These six-week summer and semester-long Spanish immersion programs are designed for intermediate and advanced level Spanish language students. All courses are taught in Spanish, making this program ideal for Spanish majors and minors as well as students interested in taking courses in art history, European studies, history, literature, Spanish culture and more. You will improve your Spanish language skills in this impressively historical and picturesque city, while still being only 25 minutes by high-speed train from Spain's capital, Madrid. In addition, you live in a homestay which further supports your immersion into Spanish society and culture. you will attend courses at the GEO Center with other American students from all over the US, yet also have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in local culture and explore friendships with Segovians. You can participate in tandem language learning activities with local university students or do an internship at a local business or organization. Excursions to neighboring sites of importance and other group activities are included in the program fee.
This 4-week intensive Spanish language program teaches standard terminology and incorporates common dialect variants as well as aspects of Latino culture that can impact the patient’s health and interaction with the medical system. The contents of this program are based on research carried out in US medical settings.
Spanish is a diverse language that varies between regions and countries. While learning Spanish in Argentina, for example, would allow the student to better understand that variety, it may not help with others. In contrast, the Spanish now spoken throughout Latin America has its origins in the Spanish from Spain. In this program, the student will learn the basis of the differences between the varieties as well as common dialect variants used throughout Latin America.
Ecuador provides an ideal setting for exploring issues related to sustainable development. The course will examine the tensions, challenges, and possibilities for reconciling development and conservation in the dry tropical forest zone, a critically important and globally imperiled ecosystem. Course activities are held in Quito and in Bahía de Caráquez. During the first week of the program, students will stay in Quito to take an intensive Spanish course and visit organizations dealing with sustainable development practices. The following three weeks of activities will be developed in Bahia de Caráquez. In Bahia, students will work closely with staff from Planet Drum Foundation, a San Francisco-based NGO with a long-term presence in the region. At Planet Drum students will engage in service learning through field excursions, discussions with locals, and participation in native forest revegetation projects. Bahia de Caráquez has attempted to rethink its development trajectory after a series of environmental disasters exposed the human toll of unsustainable development practices. You will witness first-hand how the efforts led by Planet Drum and other organizations have made the city more resilient.
