Study Abroad Programs Blog

Junior Immersion in Quito: Introduction

By Ryo H., guest blogger and Junior Immersion in Quito participant

Mucho gusto, me llamo Ryo. 

Today is the second day of a month long trip to Ecuador, and I am beat.  The trip just to get to Ecuador was something by itself.  The worst part wasn't the 10 hours spent in a plane or the 4 hour layover in the Miami airport.  It was waking up at 3 am, getting to the airport, and waiting for hours, just to find out our plane was cancelled.  To top it off, the next plane was not until the following day at the same time, 3am, so i had to wake up at the crack of dawn two days in a row.  We finally arrived in Quito late that night and my host mother, Susana Garcia, picked us up.  Once we arrived at their pad, we met the son Carlos, age 12, and daughter Andrea, age 21.  I slept very little that night and woke up not so bright but early for school the next morning.  Between fooling around at the airport, the long plane ride, lack of sleep, and the high altitude, Ecuador has made me a tired camper these first few days.

Volunteer in Honduras: Hondurian Life

By Lucie C., a guest blogger volunteering in Honduras

Life in Honduras is very different than in Austin, Texas where I live. l've gotten into a routine, though, so I know (more or less) what to expect each day. Every morning my alarm wakes me up at 6:30 am. Then I take a shower and get dressed in the privacy of my own little bedroom. I am served breakfast around 7:00 by one of the girls who lives in the house. Breakfasts vary greatly. Some mornings is fruit like mango or watermelon, some mornings it is hot oatmeal, some mornings it is a tortilla with beans and cheese, and some mornings it is pancakes ("panqueques" en espanol). They also have cold cereal here, but only cornflakes! Literally, there is a whole isle in the grocery store dedicated to cornflakes, and I haven't seen any other kind of cereal. It makes me laugh. :) Then I walk to school, which is only about five minutes away from my house. The view is gorgeous. There are giant, colorful flowers everywhere, and the mountains are just behind me.

Learning Arabic in Morocco: Some Tips

By Cameron R., Guest Blogger learning Arabic in Morocco

I have come.  I have seen.  I have not yet conquered.  I am now getting into my second week here in Morocco, and it is growing on me.  I arrived in Rabat with a comparative eye.  I had, over a year ago, tasted the Levantine region in the Middle East.  Therefore, I, just by feelings, attachment, previous experience, and my mind's pattern recognition, had been comparing what was going on in Morocco to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.  I do not mean conflict.  I mean cultural interactions, vibes and pulses and activities, language, and food. 

Quito Junior Immersion: Excursion to Cloud Forest

Join Garrett F. on his Ecuadorian quest with the Quito Junior Immersion program

My weekend was quite amazing I must say. On Saturday we left the school at 6:30 am for the Bella Vista cloud forest. After a two hour drive we arrived at a cool little lodge in the forest. We ate breakfast then set off on a hike through the cloud forest. Equipped with a guide and boots on our feet, we took a long hike through paths and rivers as we finally got to the water fall. Afterwards we hiked back to the lodge where we had some scrumptious trout for lunch, then it was off to the small town of Mindo.

SALUD Medical Spanish: First Days in Cusco!

By Nichole D., Guest Blogger and SALUD Medical Spanish in Peru participant

Finally I have made it to my final destination of Cusco, Peru.  I was greeted at the airport by my gracious house mom, Nancy.  She has many children and two grandchildren Fabio and Francesca who are over at the house all the time and are so fun! We take turns singing the alphabet (them in English, me in Spanish) and practice our colors, shapes, numbers etc.  It´s like I´m in 1st grade all over again!  

Junior Immersion in Heredia: Las Esperas

By Guest Blogger Johanna G., Heredia Junior Immersion program participant

In this video, Johanna videotapes a tour guide at a local museum discussing the mystery of "Las Spheras", or "the spheres" that were found in the area long ago. As you can tell, the tour guide is very knowledgable and entertaining! AmeriSpan's Teen programs abroad offer plenty of fun and educational opportunities for teens to take advantage of in their free time between classes!

Coronado Independent Teen Program: Last Week

By La' India S., a Teen Delegate participating in AmeriSpan's Coronado Independent Teen program

My last week in Costa Rica was a fun but tragic moment. We got new students on Tuesday. There were three from France and one from Germany. They were friendly.

 On Wednesday, My teacher took us on a trip to "El Museo de Los Ninos." We each were given an assignment to listen and explain later(in Spanish) what we learned about that subject. My assignment was El edificio(the building).The building used to be a prison for men years ago. We also learned about the culture of Costa Rica and how modern foods and objects they used evolved. Another subject we learned about was the banana and coffee in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has a rich culture and produce great products countries all over the world use. The museum had a great variety and objects to touch, feel, and read about for kids. I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, my friend Jessica and I walked around San Jose and went to a cafe for lunch.

French in France: Croix-Rousse

By Ashley C., guest blogger learning French in France

I live in an exceptionally beautiful part of Lyon called Croix-Rousse! Thereʼs a farmerʼs market every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and itʼs the most wonderful farmerʼs market you could ever go to! There are wonderful fruits and vegetables, of course, but there are some vendors who also sell beautiful clothing, pottery, jewelry, and other handmade creations. I can spend a whole weekday morning just wandering around the wonderful stands (and I have spent many weekday mornings doing just that!).

Spanish and Skiing: Preparing for Santiago

Guest blogger William P. details his experiences in the Spanish and Skiing program in Santiago, Chile

As I am on the plane and on my way to Santiago, I begin to think of all the things to come.  As a graduate of law school who just took the California Bar, and what seems like an endless wait of four months until the results come out in November, I knew I had to find something productive to do with my time during the waiting period.  Living in Southern California, I know that learning Spanish will be a tremendous benefit to me as I enter the job market soon and therefore I thought going to Santiago, Chile would be the perfect learning/vacation opportunity to reward myself for all the hard work in law school and studying for the Bar.

Spanish in Honduras: Spanish Classes and Teachers

By Liz L., guest blogger studying Spanish in Honduras

So far I´ve written a lot about my side trips, but I haven´t written much about the school itself. Having finished two weeks and started my third week, I have to say I feel better. My teacher, Yessenia, is a lot of fun. We start class every morning at 8 AM. Most of our morning is taken up by grammar -although it doesn´t have to be grammar. I asked for a lot of grammar in my lessons because this is the area in which I need the most help.

Learning Spanish in Montevideo: Salads and Soccer

By Renee S., Guest Blogger learning Spanish in Montevideo

It is amazing how different my surroundings are here.  Americans look compulsive compared to the easy going Uruguayans. My host family's roof is more of a patio. And in the U.S., each room in the house is designated a specific purpose.  Here each room is used, but there is no “tv room”, “dining room”, etc.