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SPAN 2851 STUDY ABROAD
Cáceres, Spain
Summer 2010
Instructor: Dr. Isabel Asensio Campus office: EH 230
E-mail: Office phone: (801) 626-6777
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to help you get the most out of your international experience. During your stay in Spain, you will have to complete a number of tasks. By completing these tasks you will expand and review the previously acquired Spanish language skills. You will also have opportunities to include more advanced language structures and idiomatic expressions, with emphasis on conversational skills. The course emphasizes enhancing vocabulary for practical purposes, including writing. The main focus is communicative competence and cultural appreciation of the host country. This course will be divided into two sections: reading/writing, and speaking/listening. Some of the readings for this course will be in English; the writing assignments are to be in Spanish, although you may use some English if you have difficulty with certain expressions. Needless to say, you are required to use Spanish at all times during your stay in Spain (as part of the speaking and listening section of this course). Using the Spanish language as much as possible will benefit your language competence greatly.
Readings
-Keenan, Joseph J., “Ten Ways to Avoid Being Taken for A Gringo” in Breaking out of Beginner’s Spanish.” Austin: U of Texas P, 1994.
You can find it on my Study Abroad website:
- Kohls, L. Robert. “Why Do Americans act Like That?”
You can find it at:
Suggested Readings and Resources
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The program plans for this course include cultural activities and planned tours among other activities. Attendance to these scheduled cultural activities and tours is essential and you are expected to attend to all of them. It is your responsibility to notify me of ANY absence that may be absolutely necessary.
Cultural Activities Participation (35 points)
Living and understanding the culture mark the beginning of your study abroad experience. For this reason, I encourage you to become acquainted with the host city, Cáceres, and its Autonomous Community, Extremadura. Although there will be scheduled activities done as a group, students must complete individual visits to the following locations within the city:
San Pablo Convent
Cáceres Jewish Quarter
Churches: Concatedral de Santa María, Iglesia de San Mateo, Iglesia de Santiago, Iglesia de San Francisco, Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Montaña.
Palaces and houses of nobility: Palacio de Carvajal, Palacio de Mayoralgo, Palacio Episcopal, Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo, Palacio de la Isla, Palacio Galarza, Palacio Godoy, Palacio Toledo-Moctezuma, Palacio de las Veletas, Casa del Marqués de Camarena, Casa de los Cáceres-Ovando, Casa de los Paredes Saavedra, Casa de Lorenzo de Ulloa, Casa de los Solís.
The wall and its turrets: Torres Bujaco, Yerba, and Horno, Arco de la Estrella, Torre de las Cigüeñas.
Plazas: Plaza de Santa María, Plazuela de San Pablo, Plaza de San Mateo, Plaza Mayor, el foro de los Balbos.
In addition, there will be three weekly tours to 1) Plasencia and Monasterio de Yuste, 2) Mérida, and 3) Guadalupe and Trujillo, as part of the study abroad program. When guides are available, students will take notes (on the construction date, architectural style, and historical significance) of the site, and include them in their journals.
Each visit must be documented with a brochure (when available) and photo of student at the site.
Initial Paper—Expectations (10 points)
This paper should answer/address the following questions in light of a thorough reading of the “Study Abroad Tips” (first suggested website): What are your personal goals for your time abroad? Given what you have read, how do you anticipate the course will assist you in achieving those goals? In what areas do you feel confident about your international experience? What apprehensions do you have? What will addressing these apprehensions mean for your study abroad experience? (2 full pages, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced). Due on Monday, June14th, at noon. Please, submit an electronic copy via email. If submitted late, the maximum number of points you can get will be 5 points.
Reaction Paper—Values (10 points)
This paper should answer/address the following questions in light of the assigned articles, “Why Do Americans Act Like That?” and “Ten Ways to Avoid Being Taken for a Gringo”: What are some personal cultural values and assumptions that you have identified? List and analyze at least three. How were those values established or learned? How do your values reflect or conflict with what are generally thought of as American values? What values in your host culture do you envision being welcome to you? What values may be challenging for you to encounter? What fundamental values do you hold that you believe will not change when they are challenged by different values? (2 full pages, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced). Due on Monday, June21st, at noon. Please, submit an electronic copy via email. If submitted late, the maximum number of points you can get will be 5 points.
