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Advice for selecting a Spanish program abroad

When selecting a program abroad most academic experts agree that you should consider the following factors:

· Academic, emotional and social needs

· The institution

· The location

Your academic needs:
Every student has unique academic needs depending on his/her type of studies and his/her focus for the future. Thus it is advisable to think about these questions:

· Will the program of the institution fulfill my actual expectations?

· Are there additional courses for advanced levels?

· Can the program be tailored to the program of my university?

· How much experience do the teachers at the institution have?

· Will I have access to the classroom curriculum in advance?

Your social and emotional needs:
When you travel abroad you will have social and emotional needs which must be met or handled properly. Some of these needs are:

Entertainments and activities. What can I do in my spare time to take advantage of my stay in the country? What kind of activities is provided?

Counseling: Does the institution provide any sort of counseling in order to help me to adapt successfully to
a new situation in a foreign country?

Hospitality: As a visitor you need to feel welcome at the institution and in the country. A country with little experience in receiving visitors from other countries might not be the best place to study.

The institution:
It is important that you spend some time evaluating the institution. What experience does my university have about the institution?

Does this institution provide all the services that you will need, such as food, accommodation, laundry, books, photocopying, access to Internet, money exchange, phone and fax service?

Who is managing the institution? Does the director have personal experience in teaching Spanish as a second language?

What type of person is the director? Is she or he available if I need to speak to him or her?

The location:
A very important aspect that you should consider is the country and the specific city where you will be studying. Is it a peaceful country? Does it have a stable political system?

What is the most appropriate city for studying?
A big city might be exiting, but might not be practical. As a foreigner you might get lost in a big city. In general the people in the big city may be less friendly than the ones in smaller cities. On the other hand city too small might imply that you will have nothing to do and you get bored.

It is adviseable to choose a medium sized city that has good connections to a bigger city, so you will have both advantages at the same time. It is important to select a city which has at least one University. The fact that you have a large population of young and educated people assures the existance of many activities which will keep you entertained. This will also offer you more and better possibilities to practice Spanish....Back

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