Spain: Gaining Confidence to Communicate Around the World Past Review
By Ashley F (Elementary Education, Wisconsin Lutheran College) for
WorldStrides 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
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* 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. |
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* 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. |
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* 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
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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 |
| 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
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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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