Daily Journal (35 points)
Together with the cultural activities and tours, this is one of the most important course requirements. During the four weeks we will be living in Spain, each student is responsible for keeping a daily journal of their reflections on the cultural activities, visits to historical sites, weekly tours, current political and social issues in the host country, and experiences and concerns that are encountered during the trip. Daily journal entries must be reflective and introspective, not merely descriptive comments about what you saw or did. In other words, your observations can be comparative (how the country is the same or different from the U.S.) and can include comments on day-to-day life, anecdotes, language, politics, geography, stores, social life, popular culture, etc. As you write on these topics, try and frame your comments in such a manner that they explain how this helps you understand the people and the lifestyle of your country and how this impacts your development as a global citizen who cares about global issues.In addition, I will provide you with a series of questions about Spain, its people, and its culture that you will have to answer and develop in your journal entries. I will give you these questions upon arrival in Cáceres.
The last entry on your journal will be an evaluation. In other words, it should answer/address the following questions in light of the study-and-living-abroad experience as a whole, and of the assignments (cultural activities, tours, etc.) you have completed for this course: What were the most important ideas and concepts you encountered? What changes in your perspective on yourself, your host country, and the United States have taken place? How and why has this occurred? What do you feel you still have left to learn? How will you go about learning more in that area(s)?
I expect the average daily entry to be at least 250 words in length, with the exception of the last one that is expected to be a little longer than that. I advise you to buy a notebook, and use it as your journal. During the trip, I will occasionally ask you to turn it in for me to read. Bring digital or standard cameras to document your trip and include photos with your journal. At the end of each day go back and reflect on what you wrote for each day of the trip and continue to update your journal. If you travel during the weekends, I also expect you to include your experiences in the journal entry of the Monday following the travel.
Time goes by very fast, and students do not always have time to completely finish each day’s journal entry during the trip, thus, you have until Friday, August 6thto reflect on each day and edit/modify/complete your journal. You may turn it in at any time after the trip but no later than August 6th.
Reading/Speaking/Listening Tasks (10 points)
Newspaper: at least twice a week, each group (by rooms) will buy a newspaper. Then, students will include in their daily journal comments on a piece of news that called their attention.
Daily life: visit to a supermarket, visit to a pharmacy, visit to a restaurant, visit to a café, visit to a bookstore, and visit to “el mercadillo” (takes place every Wednesday at the Ronda de la Pizarra).
There is no need to spend a lot of money in these places. You could buy something simple and small. The objective is for you to practice and experience the Spanish language in context. Purchase receipts will be enough to document these visits.
Schedule of deadlines:
Monday, June 14th, at noon—Initial Paper-Expectations
Monday, June 21st, at noon—Reaction Paper-Values
Week 1—July 1-2—Daily journal entries
Week 2—July 5-9—Daily journal entries
Week 3—July12-16—Daily journal entries
Week 4—July 19-22—Daily journal entries
Friday, August 6th—Final product of travel journal
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1. Live the language: Make and take opportunities to use the language in natural communication in and outside the class during your stay in Cáceres. Search outside sources to improve your language skills (newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, etc.)
2. Think the language: Avoid heavy reliance on a dictionary and try not to translate everything word for word. Recognize the fact that grammar rules will be different. Learn the difference along with the similarities and your understanding of how the language works will increase ten fold.
3. Guess the language: When in doubt, try to guess new words in context and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Take constant advantage of cognates to understand new words and to comprehend new paragraphs.
4. Ask about the language: If needed, seek extra help from the instructor, friends, etc.
5. Stay open minded to the language and the culture: The best tool for learning a language at any level is a good attitude. Understanding the culture helps with language acquisition.
6. Set realistic goals: Learning another language is not an easy task. It takes time, practice, and dedication. Go into the program with the goal of increasing your communication skills, but avoid setting those goals very high.
7. Enjoy! Learning another language is an adventure.