As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxing, study abroad programs resumed this summer, again letting students experience other cultures firsthand.
Traveling to Spain were Jenny Schaffer, Bryson Rose and Andrew Howard. Traveling to Italy was Madeline Selman.
Here are their stories.
Jenny Schaffer—Seville, Spain
Schaffer, a rising senior from Hampton, South Carolina, is majoring in English Literature and Spanish. She took advantage of a program offered through the Anderson University Center for Global Engagement and organized by Trinity Semester in Spanish. She was in Seville May 16 through June 13.
“As a Spanish major, I think that studying abroad is essential, honestly, and should probably be part of the curriculum. You can learn a lot in a classroom, but you’re not going to be able to speak the language and interact with the people unless you have the full immersion—I really wanted that—and of course for the culture and just the chance to travel. I just really wanted a chance to work on my language skills in the country,” Schaffer said.
Schaffer found that a great way to immerse herself in the culture of Seville was to try on traditional clothing of the area and take part in a master class, along with Anderson University classmate Bryson Rose, to learn about and experience Sevillana, the local folk dance.
“Sevillana is a type of dance that’s closely related to Flamenco, but specific to that region of Spain. We spent two hours learning the first part of the dance. It was really complicated, so we couldn’t learn the whole thing. The next part, they had this room full of old flamenco dresses and dresses for sevillana. All of us got to go in, pick out a dress and try it on. There was one guy. They had stuff for him too—just a black shirt and stuff to wear,” Schaffer said.
Schaffer’s classes took place Monday through Thursday from 9:30 in the morning until 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon.
“The first class I took was about the literature and lessons of Sevilla. I think it’s the most fun I've had in a class in a long time. It was long—they would go for half of the morning—but (the professor) was literally acting out the stories and we’d all take turns reading sections then he would act out parts and get us to act them out. It was like kidding around and having fun with the story. We would travel parts of Sevilla and see specific sites that were featured in the stories. A lot of what we saw was not some touristy place; we saw some small corners of Sevilla,” said Schaffer, adding that her class went on excursions into the area around Seville. “My other class was Modern Spain. That class was all about culture and politics and the current events of Spain. I could definitely see how it helped me in my conversation at least, because my host family really liked talking about politics.”
The family Schaffer stayed with was an older couple who were both retired university professors.
“The mom spoke the best English but she didn’t speak a lot. The dad could say ‘thank you for your company,’ ‘have a good night’ and stuff like that. They basically learn the equivalent of what we learn in high school Spanish. We spoke Spanish all the time. It was very different for me,” Schaffer said. “They had four grown sons with families. On any given night we would come home and the kitchen would be full of the families and the kids running around.”
Another adjustment for Schafer was that people, including her host family, tended to be more outspoken in their conversations, had different views on social issues, and had different customs in their daily meals.
“Personally for my beliefs, I’m more conservative. I even got into debates with my host father. He’s agnostic. They start an argument in front of guests. There are no hard feelings for whoever is in the discussion, but they go at it right in front of you and you know like in the South we’re very polite,” Schaffer said. “They eat at different times. In the mornings our host families only gave us toast, jelly and jams, which is fine. Then we didn’t eat until 2:30 or maybe 3 o’clock. Then we didn’t eat supper until 10 or 11:30 at night.”
Schaffer, who hopes to make a future visit to a Spanish speaking country, said, “There are a lot of programs that would allow me to go to a Spanish speaking country and speak English as a second language. I would love to do that in Spain or any Spanish speaking country. I would love to go back to Spain, thinking of how beautiful it was. I only saw a small part. A month was not nearly enough. I would love to go back and work for a couple of years.”
Schaffer feels that the Anderson University Center for Global Engagement, along with her Spanish professor, were invaluable in helping make her trip possible.
Bryson Rose—Seville, Spain
Rose is a double major in Biology and Spanish, a minor in Chemistry and a rising senior from Concord, North Carolina. He traveled with Schaffer and stayed for two terms, also through Trinity Semester in Spanish.
“In high school I had been to Nicaragua and Colombia, and absolutely loved being in an environment where you’re challenged to learn the language of the people there, because if you don’t, then you can’t communicate with them,” Rose said.
Ever since he first arrived at Anderson University, Rose always wanted to study abroad and had an interest in Spain. As with other students, the COVID-19 pandemic put travel plans on hold, until this year.
“I would say the biggest part of studying abroad is the perspective of the differences in culture. One thing for example is that Spaniards tend to be more up front and brutally honest. The people in the program told us the first day, the host families you stay with, if they make you food and you don’t like it, tell them that you don’t like it. And me being from North Carolina, it’s hard to do,” Rose said.
Rose, who is studying to become a physician, took a Spanish class focusing on healthcare terminology.
