I’ve been approved to do two study abroad programs - one in the fall, and one in the spring. I’ve been studying Spanish for five years and in a year in a Spanish speaking country, I’m hoping to achieve fluency. I’m definitely going to Seville, Spain in the fall. I’m deciding between whether I want to stay in Spain both semesters or go to Mexico in the second semester. I feel like I might be happier in Spain. It’s more westernized, absolutely gorgeous. There’s nearby places I want to visit - France, Italy, Morocco, maybe Greece. And I need adequate time to do that and see Spain. Meanwhile, Mexico is such a huge country geographically, it’s hard to travel from place to place and there’s no other countries nearby that I have a strong inclination to visit.
The reason I’m considering Mexico is that it’s cheaper, the dialect would be more similar to the Spanish that is spoken in the U.S and I heard positive things about the city I’d be visiting, that it’s quiet, beautiful, interesting, etc. I find myself somewhat interested in Mexico but really in love with the idea of Spain. I’m also feeling while I’d gain things from going to Mexico, I could also gain things by staying longer in Spain, becoming more like a local, rather than someone who’s on a long vacation. Thoughts?
I know multiple people who have studied abroad in Spain and really liked it. I personally would choose Spain and you can probably readjust to the dialect but I’m sure you will be happy in whatever you choose. Good luck
If you’re going to be working with Hispanic populations in the United States, I would encourage you to go to Mexico in the second semester. I’ve studied abroad in Spain and it was a great experience, but it does “mark” my Spanish when I work with Spanish-speaking immigrants (mostly from Mexico/Latin America). Study abroad is also much more about the language-- it’s about the culture, and the culture in Mexico (and the rest of Latin America) is pretty different and distinct than the culture in Spain, and worth experiencing.
(However, if you’re hoping to use your Spanish solely with Iberian populations in the future or return to Spain to work, stay in Spain for a year.)
Going to Mexico for spring and Span for fall seems like the best of both worlds to me!
You could go to both Spain and Mexico in two semesters, however, my friend recently returned from Sevilla and was sad she didn’t get to experience more! She went to Italy, London, and France as well and absolutely loved her time there, but just know that you will need money for all these extra trips (in case that’s an issue).
I don’t know people who have studied abroad in Mexico, so my recommendation is largely one-sided, though I do feel having two experiences might be fun as well. I have never heard someone regret a study abroad program, so I’m sure both places will offer great experiences.
Spain for both semesters hands down! There are immensely more and better opportunities being in Spain and by extension, Europe.
I would go both semesters in Seville. I spent a semester there and you will be shocked at how quickly it flies by. You really need a month or two to get in your groove and figure things out in a new country. Plus, Seville is a huge destination for study abroad students from America and Erasmus. That means things are fun and cheap, and you’ll meet tons of people from all over the world. I met some fantastic friends there; I left only a little over five months ago and I already wish I could go back. Traveling is also safer and considerably more feasible in Spain. I would save Mexico for a shorter trip. If you have any questions about Seville, feel free to message me!
If you are that enthusiastic about Spain without even having gotten there, yes, you will have a hard time leaving. Speaking from experience – D had to extend her ticket 
Be warned about cell phone fees in Europe! Best to buy a cheap pay-as-you-go phone to use in Spain and use wifi on your smart device.
Where in Mexico?
“Seville is a huge destination for study abroad students from America and Erasmus.” < Although fun, this plus traveling to other countries in Europe all the time will limit your ability to be fully immersed in the language and culture.
I agree with the points made by @purpleacorn in post #2.
Try to stay with host families to maximize your immersion.
Some are sure to disagree with me, but the food in Mexico is better than the food in Spain.
My daughter studied abroad in Spain for five months when she was a HS sophomore. She loved it. But be prepared for some culture shock. CIEE warned her it would be rough at first, and it was. Spaniards are different from Americans! They yell a lot! And couples tend to argue passionately. CIEE told us that some students have called their office, worried their host parents were about to split, but that’s just the way they communicate. And my D’s host parents were honest to a fault. They told D exactly what they thought! They use utensils differently and were appalled at my daughter’s lack of manners!
Anyway, she’s glad she went, but be prepared.
@doschicos, I would say I was pretty fully immersed living with a host family. In my experience, people in Seville didn’t speak English, even in tourist areas. That meant that even though most of my friends were European non-Spaniards, I would still say I was speaking Spanish 70 percent of the time. Seville is an inviting place for foreign students, but it’s clear that it’s a city that won’t adapt for you, language wise or culturally. And of course any time you are studying abroad with a group of Americans, in any country, you run the risk of isolating yourself and avoiding full immersion. Seville, to me, was a place where you had to be very immersed inherently in order to get by, especially if you live win a host family (which I highly recommend!).
“I was speaking Spanish 60-70 percent of the time.”
