
On several previous “linguistic immersions,” as the trips are called, they had gone to Broadstairs in the UK but with Covid, which put things on hold, and Brexit, which ruled the UK out, the chosen destination was Ireland.
Actually, the school has been there once before, during the 2017-18 school year.
Whilst there, they can practice their English on the unfortunate, good folk of Bray and also nip across to Dublin and even squeeze in a bit of Irish dancing.
For this trip three teachers have been sacrified (if you’ve been on a school trip as a teacher, you will know what I mean). There’s Carlos Muros Vidal, the Biology teacher, who is bilingual, Andrea Rodríguez Serrano, the English teacher and Clara Valero García, the History and Geography teacher, who is also bilingual.
Now you’ve gone and torn it, Ireland – you’ll never be the same after this one!
Editorial comment: (as if there wasn’t enough opinion already in the article) this is just another angle that Brexit has screwed up for youngsters. Anybody below forty has known nothing but being European and travelling freely around what we call “the continent.” 14/15-year-old British kids are thoroughly European and indistinguiable from kids of the same age across Europe, and now because of empire-hankering old farts (who won’t be around in 20 years or less), this bridge has been broken
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
They’re not exactly the first group to visit Dublin. From late spring to early autumn, it is as common to hear kids on Dublin busses speaking Spanish as English. Pre Covid, it was anyway. Last year, not so many Spanish kids. We cope fine and are looking forward to more. Thanks UK, we’re happy – your loss, our gain. Price of alcohol is extortionate, for sure – I have sympathy for teachers – they’ll need a large allowance to afford the necessary drinks.
Mind you. The price of a pint of the black stuff (for the teachers of course). Compared to anything in spain. Will scare them off going back. Us a little bit more rain then even here. !!