Language and Society, Spring 2018, Issue I

Welcome to Seville!

The semester started with a Spring orientation. During five days students were guided by local guides and their Program Manager, Helena Andrés, to make their transatlantic transition smoother. Informative sessions about health and safety, housing, activities and academics were presented to students together with some cross-cultural activities: goals meetings or visit to the Alcázar de Sevilla.

After orientation LS students took their CIEE 2-week Spanish Intensive Course. This class helped our students to refresh their knowledge about the Spanish language and improve it, so they can also have a referent point to set them up into their later regular language course at their host university, Universidad de Sevilla, and CIEE. Some out of the class activities, like bringing students to El Mercado de la Encarnación, a local food market where they could practice their Spanish while enjoyed part of the culture took place within their course too.

After their intensive course was over, a new orientation was carried out early in the week, this time to present all academic and non-academic information about the US to CIEE LS and other institutions students. Among them: intercambios, sports and volunteering opportunities.

REGULAR COURSES

They started last Monday, February 12. Students revisited the Universidad de Sevilla for a practical tour shown by locals, that explored the most interesting places for our students: classrooms, libraries, restrooms, cafeteria, etc.

As new! Advanced Grammar and Composition I students had the opportunity to meet and interview some Spanish students at Universidad de Sevilla, where they prepared a survey to know more about student´s life in Spain. Later, they had to share their findings in class, and wrote a composition on this, in comparison to US college life. They enjoyed this activity a lot, and realized their lives are not so different....

During the rest of the weeks, and this current last February days they are attending the classes where they were finally registered after their add and drop period regularly at CIEE and US. Their classes are being reinforced by intercambios, tutorials, workshops like the “tandem project” and out-of-class activities and visits carried out together with Spanish students to facilitate their interrelation.

TANDEM PROJECT

It started up with 10 Spanish students who joined our linguistic project to participate in our activities, where students interact discussing about different latest and interesting topics. The first session of our Linguistic and Cultural Exchange Seminar was carried out Last Wednesday February 13th. A total of 9 Spanish college students attended the session and were paired with American students in order to practice their oral skills in both English and Spanish. First, students introduced one another and talked about their main areas or interest. Then, we went on to discuss several topics which included stereotypes about both cultures and slang language in English and Spanish. The feedback on the session was an overall positive with the Spanish students as much as with the American students. 

More is coming! Visits to local places, day trips, overnight trip to Morocco, mid-term personal goals review interviews. Etc.

Always ready to learn and enjoy!