I learned more and experienced more than I ever expected. Past Review
By Joshua K (Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Christopher Newport University) - abroad from 01/14/2015 to 05/01/2015 with
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)
I had three goals before I went to Spain: to improve at Spanish, to improve at soccer, and to experience and see many new things. In the four months and six days that I was abroad, I went from a high school level of Spanish to nearly fluent, and certainly conversational. My rapid growth in comprehension of the Spanish language is credited with the education I received at SAIIE. The Spanish curriculum was tailored to the exact level of the small, five-person class I was taking. As I learned each of the different tenses in school, I was able to go out and speak Spanish every day to practice with my host family, my soccer teammates, my Spanish friends, or the directors and staff members of the SAIIE program, all of whom are native Spanish speakers. My soccer ability improved since I was able to play it nearly every day. Enrolling in the SAIIE soccer program allowed me to train for eleven weeks with a semi-professional team called Triana CF. These experiences combined led me to make friends with the Spanish players, improve my Spanish, and learn the Spanish style of play which really simplified my game. The players were quite skillful, especially in small spaces, and they were very smart. The atmosphere was heavily competitive, too. These players take soccer very seriously, and have been playing their entire lives. I know for a fact that playing in the semi-professional Spanish atmosphere greatly helped my technical ability, my vision, and my mental game in general. I learned how to think ahead, to be aware of everyone around me, to be composed on the ball, and to keep possession of the ball in very small spaces. It’s hard to put into words how much I was able to experience while I was abroad. SAIIE took us on daily tours of the city after school in addition to a class I had that led similar tours. Each day we would sit in this class – Monuments – for ten minutes to learn about the architecture and history of the city’s most historically important monuments with our passionate teacher Reda El Kachtoul. Afterward, we would walk through the city and visit the monument for the rest of class, which was made possible by SAIIE’s prime central location in Sevilla. After school the incredibly knowledgeable local SAIIE staff member Elena would take us on tours of other parts of the city to experience new things. She knew every detail of the entire history of Spain down to the smallest detail… I don’t think any question stumped her the entire semester. Additionally, we toured parts of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal with different staff members, and spent weekends with full itineraries of the most interesting aspects of different cities, including the seaside Lisbon, Portugal, the picturesque Granada, Spain, and the mountain town of Chefchaouen, Morocco, which is entirely painted blue. I had the time of my life in Sevilla, Spain, and most of it can be attributed to the opportunities given to me by SAIIE. Now, I can speak Spanish, I have Spanish friends that may last a lifetime, and I have a new city I can call home.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| 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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The directors of SAIIE, Stuart, Samantha, and Sean Chipres, are all siblings who grew up in Sevilla, but have American/English heritage. They make sure to solve any problems students may have, take the students to the best locations and hotspots on trips, and spend time with the students even on the weekends to ensure that they are getting the most out of their experiences. Stuart, the main director, is a kind, organized, and approachable man who has a love for soccer; he is very helpful with learning about Spain’s language and culture. He even played pickup soccer with the students each week, as he is a former semi-pro soccer player in England, and current player in Spain. Samantha is in charge of the social aspect of the experience; she set me up with a wonderful host family, and also allowed many opportunities to meet intercambios, or Spanish locals looking to learn English. This was an aspect of the program which helped many students like me vastly improve their Spanish. Samantha also helped me out personally. When I was sick during the first week I was there, she drove to my house in the middle of the night and rushed me to the hospital, translating everything for me and making sure I received the best care possible. Sean was in charge of the sports program. He would come with us to the practices, ensuring we arrived safely and knew where to go. He also made sure we adjusted well to the new team by checking in with the coaches and players, making sure they treated us like a part of the team. He managed to get an article about us into the biggest newspaper in Sevilla, El Diario de Sevilla. In addition to all that he had already done, he hooked us up with a few weekly pickup game options, and he invited us to play with him and his friends. When my parents visited near the end of the semester, he was very welcoming and talked with them during a practice and a friendly game. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Central location, great challenge to speak completely in Spanish, authentic Spanish family that had been living there for 80+ years. Nice people, always felt safe and still in touch |
| * Food: |
Local Spanish grandmother food. What more needs to be said? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It’s hard to put into words how much I was able to experience while I was abroad. SAIIE took us on daily tours of the city after school in addition to a class I had that led similar tours. Each day we would sit in this class – Monuments – for ten minutes to learn about the architecture and history of the city’s most historically important monuments with our passionate teacher Reda El Kachtoul. Afterward, we would walk through the city and visit the monument for the rest of class, which was made possible by SAIIE’s prime central location in Sevilla. After school the incredibly knowledgeable local SAIIE staff member Elena would take us on tours of other parts of the city to experience new things. She knew every detail of the entire history of Spain down to the smallest detail… I don’t think any question stumped her the entire semester. Additionally, we toured parts of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal with different staff members, and spent weekends with full itineraries of the most interesting aspects of different cities, including the seaside Lisbon, Portugal, the picturesque Granada, Spain, and the mountain town of Chefchaouen, Morocco, which is entirely painted blue. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I was sick during the first week I was there, one of the directors, Samantha, drove to my house in the middle of the night and rushed me to the hospital, translating everything for me and making sure I received the best care possible. |
| * Safety: |
A "City of Thieves" but no violence |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
There's always a new experience to pay for... but always worth it. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
In the four months and six days that I was abroad, I went from a high school level of Spanish to nearly fluent, and certainly conversational. My rapid growth in comprehension of the Spanish language is credited with the education I received at SAIIE. The Spanish curriculum was tailored to the exact level of the small, five-person class I was taking. As I learned each of the different tenses in school, I was able to go out and speak Spanish every day to practice with my host family, my soccer teammates, my Spanish friends, or the directors and staff members of the SAIIE program, all of whom are native Spanish speakers. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | AP Spanish 6 in high school |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Learn the verb tenses, especially subjunctive. The vocab will come! |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | Cherish every moment because you will never be able to return to the exact situation with the same people at the same time in your life. Soak it all in, and learn as much as you can. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
