Spanish Story Time at Central Library
Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor
Central Library is host to an ever changing collection of free activities. Although the striking architecture of the building is well known to visitors and Mancunians alike, the rich hub of activity behind the circular exterior is often overlooked. One of the most recent additions to their calendar is Spanish Activity Story Time. Having started in September each session is run by a primary school teacher called Maria, whose enthusiasm for sharing her native language is vividly apparent in her teaching. Story Time begins with a side by side reading of a book, where the Spanish and English will be read one after the other. Then, through the story and pictures in the book Maria will explore a theme in Spanish such as colours, numbers, or facial features. Usually, sessions also end with everyone learning a song in Spanish. The sessions are already proving a hit with Central Library and will be moving into a larger space giving Maria the chance to spread her passion for the Spanish language to larger groups.
Whether your children are confidently multilingual or haven’t ventured away from English yet Maria welcomes all. Everything is explained in both languages so that English speakers can learn just as easily as those who might already have some Spanish. Going into a new environment with a different language can be scary for younger people, but the Library is such a welcoming and friendly space it allows children to learn with open and relaxed minds. The sessions are aimed at younger primary school aged children and will be running on one Saturday afternoon of each month, with the exception of July and August in 2019. The first of the Spanish Story Time’s in the new year will be on the 12th of January, but be sure to check the website for full details.
