Students and Faculty spend summer abroad in Spain
Posted on January 21, 2016 by Arts and Sciences
Twenty-four students and two faculty members traveled to Europe this summer to live, study and explore Spain as part of a Study Abroad Program organized and led by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and the Office of International Education. The group spent 6 weeks in Central Spain where they lived with host families and attended intensive Spanish courses at the Universidad Castilla-La Mancha campus. We, at the department, are really happy to see that our students returned, not only having improved their language skills but also having lived an unforgettable experience.
The students were keen on bettering their Spanish language skills as well as observing
first-hand the rich culture and customs of the Spanish people. The participants lived
in Cuenca just a 50 minute train ride south of Madrid, but Cuenca is a microcosm of
Spanish culture. Almost all of the inhabitants of the area do not speak any English
so the students were truly immersed in the language.
Kristy Britt and Roberto Robles-Valencia were the faculty teaching and accompanying our students this year, and making sure everything –from academics to housing- was working fine.
It was a very busy month and a half, considering students gain 9 credit hours in a
six weeks program, but we, at the department, believe that this is the best way of
taking fully advantage of this opportunity. After sometime, we think that most of
the students are also convinced it was worth the effort. Hard work and personal discovery
go together and we are able to see the results around us, in the students who traveled
this past summer.
During the program, the group traveled to Madrid, the region of La Mancha, Valencia,
Toledo. The La Mancha excursion took them along Don Quijote’s epic journey through
central Spain. They visited medieval castles and windmills along with a vineyard and
winery from Spain’s famous wine area. The trip to Madrid included visiting the Royal
Palace and El Prado museum. It should also be noted that the students arrived in Spain
during a very festive time: the coronation of their new monarch took place the first
week they arrived and the World Cup culminated while there.
The University is making an effort to internationalize its projection and we are proud
to be contributing to it. Our students are bringing the name of this institution and
this part of the world to places that did not know anything about us. They are also
discovering new opportunities, new worlds, and seeing their own world anew when they
come back. Paradoxically, discovering the world and discovering oneself is very much
connected and we are hoping that we can offer this opportunity to more students in
the following years.
If you are curious about the program, about Spain, ask the faculty at the Department
of Modern and Classical Languages, ask the Office of International Education, but
do not forget to ask the participants: the students who participated in any of the
past two years programs. We found out than when you name Cuenca to them, their eyes
illuminate and they cannot stop talking about it.