Language exchange in picturesque Cantabria, Spain

  • Favourited 721 times
  • Last activity: 27 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    PLEASE READ OUR FULL PROFILE BEFORE APPLYING and be aware that we can only accommodate ONE person at a time.

    ABOUT US:
    I’m originally from Brazil where I was a Spanish teacher. I’m a married childfree woman. Since I work as an English homework coach and have lots of pupils, I’m always rushing off my feet the whole day, either teaching or preparing my lessons during Spanish academic year (September to June). Apart from that, I sometimes do voluntary work teaching Spanish, mainly to refugees and asylum seekers. My husband works in the mornings and after lunch he usually does some online research study. Both of us can speak English and Spanish, besides that my mother tongue is Portuguese and I can get by in French.

    As I’ve stated, for personal reasons, we can only host ONE volunteer for a minimum of TEN days and a maximum of FIFTEEN days at a time. And as much as I like good conversation (about politics, environment, literature or culture), I also like to be quiet, chatting with my husband or doing my own things.

    Speaking about us, we’re eco-friendly (recycling everything and saving energy!). Having said that, I must point out that northern Spain (where we live) is far from the traditional Spanish sun-drenched place, so do not expect to have a sweltering summer. In our two-storey house we do NOT turn the heating on from March to November; hence be prepared to wear warm clothing and use blankets.

    We’re also easy-going, good-humored, polite, educated, respectful, generous and avid travellers. We don’t smoke, for that reason our guest MUST be non-smoker!

    We’re omnivore (in case you’re a strict vegan!), although I love preparing vegetarian or vegan dishes. As a Brazilian person I love fruit and fresh salads chock-full of good-for-you ingredients. For the ones that do eat dairy products, I need to say that Cantabria is famous for the variety of its savoury and tempting homemade cheese and puff pastries...

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Teaching
    Help around the house
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    I can provide resources should you want to improve your Spanish or Portuguese. I’m perfectly happy to help you with both languages, including giving you ONE-hour lesson per day. I must stress that I’m not able to offer a language course.

    If you want to improve your Spanish quickly, we may do the same as we did with our previous volunteers, this means talking in Spanish during the meals, therefore you could learn all the vocabulary related to food, tapas and so on... It’ll be up to you! Apart from that, I may introduce you to some of my Cantabrian friends, so that you can practise your Spanish with them too. I can also teach you how to make my unique yummy homemade bread.

    Another thing is that here it’ll be very difficult to communicate in English, you’ll have to use Spanish to ask for directions, buy something, etc. Despite the language barrier, Cantabrian people are extremely good-natured and friendly.

    We know a lot about different Spanish regions and we’ll be too pleased to research information and advise you regarding your travel plans here, so please do ask about this before you come - people can waste so much money and time if they aren't savvy.

  • Help

    Help

    I’ve been studying English for a long time in an attempt to achieve the proficiency level but it’d been very difficult. I finally passed the C2 Exam, although I don't feel that I'm a bilingual person after achieving this certificate and I still need someone willing to help me brush up my communication skills.

    Although I don’t mind if your mother tongue isn’t English, the help I need does require you to possess an outstanding command of the language. That means if you aren’t native, you MUST be bilingual, so do NOT apply if you aren’t a proficient user.

    Volunteers should also be aware of gender equality (please gentlemen!) and MUST be prepared to do the washing-up (we don’t have dishwasher!). You don’t have to cook, because I love cooking, besides I also knead the dough to make a flavourful and wholesome homemade bread.

    I’ll also ask you to lend me a hand with my ‘thorough cleaning of the whole house’ ONCE a week - but this would involve no more than three hours, because we’ve got the custom of leaving our shoes on the doormat. Please, do NOT stay bare feet inside the house, you MUST wear slippers, so bring your own ones, unless you don’t mind using a spare pair we have for guests.

    Another thing is that hosting is pointless if the housework isn’t shared. When this happens it means that I’m unable to get on with my own tasks or help you with yours.

    WHEN:
    My husband and I are early riser people. If you want, we could arrange our working hours until 2pm, so you could spend your free afternoons as you wish. Either if you’re a night owl person or you like to sleep in every single morning, I think you'll suit better in another house.

