London opens the door to literature in Spanish language
Instituto Cervantes in London welcomes the presentation of a book celebrating twelve Spanish and Latin American authors living in the British capital.
Twelve Spanish-language authors from Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain and Ecuador will speak today at 7pm at the London headquarters of Instituto Cervantes. All the writers now live and work in London, and their new book, Visitors II was written after attending the creative writing workshop, El Ojo de la Cultura Hispanoamericana (The Eye of Hispanic American Culture).
«London is a literary and creativity capital in Spanish because of the number of Spanish speakers who create in it,» says Ignacio Peyró, director of the Cervantes Institute in London, who highlights the Latin American vocation of the centre.
The twelve Spanish and Latin American authors are: José Luis Gutiérrez Trueba, Denisse Vargas Bolaños, Lester Gómez Medina, Santiago Peluffo Soneyra, Marijo Alba, Natalia Casali, Jael de la Luz, Ana Vidal, Diana Huarte, Claudia Lozano, Stephanie Russo and Martín Belzunce, coordinated by the Argentine writer Enrique D. Zattara.
All of them will talk about their work and their experience after attending the writing workshop that Zattara started in September 2015 and through which thirty writers have attended both face to face or online.
The Eye of Hispanic American Culture, ZTR Radio and Instituto Cervantes in London have been collaborating together since October 2017 in the “Authors in search of reader” cycle, aimed at spreading the work of Spanish-American writers still little known in this country among the British readers.
Writing workshops to improve stories
Zattara highlights the role of writing workshops to help writers, through the development of techniques and resources to improve the story and going through what will work or not. In addition, he explains how they disassemble the stories and resources used by writers such as the Argentine Jorge Luis Borges.
“Ricardo Piglia said that the first writings were particularly interesting because they were portrayed in the search for a style and the commitment to a way in which to think about literature”, says writer Carlos Fonseca, author of the prologue in this book. «The beauty of a book like this falls, then, on that style and form are thought collectively.»
In the case of the writer Lester Gómez Medina, a Costa Rican of Nicaraguan origin, four of his short stories are included. In them, he gathers his childhood experiences and how they impact on adult life. Gómez Medina highlights the role of the workshops as a speaker of the Spanish language in London, as well as to consolidate the writing and create a link with other writers to whom he already calls friends.
On the other hand, Diana Huarte, Argentine singer of electronic music of the group called Shh, arrived at the writing workshop two years ago after a health problem and eager to develop her creativity. In addition, the Cantabrian José Luis Gutiérrez Trueba joins the project with his stories, inspired by ideas that he takes from the street, news he is reading throughout the day, reflections of the current era and the impact of social networks and Brexit.
A project to spread to Spanish-speaking creators
The Eye of Hispanic American Culture in London is a multimedia cultural project that aims to communicate and disseminate with Spanish-speaking artistic creators worldwide. They develop their motives through various formats, such as radio culture, through ZTR radio podcasts in which they carry out exclusively cultural programming in Spanish and English, which is also broadcast live in collaboration with ExraRadio1 of London.
In addition, they make cycles, readings and conferences for the dissemination and knowledge of Hispanic-American artists, in Spanish and English. These projects are both lone-ventures as well as in collaboration with institutions such as the Cervantes Institute, various Latin American Embassies, and some universities. They also organise public shows where they stage encounters of artistic disciplines such as poetry, music and dance, theater, cinema for the audience.
Interest to learn Spanish increases: official DELE exams in may grow 21% in London
On May 24th and 25th, Instituto Cervantes in London will hold 2019’s first set of , the official Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE) Diplomas. The enrolment in these programmes is at 163 students. This figure Spanish represents a 21% increase compared to the number of students that took the same exam on the same date in 2018.
The DELE Spanish Diplomas are official qualifications certifying the degree of competence and mastery of Spanish, granted by Instituto Cervantes on behalf of Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Spain and, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Unión and Cooperation of Spain.
In the 2019 DELE applications, the most popular qualification is A2 (49 applications), followed by level B1 (29 applications) and the B2 test (24 applications). The DELE examinations are designed following the guidelines of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) of the Council of Europe.
The Director of the Instituto Cervantes in London, Ignacio Peyró, said of the increase: “In a country that has traditionally had little attachment for certification, these figures are very positive. The DELE is a test of great quality, and its certification is very useful for curricular purposes – these are two keys to its success”.
Additionally, the DELE diplomas are a compulsory test for Sephardic Jews who are now able to claim Spanish nationality thanks to a new law. The Law introduced in June 2015 makes the acquisition of Spanish citizenship possible for the Sephardic Jews that are descendants of those expelled from Spain in the 15th Century without renouncing their current citizenship and without requiring residency in Spain.
This is the case of Andy, a British student with Sephardic Jew ancestry who took DELE exam in February to apply for the Spanish nationality. “After the Spanish government passed the Sephardic law, I looked into my family history and my family tree and I realized that I could ask for the Spanish citizenship. I had already studied Spanish at school, I travel to Spain frequently and I have many Spanish friends, so it was not difficult for me to pass the exam,” says Andy.
The Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE) are official qualifications which prove the level of proficiency in the Spanish language and which are awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. In short, these are the only qualifications in the world to prove fluency in Spanish.
What are the advantages of having a DELE qualification?
- They are official qualifications.
- They are recognised internationally by private companies, chambers ofcommerce and public and private educational organisations.
- In Spain, they give you access to universities, official language schools, business schools and jobs with the civil service.
