Roseanne Chen is a student from Taiwan who is now in La Rioja studying Spanish.
Next, we asked Roseanne Chen a series of questions about her experience in La Rioja Spanish School taking an “Intensive Spanish Course”, which she very kindly wanted to answer:
Ent.: What do you think about the teachers and classes at this school?
Roseanne Chen: I feel very good at this school and my teachers are very friendly and professional.
When I arrived I did not understand any Spanish. My teachers started teaching me the alphabet of Spanish. From the beginning, they explained to me in English while I couldn’t understand what they were saying in Spanish, little by little I have learned to listen, speak, read and write in Spanish.
Ent.: Tell us, how is your day to day in La Rioja?
Roseanne Chen:Every day I study for 4 hours at school in the morning. Sometimes, after the afternoon meal, I have taken the Spanish custom of the siesta. Then I go for a walk in the Ebro Park or in the city for two hours, I think it is good for my body physically and also for my mind.
I also go shopping, and I usually cook later with my boyfriend Jesús. We go out to have some wines and skewers at night, and we go to the movies some weekends, and others, we go to my boyfriend’s town. I always have many things to do in my day to day!
Ent.: What is your opinion about Logroño and La Rioja? Do you consider it a good region to live?
Roseanne Chen:I think Logroño and La Rioja are great. The people of the city are very pleasant. I think living in Logroño is beautiful because of the contact with culture and nature. I knew a bit of Logroño during the past year, but I have had a great impression of this city during the Armed Forces Parade and the Fiestas del San Mateo.
Ent.: During this time, have you visited any nearby city or town?
Roseanne Chen: Yes, I have visited many cities and towns for a year. For example, the cities of Pamplona, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Burgos, León, Oviedo, Madrid and Toledo; Nearby towns such as Viana, Larguardia, San Millán de la Cogolla (Suso and Yuso), Navarrete, and Santo Dominigo de la Calzada.
I did the Camino de Santiago from France to Belorado in Spain, I met people from different countries on the way, I found the cultures and peoples in the north of Spain, it was a wonderful experience.
Ent.: Would you recommend this experience to other people who are interested in learning Spanish in Spain?
Roseanne Chen: Yes, I recommend other people who have the experience of learning Spanish, because it is very interesting to know Spanish to understand Spanish culture.
I loved that life in Logroño is more diverse and peaceful than I ever imagined. You also live or learn Spanish in a small city like Logroño, cheaper than in Madrid or Barcelona.
I have only been a year in Spain, but I have fallen in love with this city. I hope to return to Logroño one day.
