ByLeah Veldhuisen ’19
CC’s language-focused study abroad programs are numerous and cover a wide variety of regions and languages. Available languages range from romance languages such as French, Spanish and Portuguese to less-learned ones like Russian and Mandarin. Programs also vary in length, with some lasting an entire semester and others one or two blocks during the school year or summer.
CC’s semester programs take place in France, Germany, and Latin America—an interdisciplinary program that allows students to study in two different countries, which vary year to year, offer the opportunity to spend the whole semester abroad or just two blocks. In France, students live with host families in Tours and take two blocks of French language classes at Institut de Touraine with French professors, and two blocks focusing on culture, food, politics and other topics with CC professors. Laura Santi ’19 did the France program in Spring 2017, and says “studying in France allowed me to expand my language skills through the full-immersion aspect of the program. By living with a host family and taking classes alongside international students at a French University I had to rely on my French as my sole means of communication.”
The Latin America program through the Spanish department is similar with homestays, and two language blocks and two other classes, although all four blocks are taught by CC professors. Students split their time between two countries. Previous trips have spent time in Argentina, Chile, Cuba, and Peru; the 2019 program will spend two blocks in Argentina and two in Chile. David Eik ’19 participated in the full semester in the spring of 2018, and says “I not only learned a lot about the history and culture of Argentina and Chile by living in their capital cities, but I developed an understanding for the dynamics of day-to-day life by living with host families.”
CC’s other full-semester program takes place in Luneburg, Germany, over two blocks of German language at Leuphana University and two blocks of German culture classes with CC faculty. Assistant Professor of German Christiane Steckenbiller says students’ time at the university “allows them to experience different teaching styles, learn more about German culture in an immersive setting, and get to know other students from different countries all over the world.”
For students who are unable or not interested in spending a full semester abroad, CC’s summer or short school year programs offer an alternative. Programs take place in Brazil, Japan, China, Russia, Spain, as well as other countries.
The Russia programtakes places in blocks 7 and 8 each year, and has been running since 1996. Claire Derry ’19 participated in the program in 2017 says that the program helped her to immensely improve her Russian language skills. “We attended Russian institutes where we spent up to 5 hours a day in language practice with Russian professors; our professors also helped foster lots of meaningful interactions with the Russian student so we got to we got to speak Russian with problem our age and learn about student/youth culture,” she explains.
The other two-block program during the academic year is China, while blocks in Brazil, Spain, and Japan happen during the summer. The China program occurs blocks 7 and 8 and includes one block of Mandarin language at Fudan University in Shanghai and one block covering history and culture of China.
The CC in Spain program is a popular summer option, as is provides two blocks of Spanish language and fulfills CC’s language requirement. Students live with host families in Soria, and have the option to take 100, 200, or 300-level Spanish classes. Associate Professor of Spanish Carrie Ruiz says students “acknowledge that being in Soria forces them to implement Spanish much more than in other more touristy locations, and to learn the language at a faster pace.”
Similarly, the Brazil program is two blocks and provides Portuguese language lessons, as well as a class on Afro-Brazilian cultures. Students again stay with families, and live in Salvador. Professor Naomi Wood says “this program is uniquely focused on language and Afro-diasporic cultures and is one of very few programs that takes students to Latin America.”
Last but not least, CC offers the one block course “Studying in Japan” in Japan that will take place during Block B in the summer of 2019. There are no pre-requisites for Japanese language, but Professor Japanese Joan Ericson says students are encouraged to have some familiarity with the language for living with their host families, interacting with Japanese students and other activities. Students are based in Tokyo, Fujiyoshida, Hamamatsu, and Omi Hachiman, and the program focuses on Japanese dynamics through the lens of debates in the Asian Studies.
Check out more information on these programs, as well as CC’s other study abroad opportunities.
