At DICE Salamanca, we believe that learning a language is much more than studying grammar and vocabulary; above all, it is a tool to connect people, cultures, and feelings. That is why, over the past few weeks, our classrooms haven’t just been filled with books, but with messages, laughter, and a great sense of togetherness.
Under the motto “Words that unite us,” we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a series of initiatives designed to help our students practice their Spanish in a dynamic, playful, and—most importantly—deeply human way.
💌 The Friendship Mailbox: Letters flying between classrooms
Is there anything more exciting than receiving a physical letter in the digital age? For four days, we launched the Friendship Mailbox. Each class turned into a small collective newsroom.
The process was a true lesson in cooperation:
- Connecting levels: Groups of similar levels sent letters to each other, introducing themselves and sharing funny anecdotes about their daily life at the school.
- The challenge: Each class had to answer questions from their “pen pals,” using grammatical structures and affectionate vocabulary tailored to their level.
- The big reveal: On Friday, after exams, the long-awaited moment arrived: the meeting. Students finally got to put a face to the names, meet those who had written to them, and capture the moment with photos full of smiles.
🎲 Beyond letters: The Wall of Feelings
Our walls came to life with the “Wall of Feelings.” Each student chose a word or expression that represented a fundamental value to them:
- Words full of light like “Cariño” (Affection) or “Ayuda” (Help).
- Deeper concepts like “Empatía” (Empathy), “Respeto” (Respect), or “Confianza” (Trust/Confidence).
Every sticky note on the mural is a reminder that, although we come from different corners of the world, we all speak the same language when it comes to human values.
CURIOSITIES
In Spain, Cupid has his work cut out for him, but here we celebrate with our own rules and some very curious beliefs:
- Cupid or “The Saint”? Although Cupid shoots the arrows, in many parts of Spain, singles looking for a partner don’t pray to him, but to San Antonio. There is a tradition of turning the saint “upside down” (literally!) until he grants the wish of finding your “media naranja” (soulmate). It seems a little pressure helps love arrive sooner! 😇🙃
- The “Flechazo” at first sight: In Spain, we are intense. We don’t just say we like someone; we say we’ve had a “flechazo” (love at first sight/arrow strike). It’s that moment when Cupid doesn’t just aim at you—he hits the bullseye while you’re walking through the streets of Salamanca! 💘
- “Media naranja” (Half an orange) or half a lemon? In other countries, people look for their “soulmate,” but Spaniards look for their “media naranja”. However, if the date goes wrong or the person is a bit sour, we always say we ended up with a “medio limón” (half a lemon). 🍊🍋
Learning Spanish is about building bonds
Seeing students of different nationalities laughing together, striving to write the perfect sentence for their classmates, and sharing their feelings in a new language is what gives meaning to our work.
We want to thank our entire teaching team for their guidance and, of course, our incredible students for their enthusiasm. At DICE Salamanca, you don’t just learn Spanish: you gain friends for life.
Take a look at the photos on our Instagram profile.
