MEGAN (Fall 2016)
Learn from my mistakes: study in Granada for a full year!
When I originally applied to the program, I believed one semester would be more than enough time abroad. Four months sounded like a lot and I was convinced that I would be anxious to return home by the end of it. Boy, was I wrong. By the end of my semester, I found it infinitely difficult to say goodbye to, not only my new friends but also, the city that I had fallen in love with.
Granada is exceptional. Despite being a relatively small city, there is never a lack of things going on! Even on a Tuesday night, people are out late, enjoying tapas or music in the streets. Furthermore, Granada is a beautiful city and extremely walkable. I often found myself wandering, searching for my new favourite view of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Beyond the city itself, my time at the CLM was valuable and educational. I enjoyed my classes (specifically Contemporary Art History with professor Ricardo Anguita Cantero) and I noticed an improvement with my Spanish comprehension. Do understand, however, that you are learning with other foreign students, mostly Americans. Therefore, if you are hoping to improve your Spanish oral skills, you will need to make an incredible effort not to revert to speaking English with your classmates/friends. But don’t worry, there are many opportunities to practice your Spanish with native speakers outside of the classroom.
I had an unforgettable time in Granada and as soon as I got home, I booked my return ticket to visit the city once more! Highly recommend.
JOBEY (Winter 2015)
I had a great time in Granada! I had to pinch myself several times because I had a hard time
believing that for 5 months I called that incredible city "home." I lived on Calle Elvira, just at the bottom of the Albayzín, so I was always surrounded by amazing architecture and action! - Not to mention good tapas at all hours of the day ;)
Traveling on the weekends was a really cool aspect about living in Granada as it was easy to fly or take a bus to different parts of Spain and other European countries. Even after 5 months, there was still so many places I didn't cover. I look forward to visiting again very soon!
IVANA (Spring 2015)
When I first learned about the study abroad program in Granada, I had no doubt that it would be exactly the experience I needed to bring my Spanish to an advanced level. While the initial immersion into the culture was a bit of a shock due to the distinct Andalusian accent, by the end of my five months in Granada, I had learned more Spanish than I had in eight years prior. Professors at the CLM provided an engaging formal learning setting, and what I didn’t learn in class I picked up from native speakers I befriended or from simply stopping by the market on the way home from school. Granada itself was a dream to live in. Cheap food, drinks, and housing; beaches and mountains both within an hour’s drive; and getting lost in the maze of cobblestone streets are all part of the city’s allure. My adventures while studying in Granada inspired a travel blog that I now update regularly and fueled my desire to travel as well as to master the Spanish language. Wherever I may go in the world, Granada will always be a place I come back to.
CHRISTIE (Winter 2013)
At first, I was hesitant about leaving the comforts of home for a new culture, living with a new family, attending a new school, and being immersed into a culture I had only really experienced in the classroom. I can tell you it was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything, and Granada is more enchanting in person than any testimonial can describe.
All my worries were quashed once I arrived; the city was breathtaking, the culture was infectious and my host family was more gracious and welcoming than I could have hoped for. The classes I took at CLM were engaging and invaluable to my degree, with the professors only adding to my enjoyment with their outrageous sense of humor. Not only was I able to learn about the culture and history, I was able to live it! There is no greater experience than going away for the weekend (to Madrid, Rome, Portugal, or wherever our travels took us) and seeing iconic sights or an exhibit of an artist you were just studying.
There are a million reasons why I fell in love with Granada, but by far, living the culture everyday was my highlight. It was hard to leave behind the tapas bars, the cafes, the Moroccan shops, and friends we made, but I found a second home where I know I can always return.
KATIE (Winter 2013)
If you’re reading these testimonials to try to decide whether you want to study in Granada or not, do it, do it, do it! Take it from the most indecisive, anxious person you can imagine: my semester in Granada was without a doubt one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to have. The Centro de Lenguas Modernas is an amazing facility - the classes were as fun as they were informative, the professors and staff were engaging and friendly, and there were infinite organized outings. For example, not only did I finally get to visit Córdoba after learning about it for years, but I also had the added benefit of a guide from the CLM who taught our group even more as we went! While I was there I lived in a university residence where I was the only non-native Spanish speaker out of some fifty students. By the time I left Granada, someone even mistook me for being Spanish (which is a dream come true)! Everyone I encountered was so unbelievably hospitable – I ended up spending the entirety of Semana Santa (mid-way through the semester) with a friend from the residence in her hometown, Almería. Spain in general, but especially Andalusia and its history, culture, and people, will definitely steal your heart.
ANNA (Winter 2013)
There is no experience more exciting or more valuable than studying halfway across the world for a period of time. The thought of leaving the world you are comfortable with is enticing, yet frightening, but oh so rewarding. Granada was all of those for me. I was blown away by the culture, the sights, the smells and my efficiency in learning the language. Living and breathing Spanish everyday contributed tenfold to my learning it. I took a course in the History of Spanish Art, along with a couple other culture classes at the CLM and the coolest part was that I would learn about artists like Goya and Picasso, go away that weekend, and see the real deal in the museums around Europe. Every side street had a new surprise be it a tapas bar, a nifty Moroccan shop, or a romantic soul writing poetry. Discovering new cafes, places to read in the sun, losing myself in the beauty of the city were daily wanderings and necessary activities while in the Pomegranate City…you can walk everywhere! Granada became my second home and I was reluctant to leave behind the friends, family, and the relaxed Spanish culture. This program enriched my soul, encouraged my adventurous side, and I strongly recommend Granada as a choice to study abroad.
