After countless hours of layovers, flights and squishy, uncomfortable bus rides, a group of thirty-three Longwood University students, along with Dr. Goetz and Dr. Holliday, finally reached their destination of Valencia, Spain.
For the next four weeks, these students would be embarking onthe journey of a lifetime as they explored various areas of Spain and Portugal and took classes in the beautiful city of Valencia.
While most of the students, like junior Derrick Bennington, would spend most of their weekdays taking classes at a local university, a few students, like junior Emily Gallihugh, would be completing their three weeks of Practicum II at a local school.
From about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bennington spent his time in the classroom of the American Institute taking Spanish 202 and History 484, which revolved around the history of Spain and Western Europe. (Spanish 201, Spanish 302, History 100, and English 400 were also offered).
After class, the students would all go their separate ways home to eat lunch with their host families. For Gallihugh and about ten other liberal studies majors, the day was set up a little differently.
From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Monday through Friday, she spent her time helping out and learning a new style of teaching in a year four classroom (3rd grade by U.S. standards).
Gallihugh also mentioned that the teaching styles of the teachers in Spain were completely different from those she had observed here. “The way they interact with the kids over there is just so different, and their ways of teaching are different too. Like I had to relearn long division the way they were teaching it, so I could teach it like that too,” she added.
And even though the weekdays may have been full of classes, lectures and other educational opportunities, the weekends were packed with culture filled adventures across Spain and even an excursion into Portugal.
Throughout many of these excursions there were countless tours of ancient castles, cathedrals, towers and historic monuments.
“It was so crazy because everything was so old. In America things only date back about three hundred years tops, but in Spain everything was so much older. It’s such a history rich environment,” stated Gallihugh.
For many students, it was their first time out of the country, or even on an airplane. Not to mention the fact that they were shoved into a completely different culture all at once.
It was a little rough for Bennington at first too. “It was pretty weird at first. I really don’t speak Spanish, and I was pretty overwhelmed. Everyone was speaking so fast around me; it took like a week for me to really adjust.”
The General Education Summer Study Abroad in Spain 2014 was an action-packed month full of culture, adventures, learning and experiences that will have a lifelong impact on each of the students that participated.
They went to Spain with a limited understanding of their culture and language, and came back with a greater understanding and appreciation, as well as countless memories and experiences they’ll never forget.
