Aurelio López de Castro: An always-smiling man

Aurelio, a Spanish Teacher at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, is an adorable man, who always hangs a merry smile on his face. We found him approachable, good-natured, and full of wit and humor, without exaggeration, although we only had a brief interview with him.

Four years ago, he got a chance to come to China. He received some teacher training in China and found that this place was more suitable for him than Spain. Although he had received an offer from Instituto Chino de Málaga (a Spanish private teaching institution), he still decided to leave, following his heart. He sent his CV to apply for a job and Guangzhou was the first place who gave him an offer. He felt really delighted to work at GDUFS. It is worth mentioning that Aurelio hasn’t taught at other universities in China, which means he has devoted a whole self to education at GDUFS!

Aurelio shows great affection to China.

Chinese food attracts him so much. He loves dim sum and also other Cantonese food, enjoys ordering new dishes. And he is surprised by the variety of food as well as its complex preparation process. According to Aurelio, he often goes to the third floor of the Qingyayuan Canteen, where he can taste his favorite dish ---- bitter gourd. Roast duck also makes his mouth water. And the price is reasonable and affordable.

Aurelio has forged a profound relationship with Chinese people. He teaches undergraduates Oral and Listening Spanish, Economical and Commercial Spanish, Spanish Society Culture and Business Writing among others. He gets along well with his colleagues and students. His students make him warm, and some have even become his friends after graduation. “Unlike in Spain, where teachers and students are often separated, Chinese students can build a friendship with teachers.” he added. “They’ve helped me in the past, and now I can help them in the present. We can exchange the role, just like with a normal friendship. They will listen to you, and give you a good feedback. So we can improve teaching and learning.” What’s more, sometimes, they will have lunch and play Ultimate Frisbee together.

Aurelio has also noticed the characteristics differences between Chinese students and foreign students, such as the willingness to raise hands when teachers ask questions. As far as he is concerned, most Chinese students prefer to stay in groups rather than stand out. Therefore, he spares no efforts to arouse their positivity and raises their spirits with encouragement. In Aurelio’s view, although the north campus of GDUFS is not as big as other universities’ campuses, or even the south campus of GDUFS, he does love this campus for the reason that students here long to acquire new knowledge. He can feel their enthusiasm and interest, which deeply moves him. When it comes to the suggestions for students who major in Spanish, Aurelio regards making friends with Spanish people as an effective method for improving oral speaking through daily communication. According to him, there are also many foreign students with the mother tongue of Spanish looking for opportunities to practice Chinese speaking, and they can help each other by exchanging ideas. Also, a great amount of study resources are available via the Internet, including videos and text.

During the interview, Aurelio always wore a smile. Some Chinese words escaped his lip occasionally with standard pronunciation. He told us excitedly that he was fond of studying Chinese language and kept practicing. He even gave his little dog a Chinese name “BOBO(波波)”. It is obvious that he enjoys the life in China pretty much, together with his Chinese wife. And it is what he owns that brings him such felicity and makes him an always-smiling man. May lasting happiness and joy be with him forever.