- They are increasingly more in demand at universities in other countries.
- They are valid indefinitely: qualifications for life.
- They comply with the guidelines of the Common European Framework (MCER).
- They make it easier for you to work and study in other countries and also to obtain grants.
«Instituto Cervantes in London organizes specific courses for the preparation of DELE candidates and they are always very well received: there are courses once a week throughout the term, but also intensive courses in the weeks prior to each call,» says Pablo Martínez Gila.
Given the good reception of the diplomas, the Cervantes Institute in London reinforces the offer of DELE preparation courses for all levels with a wide range of options in May and July.
In addition to the May session, there will be more DELE 2019 exam sessions at the Instituto Cervantes in London on these dates:
– 12 July (written exam), 12/13 July (oral exam). Levels: A2, B1, B2, C1- Registration deadline: 16 May
– 13 September (written and oral exam). Level A2 – Registration deadline: 24 July
– 22 November (written and oral exam), DELE for Young Learners: Levels: A1, A2/B1 – Registration deadline: 9 October
– 23 November (written exam), 22/23 November (oral exam). Levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 – Registration deadline: 9 October
Pablo Albo makes the London public laugh with his stories
Storyteller Pablo Albo (Alicante, 1971) made the British public laugh yesterday with his «Storytelling: Little Edifying Stories» at an event held at Reina Sofia library, at the Instituto Cervantes in London.
The stories were based on a string of lies. But instead of trying to deceive the audience, Albo revelled in the «pure fiction» of the stories and the simplicity of oral narration. This was the storyteller’s first visit to London, who travels the world with this stories from Ireland, to Australia and Brazil.»Between a person telling a story and others listening, there is a personal and very intense contact. It generates a dynamic that we are all in the same, everyone is included and there is a very large connection through the word,» says Albo.
“Coming to London has been a very beautiful and very enriching experience. The link was Spanish, with children of different levels and backgrounds. It has been very nice to see kids with whom I shared the word, the thread of the story and the narrative,» says Albo, after a three-day tour in the British capital in which he also took his storytelling to Parkwood Primary School and the Cañada Blanch Spanish School.
Albo considers himself a ‘word tamer’ with 25 years of experience. Everyday, he submits words to «a curious and exhaustive training». In fact, he piles them up, he orders them, makes them into turrets, redoubles the corners, he scours the adjectives, and then finally adjusts them.
It’s not an easy job, but he laughs a lot and takes delight in his work; sees beauty in the nooks and crannies and intricacies of the stories that form around him. And he knows that ultimately, words are never really what they seem. What’s left unsaid is often as important as what’s said.
Back in seventh grade, Albo won the story contest of his class. They gave him a rubber ball and a magnetic set. It was the start of nurturing his talent. He did not stop writing stories and in 1994 he began to recount them out loud.
Albo then studied Social Work at the University of Alicante, but never got to practice. With two friends, he founded the Albo group, which provided him with inspiration and satisfaction for more than ten years. But now he follows the adventure alone, using only words and gestures.
«I started in this world as a hobby, I never thought it would be my job, I did not intend it or anything. They were calling me from more places and it became my profession, without intending it. For pleasure, I have always enjoyed a lot,» he acknowledges.
Albo has published more than 30 children’s books and has participated in five books of stories for adults. His work has been translated into English, German, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Last chance to ENROL in our AVE online courses with Tutor Support
ENROLMENT for the following course is now open.
AVE: Spanish Online Course with Tutor Support
Duration: 20 week course Fee:125 pounds
Includes:
– Online interactive material
– Online individual tutorials
-Library card with access to all the library materials for 6 months
Levels available: A1.1 A1.2 , A2.1 A2.2 B1.1 B1.2, B1.3 B1.4
Enrolment: OpenStarting date: 23/04/12 Please contact us on +44 20 7201 0750 or +44 20 7235 0353 (9.30 am to 7.00 pm weekdays – 9.30 am to 4.30 pm Saturdays, UK time)
Course description:
When the course is due to start students will receive a schedule with the online material to be covered throughout the course. A reminder of this work will be sent every week. Every other week the course tutor will also suggest a written task to practise the contents covered during that period. Students can assess their progress by checking the correct answers to the different activities and by doing the self-evaluation tests. In addition to this, the regularly suggested written tasks will be corrected by the tutor and sent back with comments and explanations.
With AVE there is unlimited 24/7 access to the online material for the duration of the course. Students do not need to go online at specific times. Students doing this option will need to work 2 to 3 hours per week The course is designed to give maximum flexibility, which means that every student can decide when it’s the best time for them to do their weekly work.
A certificate will be awarded to those students who complete the course successfully.
Level: To find out the right course for you please follow the instructions in the attachment and send a brief email to chusvence@cervantes.es with your name, surname and the course of your choice. Please remember you must enrol in one specific course (A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, B1.1, B1.2, B1.3 or B1.4).
ENROLMENT Reference, Course 476: Please contact us on +44 20 7201 0750 or +44 20 7235 0353 (9.30 am to 7.00 pm weekdays – 9.30 am to 4.30 pm Saturdays, UK time). Please try again if you cannot get through, as our staff may be busy with face to face queries and enrolment. Please note that payment must be made by credit or debit card only and must be completed before the beginning of the course.
We hope this course is of interest to you and we look forward to having you as one of our students.
Kind regards,
Spanish Courses Winter 2023
Online Spanish courses
