Valencia intercambio language exchange

These are some notes that I have put together about English-Spanish (or Ingles-Espan~ol) Intercambio (or Language exchange) groups in Valencia, Spain.
Soy angloparlante, y no hablo espan~ol muy bien.
My sources have included (new) friends, visiting places, ``in VLC'' magazine (e.g., Dec 2010 / Jan 2011 and Feb/Mar 2011), etc.
Apologies for any mistakes - whether originally incorrect at the time of writing or subsequently out of date.
Apologies also for the speed at which this was put together and for the (inadvertent and/or attempted) mixing of languages.

Newspaper article: ``Practicar ingles entre copas'' from Las Provincias, mid-2010.
``inVLC'' magazine, Dec 2010 / Jan 2011 (December 15, 2010), page/pagina 31.
``inVLC'' magazine, feb/mar 2011 (February 13, 2011), page/pagina 16.
``inVLC'' magazine, mar/abr 2011 (March 14, 2011), page/pagina 23.

[General warning: one of the places below is sometimes crowded, and one of my female friends (amigas) had her bag (presumably) stolen when she left it (behind) at the bar when moving from the bar to a very nearby table. The owner of this place said to me later that evening that there are people who come in when it's crowded purely to steal things. So, ..., keep an eye on your possessions when it's crowded.]

lunes, Monday
  • Cafe de las Horas (Calle del Conde de Almodovar, 1) is about a 1-minute walk from Plaza de la Virgen. Cafe de las Horas has regular weekly Monday (8pm-10pm) language exchange/intercambio groups.
  • The Bohemian Cafe', 8:30pm


    martes, Tuesday
  • Every Tuesday, Laboratorio [Plaza Cors de la Mare de Deu, 3; Tel.: 963 926 193] (also very near Plaza de la Virgen - indeed, just behind the Farmacia [with the green light]) has language exchange/intercambio groups - also 8pm-10pm. [Laboratorio has both a restaurant and a very close almost-adjoining cafe'. If you go to the wrong one, they'll re-direct you.]
  • Portland Ale House, calle Salamanca (off Plaza Canovas de Castillo) (intercambio), possibly from 8:30pm
  • Tandem exchange Valencia 2011 (Tandem language exchange Valencia 2011), La Sidrita, Calle de Vicente Sancho-Tello 12, Tuesdays (from Tue 5/Oct/2010), from 7:30-9:30pm (19:30 - 21:30).
  • Pub quiz, Sally O'Brien (Av. de Aragon, 8; Tel: 96 3374012), starts at 21.00 (9pm), from (on and after) Tuesday 19th April 2011


    miercoles, Wednesday
  • Los miercoles, hay intercambio en cafe' L'Ermita (cerca 3 minutos de Plaza de la Virgen), creo que es Calle del Obispo Don Jeronimo, 4 - El Carmen Telefono: 963 916 759. De la Plaza de la Virgen, Cavalleros, y despues turn right (into Borja) when you see cafe' Negrito on the left (in Calatrava), then first left. Officially at 7pm, but it might not really get under way until (well) after 8pm.
  • Portland Ale House, 8:30pm (with much more of a focus on English, where native English speakers get three free drinks)
  • St Patrick's (Irish) pub, Gran Via Marques del Turia, 69 [near Plaza Canovas de Castillo], 22:30 (10:30pm), Pub Quiz in English.
  • Cafe' Infinito, 7pm
  • Bar La Red Rose, Torrent, 8pm
  • La Ola Fresca, 8:30pm
  • Sinpy Jo's, calle Cadiz, 43 (Russafa), Tel.: 670 904 294
  • Pub quiz, Dublin House (Pl. Patriarca, 6), Starts at 21.00


    jueves, Thursday
  • cafe Llebeig (on the north side of the [dry] river), at or just after 9pm. This group is a re-creation (well, a re-location, but also mainly a different person running it) of a group I was in in 2004, which then met at The Black Sheep (which, by the way, is a different pub to La Oveja Negra). At cafe Llebeig, don't be shy in telling the bar staff that you're looking - or waiting - for the intercambio group (and nor in checking out every spot [politely, of course :-) ], including that concealed table hidden around the back). Also, don't be afraid to make yourself a little bit ``obvious'' (and visible), especially if there might also be others there who - like you - are looking for the intercambio group. This group (which also has a facebook page: ``Intercambio@the black'') also might change its location between summer and winter months.
  • Dublin House (formerly The Guinness House), Plaza del Patriarca, 9:45pm
  • (fortnightly) Finnegans (Plaza de la Reina), apparently fortnightly (jueves 13/enero/2011, jueves 27/enero/2011, ...) at 9pm
  • Portland Ale House apparently has something called ``Couchsurfing'' on Thursdays


    viernes, Friday
    nada, nothing


    sabado, Saturday
    nada, nothing


    domingo, Sunday
  • Thomas & Johnson (calle Chile, cerca de Avenida Aragon), some time after 6pm or later (e.g., 7:30pm)
  • Portland Ale House - (English language?) quiz night, (7:30pm or) 8:00pm


