Abigail Stephan Spanish and International Trade, Learning Sciences - Clemson University

The Language and International Trade undergraduate degree requires a one semester study abroad experience with an internship. As a result, I gladly spent Fall 2016 in Seville, Spain. Seville, as the fourth largest city in Spain, is the capital of Andalusia, the southern-most region of the Iberian Peninsula. Known for its beautiful historical buildings, such as the famous gothic Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, El Torre de Oro, and La Plaza de Espana, the traditional culture, including flamenco dancing and bull fighting, and, of course, the stellar soccer team, it is easy to see the mixed influences of the Ancient Romans, Muslims, Catholic Church, and modern styles in the rich culture of Seville. 

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During my time in Spain, I took classes through the CINECU Program at EUSA Centro Universitario. The courses I was enrolled in included Advanced Spanish Language, Spanish and Spanish American Literature, Art and Culture of Spain, European Union, and Contemporary Spain. With all of these courses being taught in Spanish, I quickly saw my listening, speaking, and writing abilities improve. Additionally, I learned a great deal about the country that I was able to call home. I began to see links between what I was learning in the classroom and what I was experiencing outside of the classroom, especially in the Spanish workplace during my time as an intern for CODE Abogados. More information about this experience can be found on the internship tab linked here.

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In addition to being surrounding by native Spaniards in the classroom, I had the amazing opportunity to live with a local family. Not only did this allow me to constantly practice my Spanish conversational skills, but it also more fully exposed me to the culture of the the Sevillan people. I tasted, and even tried my hand at making, traditional Spanish foods, such as tortilla de patatas and paella. Outside of class, I learned about the parties within the Spanish government, Spain's role in the European Union, and general feelings towards the government and customs of the United States from both my host father and the television. I witnessed the transmission of culture as my adolescent host sisters sang tunes that were popular in the United States. I stayed inside and took time out of my day to relax during siesta. I had the privilege of walking out of our fourth story apartment and being greeted by the bustling, boisterous noise of a busy tapas bar.

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While this experience was amazing, there are a few things that I learned along the way that changed my perspective towards my studies and my own culture. I expected to go to Spain for four months and come back to the United States completely fluent. However, I quickly learned that there were thousands more words in the Spanish language than days I would be in Seville, and that I couldn't possibly be exposed to and absorb all of them in the duration of my stay. Initially, I was frustrated with my seeming lack of progress. By the third month, however, I came to accept that although I had not learned every word, I was much more competent than before. This attitude helped me to open up and be more confident in my speaking and listening abilities. I became more receptive to feedback and more willing to go out of my comfort zone to engage in conversation. These skills have spilled over from speaking a second language in Spain to countless aspects of my life in the United States. I have seen my communication skills improve, and I am able to act in my leadership roles with more confidence. 

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Being abroad also helped me to bring together a number of skills learned in the classroom. Specifically, the theory of cultural relativity that had been taught to me in all of my anthropology classes and a number of my business classes. While the new atmosphere was usually exciting, at some points it could be strange and scary. Keeping in mind that "my way" (the North American way) is not objectively the right way, but rather one piece of a larger puzzle, helped me to observe and appreciate some traditions that I would have otherwise seen as bizarre. For example, when ordering food in Andalusia, it is not uncommon for clients to say "give me a bottle of coca-cola." While this could seem more rude and abrasive than "please bring me a coca-cola" or "I would like a coca-cola," it is seen as typical in that region of Spain. While it was easy to think initially that the daily siesta is a waste of time which could be used more efficiently continuing to work, it was important to step back and look at this tradition from a Spaniard's perspective. As an individual from the United States, I generally value productivity and efficiency over relaxation and social relationships. However, in Spain, as my host father explained many times, the people "work to live," whereas in the United States, we "live to work."

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On the subpage titled "Photos," I have included a number of photographs taken at various famous locations in Seville. Click here to view the collage.