Learn Spanish during your lunch break!

Tapitas de Español takes place during the main teaching period of the semester and has been offered by Saarland University's Language Centre for several years. What makes Tapitas de Español so special? The programme is led by Spanish Erasmus students and is targeted at all students and staff that are interested in Spanish language and culture. That means there are no teachers! The programme is currently being led by Noelia Richart, who like her predecessor, Eva Luján, is visiting Saarland University from the University of Alicante. 'Our goal is to spark interest in Spanish culture and language, so we talk about a variety of topics. Anything from music to TV shows to politics to art. Participants don't need to speak Spanish fluently to participate— even beginners with a relatively small vocabulary are welcome.'

Participants also don't need to come regularly or sign up ahead of time. 'Turnout can range between 12 and 25 participants. Saarland University has a lot of international students, which makes our meetings very international as well. The Erasmus programme brings a lot of European students to the university, but there are also students from Vietnam, Indonesia or Turkey. This makes conversations on topics like cultural differences and culinary preferences particularly interesting', says Noelia Richart. Noelia Richart and Eva Luján, who study Language Science, were among the first students from the University of Alicante to spend two semesters in Saarbrücken as a part of a new Erasmus cooperation between the two universities. Their home university, University of Alicante, is a part of the European university alliance Transform4Europe, alongside Saarland University and eight other European higher education institutions.

That's where the idea for the Languages for Lunch event was born, which has been put into practice at Saarland University through Tapitas de Español. 'We hope that Tapitas will also serve as an example for future language learning opportunities,' says Elena Fernández, who teaches Spanish at the Language Centre. Fernández also notes that students and staff from all Transform4Europe partner universities can attend hybrid and online Spanish courses offered here in Saarbrücken. On the flip side, students here at Saarland University can also take advantage of online lectures and seminars offered by other Transform4Europe alliance partners.

'I already took an online course from the University of Sofia and I want to continue making use of the opportunity to participate in other courses from universities from the European network. I am interested in taking courses in fine arts and learning more about works of art', says Eva Luján, who led Tapitas de Español last year. Luján particularly appreciates the opportunity to learn about a broader variety of subjects in the Translation Science and Technology programme here in Saarbrücken than she would have had studying only in Alicante. She was also able to earn credit points for her work on the Tapitas de Español project during her Erasmus exchange. That's another benefit of the enhanced collaboration between Saarbrücken and Alicante—students who lead the Tapitas de Español project have only been able to earn credit points for their contribution since the cooperative study programme was introduced last winter semester.

Luján didn't just show participants new perspectives on her home country, but also gained them herself. 'I told them about famous Spanish people and also taught them about what powers the Spanish king and president have. We had discussions about what different gestures and expressions mean in our home countries. These types of topics make it easier for people to join in the conversation and motivate them to apply their Spanish language skills.' Luján likes how the courtyard of the KHG (Catholic Students Association) takes on a Mediterranean feel on summer days, reminding her of home. 'Tapitas de Español also inspired further cooperation between the KHG and the Language Centre. We are very grateful that the Catholic Students Association, particularly Katrin Altmeier, supports us by providing ingredients for the tapas and by providing a place to meet. Sharing something to eat brings people together and helps create a relaxed atmosphere', adds Elena Fernández, a Language Centre Spanish teacher.

Interested in sharpening your Spanish skills and participating in the cultural exchange? Tapitas de Español welcomes participants every Tuesday during the main semester teaching period from 12–12.45 p.m. in the KHG Café (Building A3 1) on the Saarbrücken campus. The meetings will once again take place during the coming winter semester and be led by the new Erasmus students from Alicante. The meetings might take place on a different day next semester. In that case, the change will be announced in good time.

Further information:

https://www.uni-saarland.de/einrichtung/sprachenzentrum/sprachen-kulturen/spanisch.html