    Other
  • Active English (excursions - e.g., cinema, walking, meals) : www.groups.google.com - Active-English
  • Finding an intercambio (language exchange partner) : http://valencia.intercambio-es.com and http://valencia.loquo.com/cs/comunidad/intercambio-de-idiomas/103.
  • meaning of (sentido de) Spanish language expression ``pues, nada'': one possible interpretation, another interpretation. It seems to be able to be used between phrases to change subject (like, e.g., ``anyway, ...'' or possibly even ``so, there you go'' before moving on to another topic) but it seems it can also be used at the end of an encounter to wrap things up [with the woman perhaps giving the man the ``calabaza'' (or pumpkin) {which might possibly be a reference to ``Cinderella''}, perhaps knocking the man back and leaving him little cause for optimism]. I think the meaning of this expression is more than worthy of a discussion at an intercambio meeting.

    Dance lessons (Bailar, baile)
    (??more to come??)
    www.salsapower.com/cities/valencia.htm
    www.salsaybachata.com/blog/locales-de-baile-en-valencia-pubs-discotecas-salas
    (??more to come??)

    Karaoke (although Valencia doesn't seem to have any private booths, just ``open'' karaoke)
    (??more to come??)
    La Donna (nightclub [?]), calle Ramon Gordillo
    www.salir.com/valencia/denoche
    http://valencia.salir.com/karaoke_tucan y http://valencia.salir.com/caribbeans
    http://valencia.salir.com/karaoke_acordes (Distrito: Quatre Carreres - Barrio: Montolivet) y http://valencia.salir.com/karaoke_al_alba (Russafa)
    http://valencia.salir.com/pub_karaoke_mi_tio_el_loco_pedreguer_9 y http://valencia.salir.com/karaoke_la_la
    (??more to come??)

    Bike hire, bike rental (bicycle hire, bicycle rental)
    Valenbisi
    (??more to come??)

    General information and/or links for foreigners (including teaching English, studying Spanish or learning English)
    (??more to come??)
    Language (idioma) : (e.g.) www.SpanishDict.com, verb conjugation (and Google translate), etc.
    Online language classes: Learn Spanish with coffee break Spanish: lessons 1 to 10.
    Language classes: Centro Especi'fico de Educacio'n de la Comunidad Valenciana (http://ceedcv.edu.gva.es) and (e.g.) http://ceedcv.edu.gva.es/cursos?c=13.
    (This is not the only place to learn Spanish in Valencia.)
    The Association of Language Testers in Europe (www.ALTE.org).
    Culture (la cultura)
    Custom(s) (los costumbres)
    www.SpainExpat.com
    Spain.AngloInfo.com
    Numero de Identificacion de Extranjero (NIE)
    Valencia English community (www.ValenciaEnglish.com/valencia-english)
    www.SolicitorValencia.com
    www.JustLanded.com/english/Spain
    The term ``guiri'' (slang for ``foreigner''), possibly once offensive in the 1980s or 1990s, but not really in 2011.
    Meaning of ``pues nada'' - see above (or elsewhere)
    Teaching English (working as an English language teacher) : The British Council requires a CELTA or (higher) a DELTA and about 2 years' teaching experience. It pays about twice as well as everywhere else, is hard to get into and those there (therefore) tend not to leave. In Valencia, Campbell College is one place where one can prepare for a CELTA or a DELTA.
    English teachers:
  • www.tusclasesparticulares.com/profesores-ingles/english-teacher-profesor-ingles-experiencia-nativo-titulado-124419.aspx
  • www.tusclasesparticulares.com/buscar/clasesparticulares.aspx?q=Profesor%20Nativo%20Ingl%c3%a9s%20titulado&idsubcategoria=1&idprovincia=49
  • Madridteacher - Valencia (www.clases-de-ingles.com/valencia.php)
    Foreign currency exchange rates (Universal Currency Converter) : www.xe.com/ucc (and Euro to Aus$).
    (??more to come??)

    (Cheap) flights
    www.RyanAir.com/es (England, Inglaterra, Great Britain, Gran Bretan~a)
    www.AirAsia.com (including to Australia)
    www.Zuji.com.au (to Australia)
    www.BestFlights.com.au (to Australia)
    www.WebJet.com.au
    World clock: www.TimeAndDate.com/worldclock (and www.TimeAndDate.com/worldclock/``full''.html); weather in Australia, Victoria and Melbourne ([and Spanish Language and Culture Meetup Groups] and The Melbourne English Ingles Spanish Language Exchange Group [and calendar, events and (e.g.) Sat 19/Mar/2011 6pm]).

    Spanish real estate (notes)
    Spanish real estate (notes)


    End of page. :-) Pues nada :-)