What inspired you to travel abroad?
In America, there is a huge Spanish-speaking population. It is estimated that in a couple of years, half of the population in the United States of America will speak Spanish. Therefore, Spanish will be a very helpful language to know in the future.
I am also very fascinated by the Spanish culture as a whole and learning the Spanish language is a great way to also learn more about the Spanish culture. Traveling abroad is a great way to test your skills and learn a lot more about another country’s language and culture!
Why did you choose your Centro MundoLengua?
It’s an incredibly intriguing way to practice the Spanish language! An immersive experience where you get to learn academic material while also learning more about the language and culture by speaking with the locals you’re connected to was too good not to pass up. I loved the idea and the experience!
What was your favorite part about Seville?
I love the small, narrow streets with beautiful, colorful, and lovely houses, along with the beautiful historical sites and aspects of the city. Also, the warm atmosphere was fantastic and welcoming! A personal experience I had that was truly amazing was watching the soccer Eurocup.
The Spanish people are huge soccer enthusiasts and when Spain won the cup, it was like nothing else. People ran to their balconies and cheered and cars that passed by honked while they waved Spanish flags.
It was such a warm experience that brought the community together. This is definitely not a scene you would see in New York City (the place I’m from) because the warm communal aspect is not felt much in New York City.
Plaza de España’s bridge.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Staying with a host family and doing volunteer work at an old age home made my experience truly exciting and interesting. I spent a lot of time with my host family talking about interesting topics about the differences in our cultures. I met their extended families, we watched soccer games together with their friends, we went shopping, and we ate at a lot of restaurants together.
At the old age home, I spoke to many different individuals from different locations in Spain. Together we spoke about our experiences, spoke a lot of Spanish, and told each other about our families. At the old age home, I learned a lot of valuable advice from the residents and made valuable connections with them. This incredible experience motivated me to look into old age homes in the United States that are looking for volunteers.
I realized how much I love learning about other people´s lives, advice, and valuable life experiences such as mistakes that I should not commit and common traps I should avoid as an adult. This is accompanied by the fact that it is also a good deed. The elderly tend to be lonely and they have the desire to talk to people, so this was helping them out as well!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
They did a great job at making sure I was entertained, comfortable, and interested. One night we finished an activity late at night and I was far away from my host home so I asked a cousin to walk me home and she did.
We spoke about history as we walked and I learned a lot about a time period I did not know much about! I ended up speaking to my host family about it afterward!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I had spoken more Spanish with my friends! They spoke to me in English, and I wish I forced myself to speak to them in Spanish instead!
If I had done that, it would have been real and true immersion! I was given the advice before but I came up with excuses why not to do it but I really regret it!
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
- I would wake up at 9.
- Get ready and go to MundoLengua for my literature class and get there at 10.
- Go to lunch and eat Salmorejo and Picos and siesta at my host family's house.
- Then go to volunteer work at an old age home where I would speak and help the elderly!
- Then go home, eat dinner, then read a book then sleep.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
There were so many experiences I cherished during my time abroad! To name a few, I loved spending time with my host family and their friends and family and loved ones. I went to watch soccer with them and went out to restaurants and shopping with them!
Additionally, I loved spending time with the elderly at the old age home! I learned so much from each of them and their experiences as well as speaking a lot and learning a lot of Spanish.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
The bedroom I was staying in was on the smaller side. However, it was lovely. I had a bedroom to myself and it was nice and clean.
I had a bathroom to myself, a big closet, a desk, a bed, and other bedroom essentials. I also had working AC which was absolutely necessary in the hot climate of Seville.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
They should just remember to speak a lot of Spanish because that is the point of the program! Remember to speak Spanish, even to your friends! Delving into my personal experiences, I spoke Spanish to every Spanish individual, including, the staff from Centro Mundo Lengua, my host family, their friends, ETC.
However, I failed to speak Spanish to my American friends. This is a mistake that is truly underrated because part of the immersive experience is speaking Spanish all of the time no matter what and in retrospect, this full immersion would have helped me a lot.
La catedral is one of the most prettiest sights.
Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
I would recommend this program to any individual studying Spanish. It’s a great program if you’re looking to improve your speaking ability, learn more about the Spanish culture, and improve your reading and writing skills.
This is due to the perfect combination of all of these skills in one program. In the morning you learn reading and writing, and in the afternoon and evening, you are with your host family practicing your speaking skills and learning more about Spanish culture!
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
You get to experience new things which I believe is very important for people (especially younger people)! I think it is also very rewarding to the people who studied the culture, language, and literature courses because it puts everything you learn in the classroom to life and puts it into perspective!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
It first of all improved my Spanish language skills greatly. Additionally, it taught me about a completely new culture and experience in the world. Along with it, meeting new people and getting to know their perspectives on the world is exciting, especially people from other countries!
You don’t just see your same old black-and-white views, but a completely out-of-the-box way to live life. Seeing the world can change your perspective on life, and your views on it, drastically and beyond recognition!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
It means that you are not just going on vacation, which is what many people associate with traveling to another country during the summer. It is learning new things and shifting your perspective on the world by meeting new people and seeing different things in other countries!
Meaningful travel is when you travel to another place in the world and leave the country having improved yourself in some way.
It can be learning a new language, learning a new history, investigating cultures, or meeting new, interesting people that impacted your life in some way. Traveling abroad did all of the things I mentioned, and it positively changed my life, my trip to Seville helped me learn that.