No offense, but IMO it should be a lot more than 60-70%. Not saying you can’t learn a lot and its not worthwhile, fun, meaningful but I think one should aim for a much higher percentage than that ideally IF the goal is language fluency.
I passed a fluency exam (C2 level on the DELE) at the end of my stay in Seville. It was probably closer to 70 percent and I had 7 years of experience in Spanish beforehand. Maybe this is a “stupid American” thing to say, but if I was speaking Spanish 100 percent of the time I would have gone insane or just been depressed. And frankly
I would say the friendships I made were equally as valuable to me as the language component.
Another factor to consider is who is running the different study abroad programs and what kind of reputation the programs have. There is a lot of range in quality out there.
Excellent article! I really appreciate that you didn’t simply laundry list places to study, but that you offered a concise yet insightful assessment of different cities and regions. The assessment was also fair and balanced; you didn’t perpetuate stereotypes about Mexico. As a part-time resident of Mexico City who has learned to appreciate and admire Mexico’s capital for the complexities you described, I was happy to see that you didn’s discourage students from studying there.
Qwerty568 is right: in order to “process properly”, native speakers need to process the language they’re immersed in, using their own language. it helps in creating brain connections they’ll use when they leave and is necessary for true bilingualism. Discussing cultural differences in your native language with others from your native culture, either third-culture or students abroad, also helps (it needs to be complemented by someone who knows more, either a native or, ideally, another third-culture person). A 70-30 balance sounds about right.
C2 is VERY VERY impressive and rarely achieved. (It’s above the highest level on the ACTFL scale).
Anyway, OP: I’d recommend you stay the whole year. Your first semester, you’ll learn the language and become comfortable in the culture. Your second semester, you’ll “learn” the culture by actually knowing the layers of what’s going on, what’s being discussed, you’ll feel part of it. That second level is impossible to achieve if you don’t stay a year. Once you’ve acquired those skills, you’ll be able to duplicate the process much more easily (at this point, this idea of the “second level immersion” past language comfort must seem pretty abstract to you). At that point, you can plan to graduate and go to Mexico; it’ll be easier to go to Mexico from the US, either to work or to study.
Interesting that Middlebury, known for its language programs and language learning, requires pledges that the student will speak the target language 100% of the time (exception made for the occasional chat with family at home). There approach definitely differs from a 70-30 split.
Yes, but approach is different, and they know it’s not physically possible for the students to do it. So the 100% time is understood “within reasonable limits”. The students give everything they have and try very very hard to stick to it but you simply can’t compress/forget your native language.
Another reason for this condition is that students must be in as close in an immersion situation as possible and since the camps are in the US, it’s an attempt at reproducing the conditions, creating extra pressure to “stick to the language as if you were abroad”, sort of.
However associating constantly with English speakers will clearly reduce language gains. So it’s a balancing effort between withstanding uncomfort for learning gains, and giving in to your native language pushing out (sorta).
@MYOS1634 Thank you! Looking back at my certificate, I realized I actually passed the C1 DELE and was enrolled in the C2 class (my language school recommended taking a DELE level one step below the class you are enrolled in). I also was at a B2 level and had about 600 hours of instruction in Spanish before I began my semester.
My friend who is a student at Middlebury and completed a French language camp there told me that while she signed the pledge, she spoke English when off campus, calling family/friends, and occasionally with others on her program. She had a year of French before her camp and said there were just certain things she couldn’t/didn’t know how to convey in French, and I would say that unless you are at a very advanced level (B2+) prior to beginning the language camp you’re going to have to break the pledge a bit, and the school does acknowledge this to a certain extent. Also important to note that the Midd language camps are about five weeks shorter than a semester long program. To be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of the Middlebury language camps. I think trying to re-create immersion within the US is just not the same. That’s not to say they don’t work! But they also really cannot be compared to a true study abroad program.
I am NOT suggesting that people should cop out of trying for immersion when abroad. I always spoke Spanish when speaking to other Spaniards and would consider it disrespectful not to after a certain point in your language studies. The English I was speaking was to my non-Spanish friends and family, who were at varying levels of Spanish, some quite low, or, in the case of my family, non-Spanish speakers. I quite literally would have been unable to talk to these people if I decided to speak solely Spanish. I think forcing yourself to speak a non-native language for three plus months 100 percent of the time, including to other non-native speakers, particularly if you are not at an advanced (b2 +) level, is asking for frustration and loneliness. Maybe I would be better at Spanish if I refused to talk to anyone that spoke English to me, but I certainly wouldn’t be any happier for it. Balance is important.
"Yes, but approach is different, and they know it’s not physically possible for the students to do it. " Actually, it’s not based on students I personally know who completed Middlebury programs. I’m not talking about the domestic programs, I’m talking about the study abroad programs Middlebury runs where college students are fully immersed in another country, with a host family and taking classes at universities in country in the target language and with native speakers.
@qwerty568 That was an impressive level to start off at!