Holly Gleich has witnessed firsthand the benefits of studying abroad as a language major. She is a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) major and Spanish minor and says that her comprehension and speaking improved greatly while abroad. Gleich will be graduating in May 2011 with no regrets and plenty of cultural and life experiences in her back pocket to help her accomplish her career goals.
Gleich has taken the opportunity to study abroad twice while at the University of Northern Iowa, both times in Spanish-speaking areas of the world. Her first time studying abroad was for the 2008 Capstone Program “Socio-economic Realities in Central America,” where she traveled to Nicaragua with 12 other classmates. She enjoyed her first experience so much she chose to go abroad again during the summer of 2009 to South America, this time for the 8-week Culture Intensive Spanish Program (CISP) in the coastal town of Arica, Chile. During her time in Arica, she also travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tacna, Peru, the ancient city of Machu Picchu, and the Altiplano, which is the largest plateau region in the world located between the Andes Mountains. Her host country was Chile, and she had the opportunity to stay with a Chilean host family who shared their everyday experiences with her.
She said she felt it was beneficial to travel twice because she is a Spanish minor and thinks that everyone who is a language major or minor should study abroad. She says it helps to improve comprehension of the language immensely, because you immerse yourself in the culture and are surrounded by native Spanish speakers all the time. Studying abroad also helped her to grow as a person.
She said, “I now have a more holistic perception of the world. I also have a better understanding of myself.”
She met new people, and because she was able to live with a host family, she got to see the daily activities of an average Chilean family.
Her host family consisted of a Chilean mother, a younger and an older brother, a younger sister, and a grandmother, all in the same house. The family took her to do lots of different activities such as her younger sister’s dance recital, a discoteca (which is like a dance club) with her older brother, and surfing with her younger brother. Her mom was a great cook, so she got to try all kinds of traditional Chilean foods. She can’t name a favorite, but there was a dish that she compared to noodles and salsa verde. The sauce for the dish was made from a plant that we don’t have in the U.S.
When asked about her favorite memories she mentioned two. Her first is from Nicaragua, where she had the opportunity to visit some friends for three weeks before the CISP program started. On her last night with them, they celebrated una despedida (a going away party). It’s a typical party with singing and dancing and celebration of friendship. Her favorite memory from Chile was celebrating the Aymaran, the native Chilean people’s New Year, New Year with her Chilean family. The family woke up very early in the morning to go into the mountains and watch the first sunrise of the new year.
Her advice to other students wishing to study abroad is to budget your money, and set aside emergency cash and pack carefully. Take only the amount of clothing necessary to leave room for souvenirs. She also says to contact your host family before going so then you can know a little bit about the family, and they can clarify your arrival time.
Consecutive summers offer Gleich repeat success
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010
Updated: Monday, February 8, 2010
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