Retroback : The International Classic Film Festival of Granada

On February 22 , it started the VI edition of the International Classic Film Festival in Granada, which continues until March 2.

The festival , called "Retroback" began its celebration with a Gala Opening on the same day 22 at  20:30 h , by the Orquestra Ciudad de Granada with a concert of classic cinema.

 

As every year the OCG adds a touch of class to all Festival: unlike previous years, it will welcome Retroback with exquisite repertoire of cinema.

The OCG will perform works of the first period of American classic cinema. The musical direction of the concerts is by José Luis Estellés , while narrating voice is Larissa Ramos, in the play "The Jungle Book".

After the gala will start projections also classics like " All About Eve ", " The Night of the Iguana " and " Person" .

Throughout the Festival , each day will be a different argument for the projected films : namely, different categories that will alternate day by day:

• Celluloid Myths : Ava Gardner
• Tribute : Luis Buñuel
• Black and white clasical films
• Black and white Fantasies 
• Film noir
• Black and white new clasical films
• Europe in black and white

So each day, we can look at the most remarkable and characteristic works of each category.

For example, Luis Buñuel's " Un Chien Andalou ", " The Golden Age " " Tristana ", and Ava Gardner movies, " Cemetery Junction ," " Outlaws ," " 55 Days at Peking ," " Seven Days in May " , etc. will be passed, and so is for all the categories .

Then , in addition to all the movies , you can attend side events, such as the inaugural concert, that are other activities integrating the exposition

For example , yesterday it has had , and will also next Sunday , a children's exposure to music and classic animated film , with screenings of short films of classic animation and live music composition of the "Potato Head Jazz Band ", so you can look notable characters, as Betty Boo , moving to the beat of the best swing.

In conclusion, the last day , at the Isabel la Catolica theatre, the festival is going to conclude with other displays of the "Potato Head Jazz Band ," who come to the "Film Noir" and to the swing of the 20s, in a black and white evening where they will be joined by dancers Xavier and Ariadne , Indy Hop European and world champions of Indy Hop.

So, enjoy this extraordinary program !

(You can find more information in the web site of the event : www.retroback.info 

Group of Italian students at Imsol

Last week Imsol had the pleasure to receive a group of 19 students from the north of Italy.
We organized an interesting week for them full of activities and nice things to enjoy in Granada!!
As accommodation, they chose to stay in a Hostel and have the lunch included, so we looked for a comfortable place at only 5 minutes walking from school, where we were sure they'd be feel like at home.
Every morning they received their Spanish intensive course, divided in 2 groups, according to their Spanish level assessed through an online level test done before their arrival. The timetable was from 9 to 12.30.
Then, in the afternoon they took part to a cultural program that includes:
guided tours discovering Granada (Albayzín, center and Sacromonte), a funny activity in San Agustín Market, a tour to the Alhambra and Generalife gardens and a practical lesson of cooking paella in a Cooking school in Granada that was their dinner at the end :) .
At Instituto Mediterráneo Sol we can organize a personalized stay for groups of adults or teenagers, according to their special needs. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you have to live! What's the best way to practice Spanish with your friends in the charming city of Granada?

Free tours of the exhibition: Art and culture of Al- Andalus. The power of the Alhambra

The “Patronato de la Alhambra”, is providing free guided visits for this magnificent exhibition.

Thanks to these tours you can immerse yourself in the thousand years of the Kingdom of Granada , and have a unique opportunity to see the Alhambra as you have never seen it.

You will see unique works that are on loan and that will be kept here together for a few months in this spectacular place that Alhambra is.

You’ll have this opportunity only until March 30tth, 2014 . You’ll have the chance to see the 300 pieces that show the importance of Al- Andalus and the Kingdom of Granada .

So you cannot lose the opportunity to say good-bye to the Millennium of Granada as it deserves: with a guided visit to this exhibition .

Location: Chapel and Crypt of the Palace of Carlos V. Monumental Complex of the Alhambra.
Schedule of tours: until March 30, 2014:
- Thursday at 12:00 pm.
- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 and 17:00.
Bookings:
Offices of Corral del Carbon (Calle de Mariana Pineda, 12, 18009 Granada).
Phone: 0034 958575126; alhambraeduca.pag@juntadeandalucia.es

At Instituto Mediterráneo Sol we organize this tour for our students.

