A BILINGUAL TOUR THROUGH THE MINING PARK OF RIOTINTO.
When the teachers of the bilingual areas and the coordinator thought about making a bilingual trip with the students, we always wanted to do an activity related to the majority of the bilingual subjects. After having a look at the different options, we decided to go to the Mining Park of Riotinto because it fulfilled most of our expectations, and of course ….. we weren’t wrong.
Our students from 3rd year ESO enjoyed a very interesting tour thanks partly to our tourist guide, Julio, but also to the so different and strange places we visited: a recreation of a Roman mine, the mine Peña de Hierro where the NASA scientists work as if they are in Mars, the house 21 in the English Bella Vista neigbourhood and the spanglish the people from Riotinto speak nowadays, an enjoyable ride along the Riotinto river in a 19th century train and the reddish, yellowish and greyish colours of this peculiar landscape that fascinated us. Our students could also enjoy, practice and learn English with the tour contents and the pleasant company of our language assistants Araceli and Justin.
Ana Rodríguez (Profesora de Inglés)
My trip to Riotinto by Justin Garibotti
The trip to Riotinto was like going to another planet and definitely one of my favorite moments this school year! The artificial landscape and different mineral deposits there truly make the site something to see. There are historical sections of the trip, but my favorite were the interactive parts. Getting to see a replica (and a real) mine, plus the train ride with students was a welcome change of pace from a normal school day. I believe the students felt it too from the moment we had to put on those hard hats. I want to thank the teachers for organizing this event, but also the students! Whether it was singing “Happy Birthday” in the morning or extended conversations on the train or bus, many were more open to interacting with us in English than normal (even those that don’t often speak up in class) and should be proud of their bilingualism.
My experience at Riotinto by Araceli Nelson
The excursion to Riotinto with the students was one of my favorite moments this year. There were a variety of activities we did from walking around the museum, going into a mining tunnel, to riding on an old train along the river. I was fascinated by the diverse colors of the landscape, and especially impressed with the vibrancy of the river. The history of the mining town was compelling. I never knew that the first football team in Spain was from Huelva! I enjoyed all of the activities, however my favorite part was engaging with the students outside of the classroom. I think it really gave them the opportunity to practice their English, and I was surprised to hear such a great level of English from the students that rarely speak during class. Overall, it was a fun experience to share with the teachers and students and I hope to have more experiences like this in the future.