    Days are negotiable - you may prefer to take your day off during the week when it’s easier to travel and assist me at the weekend. It may be possible for us to accompany you and show you the best places to visit.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Spanish: Fluent
    Portuguese: Fluent
    French: Intermediate

    This host offers a language exchange
    I love teaching, so for me it'll be a pleasure to teach you some Spanish. Apart from that, here you'll be immersed in Castellano, since few people speak English. If you can understand my husband, who is a fast-speaking person, you have a C2 level in Spanish.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    BOARD & LODGING:
    You’ll have a light-filled bedroom completely furnished, with a large bed, perfectly clean in a terraced (row) house near the train station of Puente San Miguel (0.5 km = 0.310 miles); a spotless shared bathroom (we have two, only one with shower) and a stainless full-equipped kitchen. You MUST keep your bedroom and bathroom neat and tidy, in other words, in the same standard of the whole house.

    Towels are provided, as is bed linen, and you may use the washing machine - this will enable you to travel light and avoid baggage costs. We have two televisions and besides you can borrow our spare laptop, taking into account that WIFI will be ON from 7am to 11pm (NOT round-the-clock). We like to be as ‘green’ as possible to conserve energy, so please, TURN the lights OFF when you aren’t in your bedroom or in another part of the house.

    If you aren’t familiar with terraced (row) housing, this means that the immediate houses are joined, thereby we expect you not to make so much noise, especially in the early mornings or late evenings.

    We live in a rural area just a stone’s throw from a milkman, hence you can drink fresh milk if you want to do so. Therefore, expect to see farmers and livestock.

    We don’t live just along the coast, but most coastal towns and villages are nonetheless easily accessible by public transportation or by bike, such as Suances (11.5 km = 7.14miles), Comillas (20.5 km = 12.73 miles) and San Vicente de la Barquera (35 km = 22.05 miles).

    Finally, my house is within walking distance of excellent transport links and the amenities of a small town. You can go to Santander – capital of Cantabria (35 minutes by train), with its bay bathed by the azure-blue waters of the Cantabrian Sea. You can also visit Santillana del Mar (4 km = 2.48 miles), labelled ‘the prettiest village in Spain’ by Jean-Paul Sartre. The closest medium town is Torrelavega (4.2 km = 2.60 miles), which has around 60,000 inhabitants.

    Regarding meals, we’ll offer you a healthy no-cook breakfast (coffee, tea, dairy or plant-based milk, juice carton, cereal, muesli, porridge, homemade or white bread, jam, marmalade, butter, honey, peanut butter, Marmite, fruit, yoghurt) and a nutritious and fulfilling lunch, because we prefer to have our main meal at lunchtime (around 2 p.m.). In the evening you can prepare something frugal, given that we aren’t used to having dinner. Of course, you’ll have plenty of leftovers from the lunch (I always prepare loads of food!), so you can help yourself. We aren’t the type of people who are stingy with food, please take a look at the glowing reviews from our past Workawayers.

    I cycle everywhere and you may borrow a spare bike we have, so that you can explore the well-kept and picturesque surroundings. Some of our neighbours own dogs that usually ‘play bark’, so, if you can’t stand doggies barking, I don't think our village will be the ideal place for you.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    PLEASE ensure that you’ve read our profile THOROUGHLY and ask if there is anything you don’t understand. When writing your request, please mention a little more about yourself if not in your profile: What have you done since leaving school? Where are you from? Any skills? Education? Hobbies?

    First, I’d prefer to clarify what this opportunity involves, because there’re some wonderful experiences on offer at this website and this one, in comparison, is quite ordinary and may not be as exciting as you expect.

    If you decide to come and then change your mind, please have the courtesy to let us know out of respect for other people who would have loved to be hosted by us.

    One more thing: We expect you to be responsible, PUNCTUAL, CLEAN, tidy and organized.
    When I travel I expect things to be different – that’s the whole point and joy of travel. What’s normal in your host country may seem strange to you but to continually remark upon it can be seen as impolite.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    You can borrow our spare laptop, taking into account that WIFI will be ON from 7am to 11pm (NOT round-the-clock).

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    You’ll have lots of space to park your campervan or motorhome where we live.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    One

  • ...

    Hours expected

    3 (THREE) hours and a half per day. SIX days a week. ONE day off. (21 hs per week)

Host ref number: 778717751163

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Accuracy of profile: (5.0)

Cultural exchange: (5.0)

Communication: (5.0)