Dear friends, students, families, partners and Spanish language dreamers,<\/p>\n
There are moments in history when the world seems to stop. Back in March 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread across the globe, many of us felt that something profound was changing. Uncertainty, fear and concern for our health became part of daily life. But so did empathy, adaptability, responsibility and, most importantly, hope.<\/p>\n
At the Instituto Hisp\u00e1nico de Murcia, we decided to face this new challenge with a clear attitude: neither fear nor panic would stop us from continuing our mission of teaching Spanish with passion and closeness. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: \u201cThe only thing we have to fear is fear itself.\u201d We truly took that to heart during those uncertain days.<\/p>\n
As soon as we realised that the COVID-19 situation required extraordinary measures, we knew it was time to act with both determination and compassion. The Spanish government asked for responsibility, and we responded without hesitation: as of 16 March 2020, all of our classes moved online. We temporarily closed the physical doors of our classrooms, but opened even wider the digital ones.<\/p>\n
Was it easy? Not at all. Was it necessary? Absolutely.<\/p>\n
We understood that protecting the health and well-being of our students, teachers, host families and staff was the priority. Our decision wasn\u2019t based on fear, but on commitment\u2014to our educational community and to society as a whole.<\/p>\n
Picture our teachers: used to moving around the classroom, gesturing with their hands, making jokes, looking their students in the eye. Now suddenly sitting in front of a screen, with a cup of coffee on the desk, headphones on, and that same warm smile\u2014only digital.<\/p>\n
The days before the big transition were intense: we trained, tested platforms, reorganised schedules, supported one another, and\u2026 jumped into the online world! We did it with excitement, with energy, and with a strong desire to stay connected with our students\u2014no matter where in the world they were.<\/p>\n
Because the Instituto Hisp\u00e1nico de Murcia is not just a place to learn Spanish. It\u2019s an experience, a family, a network of people united by a love for languages, cultures and shared stories.<\/p>\n
We didn\u2019t want to offer just video calls or email exercises. We wanted the online learning experience to feel as alive, dynamic and interactive as our in-person lessons. So we designed classes filled with games, videos, challenges, conversations, laughter and surprises.<\/p>\n
Students could log in from their bedrooms in Berlin, a sunny living room in Stockholm, a terrace in Rome, or a quiet caf\u00e9 in Tokyo (as long as the Wi-Fi worked!). The screens lit up with accents, curious expressions, grammar doubts, and bright smiles. Because, in the end, language is also a way to resist, to connect, and to feel less alone.<\/p>\n
For students who were in Murcia and couldn\u2019t return home due to restrictions, we organised one-on-one tutorials, emotional support sessions and virtual social events\u2014no one was left behind. Everyone continued learning, growing and feeling part of our community.<\/p>\n
While teachers were teaching from home, our admin team adapted quickly as well. We set flexible working hours to take care of both family needs and student support. Everyone kept giving their best.<\/p>\n
Internal meetings went online. Emails multiplied. WhatsApp became our main internal communication tool. And despite the stress and long days, one thing never faded: our sense of humour.<\/p>\n
Because here at the Instituto Hisp\u00e1nico de Murcia, we are known for being warm, human and full of good vibes. And a pandemic couldn\u2019t take that away from us\u2014it actually made it stronger.<\/p>\n
From day one, we shared a simple but powerful message with our students: take care of yourselves. Stay home. Be responsible. Follow health recommendations. Keep calm. We knew that difficult decisions are often the most important ones to protect what we care about the most.<\/p>\n
Spain once again showed its resilience and adaptability, with one of the best healthcare systems in the world and a population that acted responsibly and respectfully. Murcia, our beautiful city, embraced the challenge too. The streets fell silent, but the balconies came to life with music, applause and messages of hope.<\/p>\n
Even in the toughest moments, culture, language and human connection found a way to shine through.<\/p>\n
Looking back now, we can say with pride that we learned a lot during that time. We learned that learning has no borders. That technology can be a wonderful ally when used creatively. That teamwork makes us stronger. And that education, even in a global crisis, is a tool for transformation and hope.<\/p>\n
Our students didn\u2019t just learn Spanish during those weeks. They learned to trust themselves, to adapt to change, to express themselves in new ways. Many of them sent us messages of gratitude that still warm our hearts today. Because they felt supported, connected and accompanied\u2014even at a distance.<\/p>\n
Since then, the Instituto Hisp\u00e1nico de Murcia has continued to grow. Today, we offer a combination of in-person and online classes, always maintaining our high standards, joyful spirit and dedication to our students.<\/p>\n
The pandemic challenged us, but it also united us. And now, with more experience, more tools and more passion than ever, we are moving forward.<\/p>\n
Thank you to everyone who was part of that journey. To the students who trusted us. To the teachers who adapted with creativity. To the team who kept working every single day. And to all those who, in one way or another, kept this little big family alive.<\/p>\n
Because learning a language isn\u2019t just about grammar\u2014it\u2019s about living, feeling and connecting.<\/p>\n
And yes, even in a pandemic, that\u2019s absolutely possible.<\/p>\n
With warmest regards, Dear friends, students, families, partners and Spanish language dreamers, There are moments in history when the world seems to stop. Back in March 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread across the globe, many of us felt that something profound was changing. Uncertainty, fear and concern for our health became part of daily life. But so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[650],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115293"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115294,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115293\/revisions\/115294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nFelipe Espada
\nCEO, Instituto Hisp\u00e1nico de Murcia<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"