Leaving the classroom to visit the Colombian restaurant Noches de Colombia, our 7th and 8th grade Spanish students didn’t just learn about Colombian culture, they experienced it firsthand. From traditional breakfast dishes like calentados to freshly baked favorites such as almojábanas, palitos de queso, and orejas, to fun drinks like limonada de cereza and limonada de coco, students explored new flavors while deepening their appreciation for the culture behind the language.

What made this field experience especially meaningful was the students’ commitment to using Spanish in real-world situations. They confidently placed their orders in Spanish and continued speaking the language throughout the entire experience. In fact, the immersion didn’t stop when they left the restaurant—on the bus ride, students were enthusiastically singing in Spanish and continuing conversations entirely in the language.

At one point, their dedication was so strong that even Mandarin students who shared the bus ride back from their field experience, jokingly expressed frustration—they couldn’t get their friends to switch out of Spanish! Moments like these highlight just how engaged and excited our students are about their language learning journey.