During this final session, we continued practising English in a natural and relaxed context. Walking through the Christmas market gave us many topics to talk about, traditional Finnish crafts, Christmas food, decorations and the differences between Christmas markets in Finland and Spain.
Drinking hot chocolate together also gave us time to sit down and have longer conversations in English. I felt much more fluent and confident than at the beginning of the course. This meeting allowed me to clearly see the progress I’ve made, speaking for long periods without switching languages, expressing opinions spontaneously and holding conversations even in a crowded and noisy environment.
This meeting felt like a calm and enjoyable closure to our learning journey. The Christmas market created a warm and festive environment that encouraged reflection. While walking, we talked about how our English had improved, the cultural things we had learned from each other and the funniest or most memorable moments of our meetings.
At the beginning, we sometimes struggled to maintain it consistently, but now it felt comfortable and even automatic. The peaceful atmosphere also helped me appreciate how much cultural learning we accomplished, not only about Finland, but also about our own Spanish regions.
Because we were outdoors and the market was busy, it was sometimes hard to hear everything clearly, which made communication slightly challenging. We also did not incorporate any French practice in this meeting, as English felt like the most natural choice for the occasion. Other than that, the meeting went smoothly and fulfilled its purpose.
This meeting aligned very well with our main objective of improving our English fluency through real-life conversation. It also connected deeply with the cultural component of our project. The Christmas market offered many opportunities to compare traditions, talk about our own cultural celebrations and reflect on how holidays differ between Spain and Finland.
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