Summer of Spain

Beautiful beaches, warm weather, young people and a wild nightlife. Sounds like the ideal summer vacation, right? Actually, this is what 140 American college students, myself included, experienced while earning college credit. From May 26 to June 28, we studied Spanish language and culture in the best place possible: Valencia, Spain.

Speaking English was penalized and prohibited in the study abroad program, which the University has organized in conjunction with the University of Valencia. Founded in 1984, the program is open to students from all colleges and universities.

After an abrupt introduction to Spain, I realized that the new culture became a gateway for me to learn Spanish more efficiently than I ever would in America because of the direct contact with Spaniards – and especially with host families.

As a summer participant, I had five weeks to take as many as six credits from 11 course choices. The program is not limited to the summer, though. Including the fall and spring semesters, the Valencia program attracts over 300 students each year -- a huge increase from the initial 11 students who attended the first spring semester. The summer session also has gained popularity, growing from 60 students in the inaugural summer of 1986 to currently being limited to 140 students. Next summer the program will introduce a double session to satisfy its increasing demand.

"This [summer] short session is especially helpful for the student who wants to try something new but can't take time off during the year," program director Carol Harris said.

Harris, who works full-time in Valencia for Servicios de Programas Universitarios, or SPU, said another key advantage of the program is that while most other programs have leased, rented or loaned facilities, SPU owns its facilities. In other words, while other study abroad programs depend on the cities' main university to house their programs, SPU owns private facilities, allowing American students to take classes with other American students instead of being incorporated into classes with native speakers.

Another big draw for University students, Harris said, is "the direct credit facet, meaning that U.Va. students directly receive the credits taken in Valencia," just like classes taken in Charlottesville.

Housing in the study abroad program is arranged with a family who lives no further than 45 minutes from the SPU center in Valencia. This aspect of the program attracts many students because it allows direct contact with a Spanish family. For third-year Maya Prakash, living with a host family was terrific.

"My host family was absolutely amazing," Prakash said. "In fact, when my family and I were visiting Valencia [after the program had finished], we visited my host mother. It was so sweet!"

During her first few days in Spain, Prakash's birthday drew her close to her host family.

"Having a birthday party helped me feel less homesick during my first initial days in Spain," she said. "It made me feel like I was really part of a family as well. It was the third or fourth day [of the program], and I was already being treated like a real member of the family."

Third-year College student June Kim agreed that she really enjoyed the host-family experience and learned from it as well.

"It was probably the closest way of experiencing the culture -- talking with the family, eating with them, and getting to see how they spend a normal day," Kim said. "I felt I did the most learning in the home."

The host families reciprocally learn from the American students, too. For example, Enrique and Juani Lleget, a host family that has housed American students for over four years, said they have noticed consistent cultural tendencies in their American students that differ from their own habits.

"Americans eat a bigger, heavier breakfast," Enrique said. "While we usually have some toast with jelly and a cup of coffee in the morning, many of my American students cook eggs and bacon for breakfast."

Food is not the only cultural difference he noticed.

"Additionally, I have observed that they are more serious about their school work," he said. "I don't know -- the Spaniards just seem to have more fun and worry less about grades."

Enrique said he truly enjoys the company of his American boarders.

"I learn so much from them," he said. "I've never been to America, but I feel as though I know a lot about the culture because of my experiences with the students."

Maria Teresa, another woman who lives in Valencia, is thrilled to have the opportunity to host American students.

"I absolutely love taking care of young people, and they give me a lot of company," Teresa said. "So far, I have been lucky to house only the sweetest American ladies."

Like the Llegets, Teresa was quick to note cultural differences between Americans and Spaniards.

"The main difference is the importance and the role of the family," she said. "While Americans quickly leave their household once they go study, we stay and live with our family until we get married."

Reciprocal learning is not limited to host families; professors said they learn from the students they teach. According to Spanish Prof. Sergio Arlandis, who teaches both at the University of Valencia and at the SPU center, teaching American students is not quite the same as teaching the Spaniards.

Teaching American students "is so different and so much fun," Arlandis said. "At the University of Valencia, my class sizes are much larger, so I don't get to intimately interact with the Spanish students like I do here with the American students."

Spanish Prof. Luis Llorens Marzo, however, teaches small classes at the University of Valencia and was shocked to be teaching Spanish literature to a class of 25 students at the SPU center.

"American students are more serious about their grades," Marzo said.

Prof. Amparo Montaner, who teaches advanced Spanish conversation, noted similar characteristics of American students.

"American students are more secretive about their grades," Montaner added. "It is almost as if there is greater competition among them than there is among Spanish students."

Montener said her American students "teach me a lot about the American culture."

"I love America," she said. "I was teaching at Berkeley for a little while and fell in love with the way of life there."

Many students said they left Valencia with invaluable lessons. Second-year College student Karen Martin said the experience in Spain has helped her realize the many differences that exist between cultures.

"Sometimes I feel so stuck in one frame of mind, and now I'm starting to think 'man I like how the Spaniards do this,'" Martin said. "It's really cool to me."