KAITLYN (Winter 2013)
Without a doubt, Granada changed my life. Studying there for my Winter 2013 semester was everything I imagined my semester abroad would be. I attended interesting classes about the history of the city and country I was living in and received three classes worth of U of A credits. Most importantly, I fell in love … with the city. Granada is a gorgeous and vibrant student town with a truly lovely culture, and there is always something going on. You can experience everything from film festivals to paint parties to religious parades in any given month. On a regular day there are street musicians and vendors with beautiful items from all over the world. There is no way to describe to the many incredible feelings I have about Granada, but, in general, I would highly encourage anyone who wants to study abroad to go to Granada. I would go back in a heartbeat
KAREN
My experience in Granada was the ideal study abroad trip. I discovered a new culture, made friends from all over the world, travelled around Europe and was even able to learn and study a third language. Granada is a phenomenal city with a very apparent Arabic influence in its architecture. In Granada, the general population is very understanding and lenient with Spanish learners because there are so many students from all over the world that come to study at the University of Granada. I chose to live in a flat with roommates and was very lucky to end up with two ERASMUS students as my roommates; one from Belgium, and the other from Germany. Although I am a native speaker of Spanish, living in Granada greatly contributed to my vocabulary and expansion of understanding of different variations of Spanish. Most of the students at the CLM (Centro de Lenguas Modernas) are from the United States, but I met other students from Jordan, Japan, Mexico, and all over Europe. Due to the four day school weeks, I was able to visit Portugal, Italy, and Turkey! I found that because I was studying at a center for Modern Languages, it was very easy to take another language, so I took Arabic. I recommend Granada to anyone looking for a study abroad experience as I left Granada with timeless friendships, experiences and even a new language!
LUCIE
I participated in the Curso de Estudios Hispanicos (CEH) during the fall semester of 2012. It was my last term of my undergrad career so I was ready to have fun and learn lots of Spanish to really make the most of my spanish minor. And indeed, this is exactly what happened! I was living in an apartment with 3 international roommates, that was at a 2 minutes walking distance from the CLM. The classes I took were truly captivating and gave me the opportunity to learn things that I wouldn't necessarily learn about at the U of A like Islamic Culture in Spain through a professor-guided tour of the city, the image of women in Spanish literature and culture, spanish traditions and cultural differences through professors' personal experiences and more. I had two teachers in particular that changed my life and the way I look at the world! Also, the 4-day weeks made very practical to travel all over Andalusia, Spain and even Europe on the weekends. I made life-long friends and will truly keep this experience in my heart forever! If I had one advice it would be to try to live with Spanish roommates, this way you can take full advantage of an immersed language experience.
JEMILLA
Granada was an absolutely beautiful city/province and the Centro de Lenguas Modernas was very close-knit and welcoming. My courses went very well too. I loved both the courses on civilization and culture of Spain and Latin America. I highly recommend this program to any one who is learning Spanish. I came back with a much better understanding of the language and culture.
STEPHANIE
My semester at the CLM was very rewarding. The courses were interesting, as I was able to take courses that aren't normally be offered at the U of A but that also easily transferrred as credit towards my degree. Granada is an amazing city in which to do a semester abroad! On top of its rich history and beautiful scenery, it's a very youthful and dynamic city. Being very much a student town, I met many fellow students from various parts of the world while I was there. I feel that studying abroad gives you a different perspective on your own and others' cultures, which made my semester in Granada a fun and inspiring cultural experience.
ADRIANA
Studying at the University of Granada was no doubt the highlight of my undergraduate career. The five courses I took were top notch, being taught by world-renowned professors such as Angel Esteban (Literatura latinoamericana) and experts in their field like Dolores Fuentes Gutierrez (Imágenes de las mujeres en la literatura española). In Granada, there is always something to do, from film festivals to hiking the Sierra Nevada, from tapas to flamenco shows in caves. I took advantage of the cultural activities that the CLM organized, including a day trip to Cordoba with a guided tour of the famous Mezquita. The three-day weekends are also great for travel around Spain, which is very accessible and affordable. I experienced many cities in Andalucía (Cádiz, Ronda, Málaga, Almuñécar, Córdoba, Sevilla), other parts of Spain such as Galicia, Ibiza, Mallorca, Valencia and Cataluña, and even a few cities in Portugal. I would recommend this program wholeheartedly to anyone interested in learning the Spanish language and culture in an authentic environment.
KEVIN
In the fall of 2010, I was lucky enough to spend a semester in Granada, Spain. It was by far the best experience of my undergrad career. The program allows you to have exactly the experience that you want to have. You have the ability find an apartment on your own, or go through the CLM which will set up meetings with landlords. You can go on CLM trips to different parts of Andalucía, or plan your own journeys with friends. The classes will give you a different insight and perspective on a wide array of topics and give you a truly well-rounded education in Spanish. Plus, going for tapas with new friends on a weekday evening or over lunch makes even school days feel like a vacation. The beauty of your surroundings, the relaxed lifestyle and the ability to have every day be some sort of adventure makes a semester in Granada a once in a lifetime opportunity.
SITA
In the spring of 2010, I first went to Granada for the months of May and June. I then returned in June of 2011. Between these two years, I did the Centro de Lenguas Modernas’ Spanish language levels 6-8. Granada is a gorgeous city, and I’ve clearly fallen in love with Spain. There is so much to see and do throughout Andalusia. Each time I stayed with a family so that I had lots of opportunity to practice speaking and could experience some aspects of local culture firsthand. The months I spent in Granada helped me to speak Spanish more fluidly. Nothing beats immersion. It was a fabulous experience and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I was able to attain a sufficient level of spoken Spanish to attend a graduate level seminar at my present university, the University of Toronto.
MORE TO COME; STAY TUNED.