Why Denia’s Language Exchange Is Booming: New Friendships And Fluency

The connection speech programme successful Denia has go a celebrated look for learning languages and encouraging integration among expats and world residents. Questions specified arsenic “Where successful nan Marina Alta is nan Coll de Rates viewpoint?”, “Which awesome Italian metropolis lies adjacent Mount Vesuvius?” aliases “Who was nan first astronaut to locomotion connected nan satellite successful 1969?” are conscionable immoderate of those that whitethorn look successful nan play pub quiz, a much-loved British pastime that has taken clasp among nan participants of nan ‘Connect and Learn’ speech inaugural successful Denia.

The project, launched successful 2009 by Denia Town Hall’s International Relations Department, is tally successful collaboration pinch nan Official Language School (EOI) and overseas residents’ associations specified arsenic nan U3A. Exchanges person proven to beryllium an effective measurement not only to study a caller connection but besides to merge into nan section community.

Learn, link and belong: nan Denia connection speech transforming lives

This year, nan department’s database includes 110 registered participants. Forty-eight per cent are overseas nationals, astir of them British, though location are besides participants from nan United States, Germany, Ireland, nan Netherlands, Estonia and Ukraine.

Registration is simple. Participants capable successful a short shape stating their spot of residence, age, languages spoken, hobbies and availability. With this information, nan International Relations Department matches participants into tandem pairs. Each brace decides erstwhile and wherever to meet, arsenic good arsenic nan magnitude and wave of nan sessions.

Enric Gil, programme coordinator, explains that complete nan years, respective groups person formed independently, organising corporate meet-ups and regular speech sessions.

From pub quizzes to lifelong bonds: really Denia’s speech strategy unites cultures

U3A personnel Neil Weatherall shared his acquisition pinch nan programme. He moved to Denia readying to enactment for only a year, but ended up making it his home. Wanting to merge fully, he joined nan speech programme to study Spanish. Over nan past 14 years, he has had 2 speech partners. He remains successful touch pinch his first partner, gathering regularly for coffee, and pinch nan 2nd – whom he met 8 years agone – he has built a adjacent friendship. The brace moreover became creation partners.

“I person learnt truthful overmuch from them,” says nan British participant. He met pinch his speech partner erstwhile a week for an hr and a half, splitting nan clip evenly: 45 minutes speaking successful English and 45 minutes speaking successful Spanish. Their conversations covered a wide scope of topics, from athletics and authorities to family and culture.

Integration made easy: residents clasp Denia’s increasing connection speech programme

English remains nan astir requested connection successful nan programme, though location is besides liking successful French and German. Among overseas residents, immoderate person moreover expressed a desire to practise Valencian, though this remains nan exception.

Most world participants are retired. However, nan Spanish broadside includes galore younger people, particularly students from nan Official Language School, explains EOI head Nieves Juan. The floor plan is progressively diverse, pinch much integer nomads — distant workers who person chosen Denia arsenic their location guidelines and who spot connection exchanges arsenic an opportunity to merge and socialise. Their information has besides lowered nan mean property of nan group.

Some exchanges past for months, others for years. Program organisers statement that, arsenic life changes, speech partners besides change. However, erstwhile location is bully chemistry, nan relationship often continues beyond nan programme. Several erstwhile partners still meet for meals, support successful touch regularly aliases moreover recreation together pinch their families. There has moreover been astatine slightest 1 speech that led to marriage.