If you've decided you're going to study Spanish abroad in Spain but haven't decided where you'd like to go, it's good to think about what you want out of your experience, to examine your options and to understand the vast differences between each city. Here are five popular choices:
Continue reading "5 Great Study Abroad Locations in Spain" »
The prospect of spending an entire semester or year studying abroad can be a daunting one, especially since your college or university may impose quite a bit of paperwork, hassle, and red tape on you. There are meetings, approvals, fees and various other arrangements to be made. There's also often a limited repertoire of possibilities. For example, your school may only offer classes at satellite schools in Rome and Tokyo, but you want to improve your Spanish skills and vocabulary.
Continue reading "The Cost Effectiveness of Spending a College Semester Abroad" »
Then there is music. For many people, Spanish music is synonym to Flamenco, but in fact there are many different types and styles of local music. The Spanish modern music comprises modern Flamenco as well as pop, rock and hip-hop groups. If you like the Spanish nightlife, you'll quickly discover that for the most part of the evening you'll hear Spanish music in pubs and clubs.
Finally, if you really want to, there is of course the vast array of typical handicrafts specially made for tourists, such as the 'Torero-posters' which are posters for bullfights, where you can get your name printed as the main torero. Or T-shirts with the famous Jerez-bull on it (if you've been to Spain, you know him), ashtrays with 'playa and sol' and multi-colored candles that for some unknown reason are abound along the costas, etc. etc. etc…
Spanish wines are also very recommended as souvenirs. Spanish wine is excellent quality, comes in a wide variety of flavours and above all, is dirt-cheap! If you live outside of the European Union there are probably restrictions on the amount of wine you may import into your country, but luckily for the Europeans, there is free traffic of persons and goods :)… Which means that there are people who have taken 6 bottles of wine home in their backpack, wrapped in their snowboard socks (don't ask).
Further, you can get very nice ceramics in Spain, especially those regions that have been heavily influenced by the Mores. The tiles that you can find on the walls of typical houses, outdoor as well as indoors come in many different patterns and colors. Little tables inlayed with ceramics, decorative plates, vases and ornaments are readily available everywhere. But you can't mention Spanish ceramics without mentioning the famous Lladro art. The factory is located in Valencia but you can find the beautiful figurines in the big department store El Corte Ingles or dedicated stores in the main cities. They come with a guarantee for life but I'd still recommend to be very careful with them and take them in your hand luggage.
Part 3 - Continuing from "Spanish in Miami" - by Elizabeth Gregory
Because of the weather, bars and restaurants tend to be more open to the outdoors. Even the shops at Bayside consisted of an open air mall. There was live music (in Spanish) almost everywhere I went. Many people were up dancing and singing along. It made me sad to realize that I would have to come back home to an almost winter atmosphere where people rarely venture out in the cold unless they have to. Even though this time around I did not venture out to South Beach, I still had a great time and felt that I saw the city more the way the locals do. By hanging around the cafes, bars and live music in the evenings, I was able to get a taste of the local culture as opposed to the tourist resort culture that I had been accustomed to on prior visits to this city. There certainly was a lot of culture to be found everywhere I went.
Part 2 - Continuing from "Spanish in Miami" - by Elizabeth Gregory
I was surprised at how many Spanish speakers were all over the city. It was rare to walk down the street and not hear someone speaking Spanish. Even the homeless woman who asked me for money did so in English and Spanish. Nine times out of ten, someone would speak to you in Spanish first. I passed by a Spanish school in Little Havana. While there is not much to do in that area in terms of shopping or restaurants (aside from fast food), it is the perfect place to learn Spanish. Virtually every billboard is in Spanish and regardless of the time of day, people are always out an about providing a good opportunity to practice your Spanish listening and speaking skills if you wish. When I passed through the drive through at McDonalds for something to drink, the worker asked me in Spanish first. I was taken off guard, so he then asked me in English what I wanted. Later that night, I was down at the bayside shops and an Irish woman asked me why there were so many "Spaniards" living in Miami. I had to explain to her that many were from Cuba and other parts of Latin America, but I doubted that many if any were from Spain.
Part 1 - by Elizabeth Gregory
This past weekend, I attended a conference in downtown Miami. Although I had been to Miami before, I had only been as a tourist. This time, I was determined to get to know the city on a new level. First and foremost, let me talk about the nightmare I had trying to drive in the city. Miami is a sprawling city and distances are longer than they appear. What looks like a 5 minute drive winds up being 20 minutes easily (double that with traffic). On top of that, the city is largely under construction. No left turn, no u-turn, and no right turns at intersections makes it difficult to turn around if you find yourself on a road going the wrong way. To add to the confusion, there are numbered streets and numbered avenues. Luckily, they use the same rule as in New York (avenues go "the long way" and streets cut across the "short way").
Part 3 - Continuing from "Semester in Florence" - By Elizabeth Gregory
What is there to do in Florence? There are many festivals throughout the year. Some of the most famous are the Florence film festival (Festival Dei Popoli) and the International Handicrafts Fair. This website gives a good list of events and attractions: http://www.travelplan.it/florence_guide_events.htm
Perhaps the most appealing quality of Florence is the fact that it is neither too big nor too small. In addition, train travel throughout Italy is easy and safe. There is a good chance that you will have many free weekends to see other sites to really soak up the Italian culture while you are there.
There are many opportunities to spend a semester in Florence. Not all have US based transcripts, so be careful. Our friends at AmeriSpan offer a US Accredited program in Florence: http://www.amerispan.com/study_abroad/Italy/Florence/3603!
by Elizabeth Gregory
Italy is well-known for its art, cuisine, and architecture. Although Italian is not a widely spoken language outside of Italy, students each year choose Italy as a destination for a semester abroad program. Students of a variety of majors from business to fashion design to art can learn a thing or two in addition to the Italian language while in Italy. My personal favorite city in Italy is Florence.
Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, is considered the heartbeat of the country with its breathtaking architecture and sculpture, cultural events, and museums. The streets of Florence radiate the charm of Italian culture.
More to come...
Part 3 - Continuing from "Why Study Abroad" - by Elizabeth G
Now that you've thought about the pros and have been asking yourself some questions about going, you also must consider the cons. So, what are the three biggest drawbacks to studying abroad?
1. Potential problems with credit transfer if you choose a program that is independent from your university. Always speak with your advisor to make sure your credits will in fact transfer without any problems. This drawback is not always a problem.
2. Culture shock - especially if you've never been out of the country. Remember that culture shock is not permanent, so you need not let this be the sole reason for not going abroad. If you know that it may happen then you can prepare in advance.
3. Risk factors - With the way the world is today, you never know what can happen. However, if you are smart and do a little research before you go you can avoid the problem areas. A good suggestion is to talk to past participants and make sure they felt safe in the location.
Ultimately, it's your decision. Once you get out into the working world, you may never have the opportunity to spend a significant time overseas. Make sure you make the right choice.