“The biggest reason for me is to immerse myself in an environment where I’m speaking Spanish so much that I’m forced to improve, so whenever I get back and I go to medical school, as I practice as a physician I can use my Spanish to communicate with my patients, which is why this healthcare class they offered went so hand-in-hand with what I wanted to do,” Rose said. “We mostly got into how to interact with patients respectfully and how to go about learning new words and breaking them down. There is actually an interesting similarity in the most advanced medical terms between English and Spanish because they both got them from Latin, so they resemble each other.”
Aside from learning Spanish medical terms, Rose has other observations about how people in Spain speak.
“The accents in Spanish are different from anything I’ve heard, because we learn typically Mexican, Puerto Rican, maybe Cuban accents in the states,” Rose said.
Since booking travel from within Europe is more economical than in the U.S., Rose has taken advantage of opportunities to see more of the continent.
“There has not been a single weekend that I have just stayed in the city. I’ve gone down to the Canary Islands, then over to Portugal and Paris for different weekends,” Rose said.
Rose is appreciative of the assistance of Spanish Professor Dr. Krissie Butler and Ann Themistocleous in the Center for Global Engagement.
“It felt like they had a level of excitement where I thought they were coming on the trip with me. They’re definitely dedicated to making sure that students are encouraged and excited to go on these trips,” Rose said. “I’ve been to Spanish speaking countries, but those were like a week tops. I definitely have seen an improvement in my Spanish and my accent has changed because I want to talk like a Spaniard when I get back.”
Rose hopes he’ll have an opportunity to practice medicine abroad and feels that having stronger Spanish speaking skills will be a valuable asset in the U.S. or elsewhere.
“In my practice or wherever I’m working, I always want to be able to cater to patients the best I can. Just like me being in this country and not understanding all that’s being said, I can imagine what it’s like for a Spanish speaker to come to America and not know English very well and try to communicate healthcare needs. That must be pretty scary and seemingly impossible, so for me to be able to reach out to them and say ‘I speak Spanish. Let’s communicate about this.’ I think that’s a great way to reach out and let you know you care about them.”
Andrew Howard—Seville, Spain
Andrew Howard, an elementary education major and Spanish minor, is a rising senior from Williamston, South Carolina.
Howard originally planned on a Scotland-Ireland study abroad trip. That was during Spring 2020 when travel became out of the question as COVID-19 spread globally.
“The summer after that, I tried to study in Spain that summer too, because I wanted to work on my Spanish. COVID was still too bad. The trip got canceled again,” Howard said. Finally, this past spring, Howard was able to enroll in the study abroad program for Seville, with the help of Dr. Butler and the Anderson University Center for Global Engagement.
“It worked out. It was kind of crazy, kind of just God taking care of me. I’ve been wanting to study abroad for several years and it just happened to fall into place this time,” Howard said.
Looking back on when he arrived in Spain, Howard readily admits to feeling like a fish out of water.
“I get to my host mom’s house and then everyone in the neighborhood only speaks Spanish. I come into the house and everyone in the house also only speaks Spanish,” Howard said. “After I got unpacked and took a little nap from the jetlag, I was like ‘God, if you don’t show up here, I am in trouble.’ I’m a Spanish minor, so I’m taking several Spanish classes at AU and have had some really great Spanish professors preparing me well. At the same time, it’s a whole different thing to come here and not be able to revert to English. It just kind of threw me in the deep end and… I think it’s helped my learning a lot.”
While adjusting to the language and culture and settling into his Spanish Literature class, Howard became aware of all that Seville had to offer.
“The city of Sevilla is actually home to a lot of the romanticist authors and poets—some of Europe’s most famous poets. I’ve been reading a lot of poetry in Spanish. I’ve been reading a lot of Spanish literature,” Howard said. “Usually everyone has classes from 9:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon. For the first two or three hours of class it’s all in Spanish. The professors know English, but we sign a contract that we can only speak Spanish in the school, so it’s completely immersive. For the last hour and a half of class, we go around the city. It’s kind of like a guided tour with the professor and we walk around and visit historical sites that we’ve been reading about and settings from the literature that we’ve been studying and we actually look at it and actually talk to people on the streets.”
Howard says his Spanish skills have improved.
“Everyone’s going to be shocked when I go home, because I can actually hold my own now… Some of the Sevillanos speak really fast and cut the ends off of some words, so this is actually considered a pretty difficult place for Spanish learners because they speak so fast and they kind of have a slang… as compared to Barcelona and Madrid—they speak really clearly and they speak slower. So I’ve talked to a few people on the street. If I can figure it out here, then I can figure it out anywhere.”
Howard also got to know fellow AU student Rose, sharing classes and traveling together.
“Bryson and I have class together, so I see him every day. It’s been super fun because he does live on the other side of the river. Sometimes after class we’ll go for ice cream together or on the weekends Bryson and I went to Paris together. We rented an AirBNB, went to see the Eiffel Tower and the ark, The Louvre, Mona Lisa and then last weekend me and Bryson went to Granada, which was the Moor capital of Spain.
