Spain: Gaining Confidence to Communicate Around the World Past Review
By Ashley F (Elementary Education, Wisconsin Lutheran College) for
ISA Study Abroad in Salamanca, Spain
I gained an understanding of a different culture and confidence with my second language. After living with a family for four months and only speaking Spanish I found myself naturally gaining new vocabulary and gaining confidence to interact more with people in my second language.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
While abroad the workload was significantly less but I found myself studying more than I would in the U.S. just because tests were the majority of my grade in the class. The classes were set up in a traditional fashion, the professors mainly used lectures as their instructural tools. A few professors engaged students in class discussions and included student presentations throughout the semester. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
The home cooked food was amazing! My host mother was more than willing to accomodate any dietary needs. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
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If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* 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 |
Language acquisition improvement? |
Most of the time I practiced the language with locals and my host family. I used Spanish in all of my everyday interactions. I found that some people spoke English but Spanish was primarily in stores, restaurants, ect. |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
* 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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