Katie Aker
July 20, 2013
A Summer in Spain- Honors Enrichment Award Report
I’ve recently returned from an incredible summer studying abroad in the lively city of Granada, Spain. In high school, when I was still unsure of what I wanted to study and which college I wanted to go to, studying abroad had always been a definite in my future plans. When the time came to pick a program and get the ball rolling on this experience, the excitement and nerves started accruing. As a Spanish major, my sights had always been set on Spain-a Hispanic country rich in culture, history, and seemingly endless sites to see. When it came to deciding on a specific city, the Andalusian gem of Granada was at the top of my list. As the last stronghold of the Muslim empire in Spain, Granada is a city famed for its mixture of both Spanish and Arabic influences. Its distinctive history and unique culture did not disappoint.
My time in Granada passed in a blur, and only now that I am back home in Colorado have I been able to truly reflect on how beneficial this program was to me, both academically and personally. As a student of a foreign language, there is no better way to improve comprehension and conversation skills than to immerse yourself in the culture of the language. I had always heard that, but it was not until I was living in Spain, surrounded entirely by Spanish speakers, that I was able to fully comprehend its significance. Something as simple as ordering a drink at a restaurant or asking for another size when shopping became a challenge. Living with a Spanish family meant I had to communicate all of my daily needs in another language as well-from telling them about any food I may not have liked, to telling them when I would be home, to asking where extra toilet paper was. I had to mentally switch my brain off of “English-mode” and into “Spanish-mode”. No longer would trying to translate everything I heard into English and then thinking about how to translate my response back into Spanish work. I had to fully immerse myself in the language, head on. It was the hardest, at times most frustrating challenge I have faced in my three years of learning Spanish in higher education. Now that I am back, I cannot even fathom how I could have jumped to that next level in my Spanish career without this experience. My language skills have improved beyond what I thought was possible in such a short amount of time.
What’s more, I was able to experience the culture and history of Spain first-hand. I have taken Spanish history and culture classes at CSU, and while they were very informative, the information did not stick, because reading something out of a book and seeing/experiencing it first hand are two completely different experiences. I was a part of Spain’s culture. I felt its history as I wandered throughout ancient cathedrals and palaces. I will never forget those sensory experiences-they have been engrained in my mind forever. Studying abroad as a foreign language student is the best possible complement to my Spanish education here at CSU.
I am endlessly grateful for the time that I spent learning and living in Spain. I am also extremely thankful for the financial aid that the Honors Enrichment Award provided me.