Study Abroad Reflection

This spring I participated in a study abroad program in Sevilla, Spain. It was supposed to be a semester long experience to immerse myself in the Spanish culture. Sadly, I was only there for two months due to the Coronavirus.

I do not often feel transformed by my experiences, but being a new country was a life changing experience. The biggest effect that I felt was my confidence in speaking Spanish has reached a level where I can now speak without fear of mistakes. I gained a valuable lesson of linguistics that allows me to not be mentally blocked by minor grammar errors. Being in Sevilla was a phenomenal choice. Of the largest cities in Spain, Sevilla has many influences from abroad however, I always felt encouraged to practice Spanish. This atmosphere completely changed the way my mind processes language and I feel like I can switch between English and Spanish at the drop of a hat. Before I would always need to take a moment to prepare my mind to listen to a different language.

The biggest influence for me while I was abroad was my host family. While the father knew a minor amount of Spanish. The rest of the family knew none of it and all of our interactions forced me to speak my new second language. With all of the time I spent with them, they really allowed me and my roommate to feel immersed in the language. During the two months that I lived with them, they corrected my grammar, and taught me new phrases and words to deepen my grasp of speaking. Many people refer the Andalusian accent to be one of the hardest to understand in the world. Therefore, listening to my host family was really good practice to train my mind to process Spanish.

Part of the program was mandatory group trips around Spain. Although the trip was cut short, we still all went to Madrid and Toledo. Both of these cities were awesome to visit, and they really deepened my grasp of the country as a whole and the differences between the regions of Spain. It was easier to understand native speakers in Madrid and Toledo. This also enhanced my confidence while speaking with Spanish speakers.

The host family also was a great way for us to meet other native speakers. One weekend, our host dad wanted to visit his mother and brought my roommate and myself along. We talked with her for a good amount of time and then she invited us to a more formal family gathering. A week or so later, My roommate and I met a large part of the family and some of their friends. It was the most hectic moment of the study abroad since it was a room filled with voices and none of them were in english, but it was also my favorite moment of my time there since it was the greatest exposure to Spanish that I ever experienced.

This transformation that I experienced will go down as one of the greatest experiences in my life. I have been learning Spanish for almost 10 years, but within two months, I have been exposed to more Spanish than I have ever seen. Every test and every presentation has been building me up for this culminate exam. The confidence I have gained from this experience will carry with me wherever I go, and the stories that I will be able to tell as a result will be a great way to convey who I am and what I love. Spanish has been a large part of my life, and because of this experience, It will be a part of me forever.