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16-year old Emma Ferrer is studying Spanish in our summer camp in Granada and very kindly agreed to answer a few interview questions for donQuijote.org. Oh, and did we mention that she’s the granddaughter of legendary actress Audrey Hepburn and multifaceted actor Mel Ferrer?
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Switzerland, spent my elementary years in Los Angeles, and currently live in Italy.
What are your major interests?
I love art, literature, and travelling. I draw and am improving my painting skills. I enjoy reading and writing poetry, and creating my own stories. I love to travel and see new places, and especially learn a new language and see a whole new culture.
Is this your first time studying in our summer camp?
Yes.
Why did you choose Granada to study Spanish?
I had previously visited Granada twice and love the city. We went as a result of my father participating in the first yearly Granada classic film festival: Retrobak. My Grandmother was honored as well as Fellini and other wonderful Spanish and Italian filmmakers. Our family became very close with the city hall government of Granada. We were very spoiled by the vice mayor, Juan Manuel Garcia Montero during our visit. Thanks to him we were also able to travel around the coast of Spain! I knew I wanted to study in Andalucia, and Granada is the perfect city for a student. It’s not too big and not too small, and the people are amazing. You acquire a certain sense of freedom in the city. I never wanted to leave!
How did you become interested in learning Spanish?
Growing up in Los Angeles I was exposed frequently to Spanish because of the South American influence. I have always loved it as a language, particularly Spanish in the south of Spain. It has such a beautiful flow, like music. I also am Spanish by origin, so I think it’s important to know the language of your ancestors. Spanish is also a very important language in the world today. I think it will be very useful in my lifetime.
How many languages do you speak, if any?
I speak English and Italian fluently.
Are you enjoying your stay in Granada? Tell us about the camp and your camp activities.
The school is great. My friends and I chose to live in the residence, which I believe to be the best option. I met so many fantastic people whom I lived with, people from all over the world. The residence is a magical place, and for me it was so hard to leave. I immediately felt at home. The residence is home for people of all ages, so there is a lot of diversity. It’s not too far from the school, a 15 minute walk. My teachers were great, and my classes were never boring! It’s not like any other school I’ve ever been to. The classes incorporate all the elements of learning a language; culture, conversation, and grammar, but I never found myself counting the minutes until class was over. I only attended a few activities, but loved them. I especially enjoyed the excursion to a river. It was a bit of a walk, but we saw a fantastic waterfall and swam in the ice cold water.
Do you like travelling? If so, where have you been and what was your most favourite place?
I love travelling. I’ve travelled a lot and have met a lot of people. I think I’ve fallen in love with Spain after the month I passed in Granada. My friends and I went to the beach on the weekends. We went to Huelva, Almeria, and the coast of Granada. I can’t wait to come back to Granada next summer, it’s my new favorite city.
Tell us a bit about Granada's student life, if you don’t mind...
I had quite a bit of freedom during my stay in Granada. In the morning we had classes from 9 to 1, and then we had the rest of the day to do what we liked. Spanish wasn’t hard to get a hold of, and after two weeks we could make our way around pretty well. The nightlife is great. We had a curfew of 1, which was great! People are welcoming to foreigners in Granada, and being students we got lots of discounts. The other students I spent my time with, both teenagers and adults also loved the school and the city. I met so many great people, and that made it even harder to leave.
What are your plans for the future?
For now my plans for the future are to enjoy my teen years and travel as much as I can. I want to learn as many languages as possible. I’m not very sure of what I want to do as an adult, but I know I have time.
2 curious questions: Have you watched any of your grandparents films'? If so, what is it like for you to watch them?
I have. It’s not very strange watching them or seeing photos, because they’re just normal people. It’s hard to accept I guess for a lot of people, but when you have someone famous as a family member, they’re not famous, they’re just family!
Do you have a final message for our readers?
I was so sad when I had to leave Granada. I chose a month, which initially seemed a lifetime, but flew by. A few days before we left I was shocked that a month had gone by. For me it was kind of an escape. During my time there I didn’t have to deal with any stress or think about anything in the future, or even in the past. Just the present. The little street where the residence is, our simple room, the kitchen, the classroom, the city, the people, all the memories I’ll bring with me for my whole life. I cried so hard when I had to leave, because it was a magical experience. We just let ourselves free. I’m counting down the days until next summer when I can go back!
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June 20th, 2009 marks the first annual Día del español "Spanish Language Day" celebration in all of the Instituto Cervantes branches throughout the world. The purpose of this day is to establish a meeting point for Spanish speakers and to increase the visibility of the Spanish language, validating it as aninternational means of communication. An event to be enjoyed by the whole family family and visitors, Instituto Cervantes has organized a series of activities around Spanish words, their diversity and how they are perceived which begin at 11am local time of each branch.
The anniversary celebrations in Salamanca are not over yet!
The celebrations keep on happening at don Quijote...!
This summer is all about learning Spanish in a warm, coastal Mediterranean city where the sun always shines and the nightlife goes on forever...
