There are study abroad programs that are academically rigorous…and those often are the subject of complaints by students who are looking for an extended field trip.
The direct enrollment programs can be a fantastic option, as long as the students who sign up understand the differing educational pedagogy and culture. Get ready for 2 hr lectures where questions during lecture are verboten, and going to your section meetings are essential if you need help understanding the topic. Also, be prepared to either basically be on your own (even within ‘student’ housing) or live with the pros and cons of a host family*.
There are plenty of programs offered in Spain and Spanish speaking South American countries. The biggest barrier to full immersion in those programs is spending way too much time with the other Americans in the programs and choosing to speak English.
*I think choosing to live with a host family is a wonderful idea, especially if immersion is a primary reason for study abroad, but it does create additional complexity of navigating familial relationships (positive and negative) while also dealing with culture shock.
Right. When my D lived with a host family, only the native language was allowed at the family’s home. There was no assumption that the host family would practice English with the student.
And the culture shock aspect can be a problem, but some of those programs are selective because they want to ensure they are choosing mature students who can handle it.
My daughter loved living with her host family; they are absolutely incredible and she remains in contact with them. Also, they spoke basically no English so that wasn’t an option. She went into college study abroad basically fluent (studied the language for over 10 years, had done immersion abroad experiences during high school) so didn’t have a communication issue. Her host parents spoke several languages, and she learned quite a bit of two additional languages while with them.
There was still quite a bit of cultural adjustment. Her program was selective, and there were plenty of ‘strong’ students who struggled with adjusting to a new culture and living with host families.
Yeah, while I don’t get to dictate what he does, since it’s his program and his scholarship money, I will be pushing strongly for the host family option; I also think he would enjoy it much more. He’s been on a couple of high school trips that were, by necessity, tourist-oriented quickies and I would like to believe that he’s had his fill of those.
He will be setting up advising appointments this week to see how best to proceed. I’ll report back as time goes on…
But still happy to entertain first-hand experiences of any of these programs!
The gooverseas.com steer is a good one, kind of Niche-like, but there is good info to find there; ty @islandmama1 ! @FryingPanShoals - is your kid at Bama, because the info you provided sounds like it!
In case it’s helpful, my son just started a graduate program at Glasgow (Psychology) and he is really enjoying both the school and the city (although the weather might take some getting used to, especially coming from Alabama). And Glaswegian is almost a language unto itself.
This may be too late, but I strongly recommend Arcadia’s Arcadia in Granada | Arcadia Abroad. It is open to students from all colleges, and during my daughter’s semester there were about a dozen students and only about 4 were from Arcadia. I can’t say enough good things about the program - the curriculum was flexible, the college organized some side trips to Seville and other nearby towns, you have the option of living in an apartment (which my daughter did) or with a host family, and it was affordable - around $15K in 2022 (meals not included). Plus Granada is a beautiful, easy to navigate small city.
thanks so much! He’s still dithering. Seville is a city that really appeals to him - not Madrid or Barcelona, as they seem too American, ironically. Too many American students there; not as authentic an experience, if that makes sense? And obviously they’re authentic. But he’d likely hear English as much as, if not more than, Spanish…
He has a year to figure this out. The problem is gonna be courses that’ll transfer back. You would think his Spanish minor would be a natural, but it appears he will be close to done with it by the end of next year (you only need 15 credits for a minor).
He still is prioritizing Spain, for the familiarity with the language if nothing else.