This summer, I got the opportunity to study abroad in Seville, Spain for five weeks, where I took Spanish 223. I was invited to go by my friend Mckenzie, who was my roommate on the trip. Our host Ángeles was an older woman who spoke only Spanish. While speaking to her proved to be very challenging, our daily conversations with her helped our Spanish to improve tremendously.
Additionally, living with Ángeles gave us a window into her life, culture, religion, and interests. We pushed ourselves to learn more Spanish to learn more about her.
The study abroad program itself emphasized the importance of immersion. Our professor encouraged us to engage with native speakers with many of our assignments requiring us to interview locals, order food at restaurants, ask for directions, and etcetera. Outside the classroom, the program offered cultural excursions to places like the Real Alcázar de Sevilla, Plaza de España, the Catedral de Sevilla, Córdoba’s Mezquita-Catedral, Granada, Cádiz, and a traditional flamenco show.
My favorite experience was visiting the Real Alcázar de Sevilla. The palace was made by King Peter, and it was made with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian influences. I really enjoyed seeing such a beautiful building made by great collaboration and coexistence.
By the end of the program, my Spanish skills had grown exponentially. I began the trip only able to say basic phrases, but I left capable of having full conversations with my host mom. One major takeaway from this experience was realizing how essential language immersion is to learning a language. Coming back to the states, I hope to challenge myself to use immersion to learn even more Spanish.