Thinking of his study abroad experience, Howard feels blessed.
“At first I couldn’t really figure it out, but honestly God has really blessed me because my host family is great. My host mom gives me cooking classes, like traditional Spanish meals, so she teaches me how to cook things so I can take that home. They have Flamenco dancing; it’s like a native music dance; it was born in Sevilla; they say it’s the best Flamenco in the world. You can go to those shows,” Howard said. “They have the largest cathedral in Spain. I pass it every day on the way to school. Sometimes I pray in there before class. I train Ju Jitsu back home at a gym in Anderson, so I wanted to fight a little bit while I was over here and just train. So last night I actually went and wrestled in Sevilla against some Spaniards and that was super fun too. I’ve been putting myself in every situation I can.”
Madeline Selman—Florence, Italy
Madeline Selman is a rising senior from Anderson, South Carolina, studying Business Marketing and Public Relations.
Her study abroad experience took place May 20 through July 2 in Florence, Italy, a program she found through the Center for Global Engagement from CAPA, a global education network.
Selman would walk each day through a city rich in history, passing the Duomo, a majestic 14th-Century cathedral. In the city that gave the world Michaelangelo, it seems fitting that one of her favorite classes has been oil painting.
“I’m learning art in the best place to do so, which is very cool. I’ve been able to create some pieces here and learn the basics of it,” Selman said.
“I knew I wanted to study abroad since high school, so going into college I knew I was planning on doing it. I started looking into it freshman year of college and then COVID happened, so it kept getting pushed back. I had met with Ann (Themistocleous) since freshman year and in junior year we were finally able to feel safe about traveling abroad with the pandemic,” Selman said. “I’m taking two classes here. We go to school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays for about six hours and I’m taking a cross-culture psychology class—we’re comparing American versus Italian culture, the differences and the behaviors that make up each culture.
Although Selman is the only Anderson University student to study in Florence this summer, she’s become friends with many classmates that came from colleges and universities across the U.S.
“We’re all in the same situation of trying to figure out life abroad, how to handle it and all the challenges. You bond really quickly because you’re all in the same boat of trying to figure out how to do that,” said Selman. “I’m in an apartment. There are seven of us, so I share this apartment with six other girls. There are three bedrooms—two girls in two and then one of the bedrooms holds three girls. We hang out all the time. We love going for walks. We go see the sunset on the Ponte Vecchio. We get gelatos every night and just love wandering the city and just finding new places. We love to go dance to live street music, doing some shopping of course.”
Being in Florence, the language barrier hasn’t been as much of a challenge as in other parts of Europe, since the Italian city caters to tourists, many of them English-speaking.
“I’d say 95 percent of the people speak at least basic English if not more advanced English,” Selman said, adding that even restaurant menus have an English version. “Some of the signs are not in English, but you figure it out. All the places in Italy—Rome, Milan, Sienna—they all had pretty much English speakers.”
Selman also took trips outside of Italy to Croatia and Switzerland, which she said was the most beautiful country she has ever seen.
“I would say the hardest place with the biggest language barrier was when we went to Croatia. There was very little English speaking and everything was in Croatian, but we just used Google Translate and kind of figured it out,” Selman said.
“Everything is so connected and it’s so much cheaper to travel once you’re in Europe. You literally can take a train or bus somewhere for the weekend for about a hundred bucks and it’s so convenient. The train station in Florence is only about a 20-minute walk from our apartment. All of us who were in this apartment knew we wanted to travel on the weekends together, and so when we first got here nailed down some places we wanted to go and looked into planning those trips,” Selman said. “We don’t have class Fridays or Mondays, so we have super long weekends to travel.”
Selman is a strong believer in study abroad programs and encourages others to take advantage of any opportunities.
“It takes you out of your world for a little bit and gives you a new life for a while, which is an incredible feeling. Being fully immersed into a new culture is something you’re never going to get unless you just actually go and take the time to visit or even live in another country,” Selman said. “These memories are going to last me forever. Just seeing the different ways people live… the culture shock is real, but it is all worth it and so amazing. I have some friends I made who are locals and I’m going to miss them so much. Florence is such a dream. I would love to come back and do more of the seaside of Italy.”
Studying Abroad with Anderson University
Anderson University is dedicated to creating unique study abroad experiences that last a lifetime. The Center for Global Engagement coordinates all study abroad programs for Anderson University students. The center advises students regarding their study abroad options and helps them locate a program that fits their major, career objectives and interests. The Center for Global Engagement also assists with researching financial aid for programs and helps students develop a fiscal plan for their study abroad experience.
The Center for Global Engagement directs short-term programs, mission trips, faculty-led experimental learning programs and semester-long programs. Anderson University has cooperative agreements so students can take part in semester-long programs in such countries as: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands and Uganda.
For more information, contact the Center for Global Engagement at studyabroad@andersonuniversity.edu or (864) 231-2141.
Original source can be found here.
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