Program Overview
Program Overview
Immerse yourself in the language and culture of two Spanish speaking regions: Latin America and Europe.
Kick off your CIEE Gap Year Abroad duo program by living among the rows of brightly colored houses and lush palm trees in the Dominican Republic, the centerpiece of the Hispanic Caribbean. Visit cultural and historical sites; practice your Spanish speaking with vendors at the local market; and get to know your host family during nightly dinners at home.
After a semester in Santiago, you’ll hop across the pond to spend four months in Spain. Taking intensive Spanish courses at an international study center in downtown Seville, you’ll build on the language work you began in the Dominican Republic. You’ll give back to your host community by volunteering at a local school and return home having made new friends, gained second language proficiency, and learned what it means to be a global citizen.
The CIEE Difference
The CIEE Difference
Academic Program
You’ve never studied language like this before.
In the Dominican Republic, you’ll take intensive language classes four days a week with other international students at the American Language Partners International (ALPI). The curriculum includes grammar, vocabulary (including “Dominicanisms”), and conversation. You’ll hone your Spanish outside of the classroom with excursions to local markets and stores, cafés, and restaurants.
You will also be enrolled in a once-a-week culture class on Dominican history and culture at the CIEE Study Center located on the Pontifica Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) campus. Many of these classes bring you to the cultural and historical sites being discussed, including the Catedral de Santiago and Hermanos Patino Bridge.
In Spain, you’ll continue your Spanish language study through classes five days a week at a local international study center. Classes are designed help you build upon and improve your language skills while giving you insight into Spanish literature, history, and culture. Culture classes at CIEE’s Study Center will introduce you to the Spanish educational system, the Spanish way of life, local cuisine, and more, giving you a better sense of the country and its people. You’ll also hear from fascinating guest lecturers such as a real bullfighter and participate in exciting activities throughout the city.
Volunteer Opportunities
Give back to, and make a difference in, your host community.
Volunteering is an essential component of a gap year abroad, and a fantastic way to build language fluency, develop professional skills, and gain insight into both Dominican and Spanish society and culture. Customize your volunteering experience in each country based on personal interests and the amount of time you want to dedicate to helping others. Like working with kids? In Spain you could help coordinate activities at a local after-school program. In the Dominican Republic, work at a local baseball facility, help out in an orphanage, build homes or parks, or assist the elderly.
Cultural Immersion
There’s no better way to immerse yourself in another culture than by living with a local family. Not only will your host family provide you with daily meals and a place to stay, they’ll help you develop your Spanish language skills, introduce you to local customs, and offer support and guidance in an unfamiliar environment.
Our host families are as diverse as our gap year abroad students. Whomever you’re placed with, all host families are carefully screened and matched with you based on personality profiles and common interests. Through your host family, you’ll build a home away from home and develop relationships that endure long after you’ve finished your Gap Year Abroad program.
Program Excursions
Program Excursions
During your gGap year abroad you’ll have time to discover your host countries both with CIEE during sponsored trips and excursions and through your personal explorations. Explore sites of religious and historical importance to see history come alive. Visit local exhibits, museums, nearby parks, and more. And get involved with entertaining cultural activities—flamenco classes, cooking lessons, trips to local olive groves—designed to connect you with the local culture and people.
In the Dominican Republic you’ll also experience a week-long rural immersion stay—at a cocoa plantation, an orphanage in the mountains, or the neighborhoods of Santo Domingo for example—to see what daily life is like outside the country’s vibrant cities. In Spain, explore the bustling metropolises of Barcelona or Madrid during an overnight trip with fellow CIEE Gap Year Abroad participants.
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
We want to make sure you get the most out of your gap year abroad experience with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.
- Transportation to and from local Dominican and Spanish airports
- Language classes at ALPI and a local Spanish intercultural center
- Weekly cultural course at the CIEE Study Center in Santiago and Seville
- Volunteering opportunities
- CIEE-sponsored trips and excursions
- Room and board with host families
- Supervision and support by a student services manager
- Orientations prior to leaving the U.S. and upon arrival in the Dominican Republic and Spain
- International medical insurance through iNext and 24-hour worldwide travel assistance and support services
Application Due
Start Date
End Date
Cost
Academic Year
May 25, 2013
September
April
$19,975
*Prices are subject to change and will be locked in for the participant on the day CIEE receives the completed application and program deposit.
Eligibility
Eligibility
- Students must be a high school graduate in good academic standing
- No previous language experience required
- Students must demonstrate, through the application and interview process, their flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living in a new culture
CIEE Support
CIEE Support
The CIEE Study Centers in Santiago and Seville are responsible for the supervision and support of CIEE participants throughout the duration of their stay. The Gap Year Abroad Program coordinator at the Study Center will remain in regular contact throughout the semester/academic year in order to check in on your language progress and to make sure that the homestay and volunteer placements are going well. The office selects, screens, and interviews all host families and will place students with a family that best matches their student profile.
CIEE Orientation
CIEE Orientation
All CIEE, Gap Year Abroad participants take part in an online orientation prior to their departure. In addition to providing logistical information, the orientation helps students set realistic expectations and goals. It also affords students and parents the opportunity to ask questions of CIEE Study Center staff.
An in-country orientation takes place upon your arrival in both countries. The goal of the orientation is to help introduce you to your new city, country, host family, and classmates. The academic program will be reviewed, health and safety tips will be covered, and faculty and staff will offer advice on adjusting to a new language and culture. You will be met at the airport upon arrival by CIEE Study Center staff who will also assist in the final transfer to the host family.
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