Multicultural EOI

Official Schools of Languages have a tradition of being open to different cultures and languages. Our students come from very different backgrounds and nationalities. There appears to be no incompatibility between multuralism and valencianism as Valencian culture itself is multicultural in its origin as we all know.

Who are our students? For a long time our school has been composed of American, British, Canadian, Argentinian, Colombian, Arabs, Chinese, German, Italian, etc. We are made up of a diverse range of cultures and identities, that is why we emphasize the need for a continuous process of mutual engagement and learning about each other with respect, understanding and tolerance.

In this effort one of our most engaged teachers, Carmen Torres, has asked her students to write about their countries of origin. Look at the widget to see what they have to say.

"Many things have changed in Valencia in the last years. One of these changes is that you can see more foreign people living here. Some of these people have decided to study English in our school. I am one of the teachers in this school who can enjoy sharing diferent cultures and nationalities in a class. I thought they could write something about the countries where they come from. It has been difficult for them because they are in “Basico 1” (except Viviana who is an ex-student of mine in “Intermedio 1”. They´ve written beautiful compositions full of interesting information which I hope you´ll enjoy as much as me. I also encourage other foreign people studying English in the school to write about their countries and contact with the blog of the English department (eventeoivalencia@gmail.com) to share it with us." C. Torres

ARGENTINA

I’m from Argentina, a wonderful country in South America. It's full of contrasts and it became the home of thousands of immigrants who escaped from European wars. This country lived through a big economic crisis and it's still standing.

Before everything, I want to recommend the typical food, it's worth eating a good barbecue, because the meat is the best in the world, there isn't doubt about it. Other Criolla foods are the Locro, the empanadas, the Dulce de Leche, and the alfajores. The huge European influence in Argentina is clearly visible in the food. For example the Spanish have made paella, the French medialunas (croissants), the Italians pasta and pizza among other nationalities.

The weather and the landscape are very diverse. Argentina has the privilege to have the four seasons at the same time. If you want to visit my country, you could take advantage of tourist offers to choose the destination. There are natural and unique attractions, that there are nowhere else in the world. I think, the most important places to visit are: “Las Cataratas del Iguazú” (jungle and waterfall), Salta in the Northwest (colorful mountains and “Train of the Clouds”), Bariloche (snow, lakes and mountains), Buenos Aires (cosmopolitan city), Calafate (“glaciar Perito Moreno”), and Península de Valdés (whales and penguins).

Argentina's fascinating and unique culture is a mix of strong European influences fused with indigenous tradition. It is famous for “gaucho”, “mate”, tango, football, psychologists, and literature. It is a country to welcome tourists from everywhere with open arms.

In conclusion, I think the best thing about Argentina is the people. They are hospitable, helpful, really lovely people, they make you feel at home and you’ll spend an unforgettable time. By Viviana Juárez.

Keep reading:
- Romania
- Palestine
- Brazil
- Italy