Let's go to the Market!

Today our students got to experience their first ineractive Spanish class activity, where we all visited the Mercat de l'Olivar, or "Olivar Market," in English. This indoor market was constructed in 1951 (Palma's oldest market!) and is right in the center of the city. Though of course some tourists do visit the market, it is still mostly a place for locals to do their grocery shopping. Here you can buy all types of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, nuts and candy, and other types of goods like fabrics, teas, etc. It was a great opportunity for students to get to witness firsthand some typical Mallorquin foods, goods, and culture in general.

Once at the market their Spanish teacher Andrea explained to our students a bit of history of the market and what they could expect to see inside. Then they set off to complete an activity answering questions like: when was the market opened, how many entrances are there, how much does 1 lubina fish cost, what fruits are in season right now, etc. They were also asked to document their experience with photos and videos and to answer some opinion questions like: what is one thing you saw in the market that confused you, and what is something that looks so good you would eat it right now! I saw a bunch of students enjoying some strawberries that they got to buy, and one was even kind enough to share with me! Though at first some students were nervous to talk to local vendors in Spanish, they all did really well and had some great interactions with the locals who were patient with their Spanish skills. The students were all also placed in groups of three or four people based on their Spanish class level, and everyone was very supportive of each other during the whole activity.

Students were also all given 5 euros and told to ask their host families what ingredient(s) they could buy to help contribute to dinner that night. Some examples of things students got to buy for their families were: peppers, Mallorquin bread, tomatoes, and the fruits of their choice. Our students all absolutely love and heavily appreciate their homestays, so they felt extra happy to be able to contribute to them in some way! All students left the market feeling very intrigued by what they had just seen and pleased to have had the opportunity for such a fun activity, they are all definitely looking forward to the other interactive Spanish class activities we have coming up! I hope they all enjoyed the meals they helped to shop for :)