IES Abroad Salamanca – Language & Area Studies

My experience abroad was deifinitely scary at first, navigating Madrid Barajas airport was not a challenge I was expecting but nonetheless it helped me to be able to manage myself in a foreign country. Transitioning to life in Salamanca wasn't too difficult especially since I come from somewhere between a small town and a big city. I initially chose the homestay option as I wanted to get more acquainted with the everyday culture, but unfortunately the lifestyles of myself and my host parents didn't really match up. I am sometimes more of an introvert (especially in new situations/places) and like to have a safe space to decompress and they were expecting someone who was more outgoing, explored a lot, and stayed out much later than I initally would. Then, moving into the residence hall was a straightforward process that didn't take too much time and I felt so comfortable having my own space (especially having my own bathroom!). Plus, I was near all of my friends in the program. In addition to being close to my program mates, I also got to meet more local students and it was nice to have the typical college experience with them instead of simply staying with people who you were always familiar with that were in your program. I think my biggest issue was that I wasn't forced to be speaking in Spanish as much as I had wanted to. Speaking spanish with people in your program can be awkward at times but it's definitely worth it, but when all was said and done, all of my colleagues were speaking English. For me, the language was something I would adopt during the day and then at night it was usually back to English. This might be biased since my last language immersion experience was with 0 English speakers and I was forced to speak in Spanish 24/7, which isn't realistic for everyone. Overall, IES made everything very accomodating and they were the nicest people I had ever met. I could go to them with anything and even developed bonds with them as mentors. I would absolutely do it again and I reccomend it to anyone even if you're a beginner in the language.

After waiting what seems like forever, I finally embarked on my journey abroad to Salamanca, Spain in the Spring of 2020. Although it was not on my radar at first glance, Salamanca stole my heart and a permanent stamp in my mind. The culture and history it has to offer are unlike any other place I have visited and the academic opportunities are endless. It wasn't until my time abroad that I learned to appreciate all the tedious grammar structures that get harped on in Spanish class. Salamanca was the perfect learning environment in more ways than one. The classes offered by IES Salamanca were challenging, yet just right and the cultural experiences they planned really allowed me to explore and learn all about the Spanish culture and way of life. I cannot recommend Salamanca enough, whether you are in the beginner or more advanced Spanish level-- it has something for everyone.

I can't imagine a better place to learn and grow than the beautiful city of Salamanca, Spain. It's the perfect size for a community feel with the autonomy to go on many an adventure in the city. My host family was incredible and very sweet - I felt right at home in their house and enjoyed the opportunity to practice Spanish in and out of the classroom. The courses at IES were rigorous and I feel thankful for a tiered-level program that allowed me to work with students of similar ability. I also enjoyed the variety of classes offered. Attending courses at the partner institution, USAL, was incredibly helpful in gaining credit for my home university and advancing my spoken and written Spanish communication. I loved my time in Spain and I can't imagine a better place to have been!