Cáritas at Torrevieja’s Sagrado Corazón resumes Spanish classes with over sixty learners

More than sixty people of different nationalities are attending Spanish classes for foreign residents resumed by Cáritas at Torrevieja’s Sagrado Corazón parish, with the support of five volunteer teachers.

The initiative aims to encourage social integration and coexistence through language learning and support for migrants living in the town.

This year’s learners include people from Morocco, Algeria, Russia, Latvia and Ukraine, who begin with different levels of Spanish.

For some participants, learning starts with very limited knowledge of the language and the use of gestures to overcome the first communication difficulties.

Groups and teaching days

Beginners’ groups meet on Tuesdays, with both morning and afternoon sessions, while Wednesdays are devoted to basic-level and conversation classes.

The programme also includes English classes for children on Saturdays, separate from the Spanish groups intended for foreign residents.

The five teachers all give their time on a voluntary basis, helping to deliver an activity that combines language teaching with the sharing of personal experiences and support for participation in the life of the local community.

Continuing after the previous course

The return to the classroom continues an initiative whose previous course ended with diplomas being presented to around twenty people, according to parish information published on 4 July.

That ceremony took place in the parish hall, attended by parish priest Aurelio Ferrándiz García, assistant priest Carlos Daniel Mejías and Torrevieja’s social welfare councillor, Óscar Urtasun.

Cáritas president Jesús Mira López and course teacher Ricardo Mercader Arial also took part in the event.

The closing ceremony highlighted the importance of language for everyday independence, mutual understanding and social participation, and announced that classes would return in October.

The new start maintains that emphasis on welcoming and supporting learners, now with more than sixty participants and a structure based on levels to meet different learning needs.