Legnano/Alicante cultural exchange: a unique experience
By Anna Pekez and Benedetto Rossi, Year 2 Social Economics students at the Barbara Melzi Institute in Legnano
During the month of February, we, the students of the second year of the Liceo Economico Sociale at the ‘Barbara Melzi’ Institute in Legnano, had the opportunity, thanks to Professor Manuguerra, to take part in a cultural exchange with students from the Cavanilles school in Alicante (Spain).
This gave many of us the chance to improve our Spanish language skills and learn new vocabulary for everyday life.
The same could be said of the cultural aspect, discovering customs and a different way of life in an environment with traditions different from our own.
We were able to observe their lifestyle, particularly in our homes and families, who in turn were very happy to welcome the Spanish students.
The school organised various activities and educational trips to help us get to know our local area, visiting Milan, Como and Legnano. For our guests, it was a new adventure and for some of us, it was a rediscovery of interesting cities, or even, for those who had never had the opportunity to see monuments and attractions such as the Last Supper or the Voltaian Lighthouse in Como, a fantastic first visit. A different experiment was the art workshop, in which we expressed our creativity by colouring our photos with the aim of showing ourselves before and after this “event”.
The experience was wonderful, but after nine days of commitments, proposals and outings involving all our families and the entire class council, returning to school was tiring, especially in terms of the school routine.
The best part of this experience was forming new bonds in such a short time. It was very important for all of us to have made friends, which have lasted until now and which we hope to strengthen and maintain in the future.
