Buenos Aires, New York City, but in Spanish Past Review
By Jenny A (Master's-Secondary Ed./Spanish, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
A month wasn't long enough to really have a chance to speak, especially to natives (for someone who is already fluent. I am able to share cultural information with my students now.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Belgrano |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was heavy, which I liked. I was there to learn. My teacher was used to dealing with foreigners, so I didn't see a lot of differences. The teacher would put examples up for us to draw our own conclusions, instead of giving us a rule then having us give an example. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The team was very friendly and welcoming. I appreciated the tours. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The house was nice and the famile was nice, but I didn't feel a part of the family like international students do when coming to the USA. There weren't opportunities to do the daily routines with them like cooking and shopping. |
| * Food: |
Though more expensive, the country offers something for everyone to eat. Try Pizza Bam on Federeico Lacroze. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The CEA tours were good, except for being in a large group of English speakers. Go to La Salsera for dance lessons. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Use common sense and you'll be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
There wasn't an opportunity to interact with natives. Even living with a host family, the interaction was limited to dinner time because it isn't like when exchange students come to the USA and they are allowed to fully interact with their host families. Going with part of an American group, you are surrounded with many people that want to speak only English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I only suggest going for a semester. If you go for only a summer it's not enough time to learn, but is a very nice vacation. |
