Dr Javier Guijo Galván and Ms Dolores Pizzaro Escribano with the foreign language students
Photo Credit: Instituto Cervantes de Manila
On 3 May 2024, thirty-nine Xavier Ateneo students taking foreign languages took part in a language immersive experience visit at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila, an internationally recognized Spanish public institution dedicated to teaching Spanish and disseminating cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. The visit was collaboratively organized by the Instituto and Xavier Ateneo’s History and International Studies Department.
Anchored on the framework of authentic experiential learning, the visit was an opportunity for students taking Spanish as a foreign language to practice interacting with native speakers in a real-life context.
With Instituto Cervantes de Manila’s Director Dr Javier Guijo Galván, the students learned about the Instituto’s important role in supporting the teaching and learning of the Spanish language in the Philippines. As a cultural and language center, the Instituto provides language courses and supports cultural activities such as exhibits and cultural exchanges.
Instituto Cervante de Manila’s Director Dr Javier Guijo Galván interacting with Xavier Ateneo’s Foreign Language Students
Photo Credit: Instituto Cervantes de Manila
On the importance of taking Spanish fluency certification exams, Instituto Cervantes de Manila’s Coordinator of DELE Ms Dolores Pizzaro Escribano presented two important internationally recognized exams that students may take to certify their proficiency level in Spanish and reinforce their linguistic qualifications: DELE and SIELE. With these exams, students’ holistic knowledge of the Spanish language is tested based on proficiency levels calibrated in the European Common Framework for Languages.
The visit also included two other important activities: a brief tour of the Institute's library wherein students got to explore some of the center’s teaching-learning materials, literary works of some Spanish authors, and an opportunity to see an exhibit about the important works of Antonio de Nebrija, the first to write the grammar of the Castilian Language.
As a form of support for the teaching and learning of the Spanish language in Xavier Ateneo, the Instituto granted scholarships to two deserving Xavier Ateneo students who will get the chance to enroll in their online language courses.
Focusing on the Spanish language teaching and learning support, the visit concluded with a heightened interest in future collaborations between Instituto Cervantes de Manila, represented by the center’s Director Dr Galván, and Xavier Ateneo’s History and International Studies Department, represented by Faculty members Ms Catalina H Gaite and Mr Gleford N Lagcao Jr.