Great experience
I lived in Viña del Mar and worked in Valparaíso for 3 months. I thoroughly enjoyed where I worked - I had great coworkers, learned quite a bit about Chilean business law, was able to see how a business incubator works, and put my Spanish to use daily. It was really a fantastic work opportunity, and I am happy to have done it. The only negatives regarding this program that come to mind are the housing. I was placed in a 3 person house in a quiet neighbourhood and that was great. While the house was incredibly cold (no central heat), the real problem was the bathroom. It did not ventilate well, so after taking a shower the room would be full of condensation. I mean the ceiling would be covered in water, which would proceed to drip on the ground for hours, leaving the floor wet and dirty. This also caused the ceiling in the bathroom to sag significantly, and it was covered in what looked to be mold. I think the housing used could be better scouted, and if these are residences the program uses frequently (as opposed to finding new ones each time applicants arrive), they should be better maintained. Furthermore, I was not given a key to lock my bedroom door, and as there were no safes in any of the rooms, this would have been appreciated. I found the three weeks of Spanish class at the beginning of the program to be only slightly helpful. We spent most of the classes walking around, which was a fantastic way to learn the area and practice conversational Spanish with my teacher. The problem was this dynamic made it very easy to stay within my comfort zone of the language. I think classroom activities are helpful because they are focused and often force conversation on topics otherwise avoided (politics, history, the environment, uncommon situations) as they are difficult or are beyond the scope of what is immediately comfortable. As such, it was easy to stick to things like food or scenery, but difficult to branch into more challenging areas. Overall I had a very enjoyable time in Chile. I enjoyed my work and feel much more confident in my Spanish abilities.
Response from provider
Such great news that your Legal Internship taught you much about business law abroad and also that your Spanish language level has increased – these are really our top goals and what will resonate on your Resume for years to come. The housing you lived in is a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house in the Garden District of Vina del Mar, Chile, one of the safest and most desirable, two blocks from a large grocery store, plus cafes and gyms nearby and about 5 short blocks to the beach. We LOVE this snug little house and use it regularly. Your comments about it are disturbing,
