点评:I feel so lucky that a random web search led me to El Cuelebre. I had been wanting to do a Spanish immersion program for several years now but didn’t want to do a traditional program with outdated teaching methods. Also, because my summer vacation time is short and precious, I wanted to do the immersion in a beautiful place at a pace that felt right for me. El Cuelebre was the answer to all of my hopes.
Alfredo and Jimena have built their homestay-Spanish immersion program with a great deal of intention and care. As Jimena told me, since they weren’t just copying someone else’s blueprint, they thought deeply about what they themselves would have wanted in an immersion program if they traveled to another country.
El Cuelebre provided a tranquil refuge in the green mountains of Asturias to focus on my Spanish skills. We had conversations over every meal and over hikes in the surrounding hills and mountains. Throughout the day, Alfredo took notes on the grammatical challenges he observed in our conversations, as well as new vocabulary, and then he went in depth into these areas in our more targeted morning and evening classes. It really challenged me having to engage in sustained conversations over multiple hours a day, but it was also super fun to express myself on topics I had never attempted to discuss in Spanish. Both Jimena and Alfredo are brilliant and well read and have lively insights on a huge range of topics. I admire both of them deeply.
I left El Cuelebre with a clearer picture of where the gaps are in my Spanish skills, as well as practical ideas for integrating more Spanish exposure into my busy life. More than anything, the experience reinvigorated my commitment to deepening my Spanish skills, not from a place of obligation but because these few days reminded me how fun it is to communicate across language and culture with other interesting human beings!
One last thing: the butterflies and wildflowers in this region are absolutely beautiful! I am from Northern California, with access to a lot of beautiful nature, but the pristine butterfly habitats along the hikes in Somiedo were unparalleled! I was astounded by the diversity of butterflies we encountered and even saw several hummingbird moths! What a treat.
El Cuelebre is a gem. I hope to return one day and experience its beauty in a different season.
翻译:我觉得自己非常幸运,一次随机的网页搜索让我发现了El Cuelebre。多年来我一直希望参加西班牙语沉浸式课程,但又不想选择那些采用过时教学方法的传统课程。此外,由于我的暑假时间有限且十分宝贵,我希望能在风景优美的地方,以适合自己的节奏来学习。El Cuelebre正好满足了我所有的期望。阿尔弗雷多和希梅娜倾注了大量心血与用心来打造他们的家庭寄宿式西班牙语沉浸式学习项目。正如希梅娜对我说的那样,由于他们并非单纯照搬他人的模式,因此他们深入思考过:如果自己去国外旅行,会希望从沉浸式课程中获得什么。
El Cuelebre为我提供了一个宁静的避风港——位于阿斯图里亚斯的青山之中,让我得以专心提升自己的西班牙语水平。我们会在每顿饭时,以及在周围的丘陵和山地徒步时聊天。一整天里,阿尔弗雷多都会记下我们在对话中遇到的语法难点以及新学到的词汇;随后,他会在我们针对性更强的晨课与晚课上对这些内容进行深入讲解。每天要连续数小时进行对话,这对我来说确实是一种挑战。不过,能够用西班牙语来表达那些我从未尝试讨论过的话题,也特别有趣。吉梅娜和阿尔弗雷多都才华横溢且博学多才,他们对各种话题都有着独到的见解。我打心眼里钦佩他们俩。
参加完El Cuelebre的课程后,我更清楚地认识到自己西班牙语能力上的不足之处,也获得了很多切实可行的建议,以便在我繁忙的生活中增加接触西班牙语的机会。最重要的是,这次经历重新激发了我提升西班牙语水平的决心。并非出于义务,而是因为这几天让我重新体会到:与其他有趣的人跨越语言和文化的障碍进行交流是多么有趣啊!
最后一点:这一地区的蝴蝶和野花简直美不胜收!我来自北加州,那里也有许多美丽的自然景观,但索米埃多徒步路线沿途那些原始而纯净的蝴蝶栖息地真是无与伦比!我们遇到的蝴蝶种类之丰富令我惊叹不已,甚至还看到了好几只蜂鸟蛾!真是享受啊。
埃尔奎莱布雷真是个宝藏之地。希望有一天能故地重游,在不同季节里领略它的美丽。