DELE exam in Granada. November 2013 Call.

Today, November 21st, the oral DELE exams will be held in Instituto Mediterráneo Sol, for B1, B2, C1 and C2 levels. These will start at 15.00 and will finish around 21.00.

The written exams will be tomorrow, November 22nd, from 9.00 to 14.00.

From 2012 Instituto Mediterráneo Sol, as FEDELE exam centre, is in charge of organization and management of these exams in Granada, for call in May, August and November.

Moreover it offers preparation courses leading to D.E.L.E. the whole year round and it’s an enrollment centre.

Cooking Gazpacho and Spanish omelette at Imsol

At Instituto Mediterráneo Sol you can daily take part to varied activities that will make you get closer to the Spanish culture in a pleasant way.
Last week the program was:

• Monday: guided tour through Albayzin
• Tuesday: Seminar about colloquial expressions
• Wednesday: Extra grammar lesson
• Thursday: Cooking lesson and recipe of gazpacho and Spanish omelette
• Friday: Movie at school
• Saturday: Trip to Alpujarras

One of the activity that mostly student liked has been the Cooking lesson.
After buying the ingredients, students met Odile (the teacher) at school and following her advices all together they prepared the famous Andalusian gazpacho and the Spanish omelette.
And of course the had lunch at school!!!
Here some pictures:

European scholarships for non native teachers of Spanish

Teachers of a training at Imsol

If you are a teacher of Spanish as a second language and you'd like to come to Spain to take a teacher training course, you have to know that you have the chance to get a scholarship from the European Union!!
At Instituto Mediterráneo Sol you can take a Teacher course that is recognized as a Grundtvig activity; this means that this scholarship is for those who teach to adults.


Details of this course:

• REFERENCE CODE:  ES-2014-385-001
• 4 hours of 60 minutes/day
• Maximum number of students per class: 8
• Price includes: Classes, certificate, activity program, Alhambra ticket entrance.
• Price: 730 euros
• Date for the next Spring session: March 10th, 2014
• Deadline for applying to the National Agency of every country: SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2013 

Preparation
The Training Course for teachers of Spanish as a foreign language is for those teachers who have a Spanish level between intermediate and advanced. According to this level, the student can choose between 3 options:
Option A:
For teachers with an independent use of the language (B1- Threshold), who wish to improve their
grammatical and cultural skills aiming at Spanish teaching.
Option B:
For teachers with an independent use of the language (B1-Threshold and B2 - Advanced), who wish to improve their grammatical, teaching and cultural skills for the Spanish teaching. It's also directed to all those who wish to get into knowledges, skills, techniques and instruments to start the professional Spanish teaching.
Option C:
For teachers with an independent use of the language (C1- Total Control), who wish to know about or
improve all aspects of applied didactics and extend their knowledge about culture and traditions in Spain.

Before starting the course, the student will receive:

• Daily course sequencing according to the option chose
• Contents of the didactic and culture of the course 
• More detailed Level Test in order to know the exact grammatical level of the student 
• Form requirements, in order to know the needs and worries of the student learning Spanish

Aims:
It's a General Training Course for:

• Non-native Spanish teachers with professional experience and a skill level from B1. 
• Non-native people, who wish to become familiar with the didactics of Spanish as a Second Language with professional goals. 

Therefore, the aims of this course are:
-Improve the knowledge of the Spanish language
-Become familiar with basic conceptual and methodological aspects for the Spanish teaching
-Analyze the roles of teachers and students in the process of teaching/learning
-Identify the general objectives and the contents of learning
-Offer a forum for debate on current issues of Spain
-Deepening socio-cultural aspects of Spain
 
So, what do you have to do to get the scholarship? Just visit your national agency website or contact them and you'll get all the necessary documents.

Don't lose this chance and come to take a teacher training course at Imsol!!

Spanish and flamenco: the perfect choice!

Our school, Instituto Mediterráneo Sol, offers, in collaboration with one of the most prestigious schools of Flamenco in Granada, a package of Intensive flamenco andSpanish language lessons.

In this way you can learn Spanish and in the meantime enjoy one of the most traditional aspects of Spanish culture. Moreover flamenco classes are taught in the neighborhood of Albayzín adjacent to Sacromonte, the legendary Flamenco’s district full of cuevas. In this place you can appreciate the magnificent view of the City of Granada and the nearby Alhambra.

