Over the course of two days, some of our Senior Spanish students attended a Spanish immersion Camp in Rotorua. They had the opportunity to speak with a wide range of people and were immersed in different cultures. Most of the teachers were native Spanish speakers the students were able to learn about their cultures, not just the language. They attended a dance class, received in Spanish, and problem-solved in a Spanish escape room. Working in groups we went to the Redwood Forest where we had an activity that included our local knowledge of New Zealand integrated with Spanish. This was a challenge as there were no phones, which meant no dictionaries to search unknown words. Everyone was learning and teaching vocabulary as sharing their local history knowledge.

We were able to practice skills with other people, enabling all students to step outside of the classroom comfort zones, engage in conversation with other students, sometimes making mistakes, but that was part of the learning.

It was a great experience.