Puerto de la Cruz
Tuomo Lahtela
Introduction
During my Erasmus+ week Spanish language learning week (23.-27.03.2026), I stayed in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, with a host family consisting of two retired Venezuelans. From Monday to Friday, I attended Spanish grammar lessons in the mornings and conversation classes in the afternoons. In addition, the school organized various activities each day to support language learning.
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The school I attended was FU International Tenerife which is certified by Cervantes Instituto Centro.
On Sunday 22nd I arrived to the city of Puerto de la Cruz, where the the language classes were to take place. I checked in to my apartment and got to know the host family (a retired Venezuelan couple.) They were lovely people eager to share their history from Venezuela to the Canary Islands. I got the feeling that accommodating this way allows me to fully immerse myself in the Spanish language and culture.
First night in a lovely village in the North East region of the island.
On Monday, my first day began with Spanish grammar lessons in the morning, where we focused on getting to know each other. We were three in total - the teacher, a Latvian student, and me. The first topic was Pronominal verbs. In the afternoon, we had conversation classes with a few other students.
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Later in the day, the school organized a tour in the city. A classic tourist activity but very good for getting to know the city and Spanish at the same time.
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In the evening, I spent time with my host family. We had dinner together and talked a lot about Tenerife and Venezuela. This helped me practice Spanish in a relaxed environment.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, the morning grammar lesson focused on pronouns.
After classes, I participated in board game afternoon. This was useful because it forced you to learn new vocabulary.
In the evening again I had dinner with the host family.
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Wednesday
In the conversation class, the teacher got talkative and shared her views on the womens’ rights and the overall politics in Spain. That was really interesting.
The afternoon activity was a walk to a mountain and dinner in a local traditional restaurant.
Thursday
Thursday’s grammar lesson covered more complex cases of pronoun use, which helped me understand the topic better.
Afternoon I felt I needed some time alone so I took the time to read book in the park. In the evening, I had dinner again with the host family.
Friday
On Friday,on the final grammar lesson we had to complete an exam on the topics we had learned during the week.
During the conversation class, we revised the week’s topics, which was a great way to reflect on our progress.
The last activity organized by the school was a toast with the staff and the students. Later in the night we had a dinner with some of the students.
Overall, my Erasmus+ week of 30 intensive Spanish lessons plus extra activities in Tenerife was a valuable experience. Living with a host family and attending daily language classes helped me improve my Spanish skills significantly. The combination of lessons and activities made learning engaging and practical. I also gained insight into Spanish and Venezuelan culture, making this week both educational and personally enriching.