Clase de flamenco

You can choose between two packages of Intensive flamenco and Spanish language lessons, offered by the Inmsol School. The first one has 2 classes of communicative grammar and 2 classes of vocabulary and conversation, with oral and writing practice, covering the linguistic skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). In the evening the student will attend a class of flamenco, they will learn some of the basic moves, for example the tangos.

The second possible package has 2 classes of communicative grammar and 2 classes of vocabulary and conversation, with oral and writing practice, covering the linguistic skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). In the evening are offered Intensive Compás classes. The last one refers most frequently to the clapping accompaniment that is always different depending on the rhythm. Thanks to this course you'll be able to distinguish the techniques of the compás in all of its different forms.

For both you don’t need any previous dance experience or have to buy flamenco shoes!

You can’t miss this opportunity offered by Instituto Mediterráneo Sol!

For more information: Flamenco and Spanish courses

Sacromonte

Every week a teacher of the school Inmsol visits with the students one of the most characteristic place of Granada.Yesterday we have been in Sacromonte accompanied by Susanna. We have walked, chatted (obviously in Spanish!) and finally got on the top of this beautiful hill! Granada is full of enchanting places and this is absolutely one of them.

The Sacromonte is situated in Valparaíso Valley facing the Alhambra. These emblematic places are located one on each side of the Darro River, whose name seems to come from the Latin expression "D'auro" (meaning of gold), due to the famous gold sediments found there. It is a lovely place with its banks and its beautiful Mediterranean forest. We are talking about an enchanting place, made by Mediterranean wood and coastline, and decorated by chumberas (prickly pear) and pitas.

Sacromonte is the traditional suburb of the Grenadian gypsies, big and enigmatic but especially free community. They speak their language: the calí, and people think they arrived in Spain in the XV century, after having walked through Europe and Africa. In their tradition there is a special celebration: the zambra sacromontana, which has always enchanted the tourists with its charm and the flutter skirt.

The caves are the usual home in Sacromonte. Even though their origin is not so clear the first one were built in the XVI century, when the Muslims and the Jews were banished from the city. Later the gypsies joined them. The caves were born for the excluded people.

These architectonical elements, together with the lanes, ravines, the little squares, the facades white painted amount to a unique landscape. The view and the traditions of the inhabitants make this place and this way of life enchanting. 

Activity program at Imsol

At our Spanish school in Granada, Imsol, not only students take Spanish courses to learn and improve their Spanish. Actually we organize daily activities so that students can follow their learning in a more relaxing way.

This week we proposed this program:

 "Niño de las Pinturas"'s Painting

Monday: Guided tour discovering the Graffiti area in Granada. The most known Graffiti painter in Granada is the so called "Niño de las Pinturas", whose paintings decor many walls of the city. His style is unmistakable as well as his details: children, aged people, wheels...

Tuesday: Guided tour to Alhambra with our professional guide, Juan, who every student loves.

Wednesday: Extra lesson of grammar, very useful to review some topics. This week the teacher focused on verbs that need prepositions and adjectives that complete their meanings.

Thursday: Extra lesson about Spanish short movies. This week the teacher prepared a class on two short movies, “Éramos pocos” and “El número”. After watching them students talks about them on the basis of some questions and exercises.

Friday: Movie at school. This week we showed “Los abrazos Rotos” (Broken Embraces, Almodóvar, 2009). Almodóvar is maybe the most known Spanish filmmaker and here at Imsol we almost have all his movies!!

Tomorrow, Saturday, we propose a tour to the Tropical Coast with our guide Juan. In this trip students can visit Almuñécar, Nerja (with the caves) and Frigiliana and have time for a bath and relaxing on the beach.

See you next week with another cultural program!!

Welcome to Granada!!

Here you have a new space where you'll find useful information to study Spanish in Granada. We'll try to give you interesting posts and suggestions in order to make easier your decision to come and study in Granada.
Our Spanish school is located in the center of the city and Granada is the place where anyone would like to live for a time. Actually here people say that once you leave Granada, then you'll come back in the future... And this is what exactly happened to most people I know :) .
Follow us every week and you'll discover something new about the Spanish culture, Granada and the good quality and atmosphere that people live in our Spanish school.