¡Viva España! Exploring Spanish Language & Culture at Sanpa

A group of our Year 8 Spanish students recently had the exciting opportunity to take their language learning beyond the classroom during a trip to Sanpa Restaurant in Wokingham. This authentic Spanish eatery provided the perfect setting for students to practise ordering food and drinks in Spanish—a valuable and rewarding experience that brought their vocabulary to life in a real-world context.

The students were selected for this trip in recognition of their continued outstanding engagement with LanguageNut, a digital platform we use to support independent learning in Modern Foreign Languages. Through LanguageNut, students regularly explore new vocabulary and complete interactive activities that strengthen their reading, listening, speaking, phonics, translation, and writing skills in the target language.

At Sanpa, students embraced the chance to communicate with staff in Spanish, confidently asking for their drinks and favourite dishes. They sampled a wide selection of traditional tapas, including gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns), patatas bravas (crispy potatoes in spicy tomato sauce), croquetas, and chorizo (Spanish sausage).

As a special highlight, students were also invited into the kitchen for a live cooking demonstration, where they learned how to prepare an authentic tortilla española step by step. This hands-on experience allowed them to understand the ingredients, traditional techniques, and cultural importance of this classic Spanish dish.

Beyond the language practice, the trip sparked conversations around Spanish dining customs, the sociable nature of tapas culture, and the regional variations in Spanish cooking—making the experience not only fun and tasty but also culturally enriching.

We are incredibly proud of how confidently and respectfully our students conducted themselves throughout the visit. It was a fantastic celebration of their hard work and passion for languages—and we hope it has inspired even greater enthusiasm for learning languages.