Timpanogos Elementary students continued their Hispanic Heritage Month learning Tuesday with a visit from Baldomero Lago, Honorary Consul of Spain, and Felipe Queipo, a communications officer with the United Nations.
Students had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about Spain’s language, history, traditions and culture directly from their guests.
When Lago was asked what he hoped children in Utah would learn about Spain, he began with the language many Timpanogos students are already studying through the school’s Spanish Dual Language Immersion program.
“If you speak English and Spanish, you can travel almost anywhere in the world,” Lago told students. “Language is very, very important.”
Lago also encouraged students to look beyond language to Spain’s long history and cultural traditions, including its art, literature, music, dance and food. He described Mediterranean cuisine and shared examples of traditions students might encounter in Spain.
One example was the belén, an elaborate nativity display found in churches and homes during the Christmas season. Lago described displays that can include moving figures, flowing water, shepherds and dancers, and told students that visiting them is one of his favorite traditions when he returns to Spain.
The visit gave students another opportunity during Hispanic Heritage Month to connect the Spanish they are learning in school with the many countries, cultures and communities where the language is spoken.
Lago and Queipo's visit to Timpanogos Elementary followed a recent visit from Peruvian Consul General Yesica Fonseca Martínez, giving students the chance to hear firsthand how a shared language connects distinct histories, traditions and cultures across the Spanish-speaking world.
