Author: Emma Hulbert             Major: Nursing

Emma Hulbert in front of Arc de Triomf in Barcelona, Spain

I chose this program because it fit all of the criteria of my ideal study abroad program. As a Spanish minor, I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. This would provide an immersive experience that is very beneficial to learning a second language. Even everyday actions such as going grocery shopping, ordering at a restaurant, asking for directions, and talking to friends and faculty became educational experiences. By studying abroad in Spain, I had the opportunity to enhance my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills through everyday tasks.

This study abroad program greatly advanced my academic and professional goals. It advanced my academic goals by fulfilling a credit requirement for a Spanish course towards my Spanish language minor. Additionally, this study abroad experiences advanced my professional goals by strengthening my interpersonal Spanish communication skills. In the future, I strive to serve as a bilingual nurse, providing excellent care to people of various cultures, languages, and backgrounds. This study abroad program exposed me to several new cultures as well as expanding my ability to communicate with people, even though an unmastered language.

My courses in Spain were more difficult than I had predicted. My instructors were very patient and caring people, but they didn’t speak English fluently. Because of this, they couldn’t explain difficult concepts in my first language, forcing me to rely on Spanish comprehension to understand new and complicated grammar formats. This slight language barrier has made me empathetic towards people who struggle to speak English in the United States. I now strive to be more understanding, empathetic, and patient with people whose English is not their first language. One thing that I enjoyed about my classes is that three countries were represented in each course: Spain, the United States, and Russia. This presented a unique learning environment in which we compared cultural norms between the represented countries.

The classes differed from those at the University of Arkansas in that there was a much smaller student-to-professor ratio, 5:1. However, I believe that this was partly due to the pandemic causing less students to brave studying abroad during this session. Additionally, at the University of Arkansas, professors have the ability to speak English fluently as well as the second language that they are teaching. While speaking solely Spanish in the classroom in Spain did enhance my Spanish comprehension, I appreciate the ability to ask professors questions in my first language at the University of Arkansas.

While Alicante, Spain is an amazing place to study and learn, it is also a beautiful coastal city in which one can experience Spanish culture. In Alicante, my roommates and I visited several local restaurants and tried traditional Spanish dishes such as Paella and Patatas Bravas. However, we also enjoyed purchasing fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients at local markets to cook in our apartment. We also enjoyed traveling to nearby cities, such as Barcelona and Valencia, by train. Barcelona is a city rich in history and beautiful architecture. In Barcelona, we visited La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, and the Picasso Museum. These were all beautiful and educational sights that will remain in my memory forever.

I had an amazing study abroad experience through the CEA Spanish Language and Culture program. I would highly recommend this program to other students eager to enhance their Spanish language skills in an immersive experience and to expand their knowledge and appreciation of other cultures by living in a foreign country. One thing that I wish that I’d done before studying abroad in Spain is adapting my body to the 7-hour time change before arriving in Spain. I wish that I had begun to accustom my body to going to bed and waking up a few hours earlier than normal to decrease the effects of jet lag. Upon returning home, I was extremely excited to see my family at the airport and to tell them all about the Spanish I learned and the sights I saw while abroad in Alicante, Spain.