Spanish 104 in Bilbao

at-a-glance:

The purpose of this program is to strengthen the students’ knowledge of the grammar of Spanish within a functional framework which will allow them to acquire a greater command of the language. There will be emphasis on written and oral expression, as well as common idioms used by native speakers. Some instructor will resort to actual texts from newspapers, magazines and contemporary literature.

 

This program also offers an introduction to Spanish culture and civilization so that students can become familiar with the social, economic, and political structures of Spain today.

Some studies will be focused on some specific aspects that make Spain both appealing and richly varied: its ancestral monarchy recently restored, its organization in autonomous areas which may be a solution to historical conflicts, the fact that it is one of the main tourist destinations in the world, and, at the same time, the country of Don Quixote, Don Juan, García Lorca, bullfighting, and soccer. All these features of life, history, and politics will be analyzed all through the course.

academics

The International Spanish Programs of Deusto are Intensive Courses in Spanish as a foreign language. The CIDE Programs forms part of the School of Letters at the University of Deusto, which is known for its longstanding tradition in language teaching and by its appointment as a host venue of the Instituto Cervantes. CIDE not only offers year around, semester, and summer programs in Spanish language and culture, but also the opportunity for students to take courses in Business and Economics, Sociology, Education, European Studies, or Engineering in the different Schools during the academic year at the University of Deusto.

In the Summer 104 program, students will take 14 hours of class work per week. Classes meet, according to the calendar above, for a total of twenty-two days, five days a week. This means a total of 62 classroom contact hours. Additionally, built into the program are several excursions, beginning with a study tour of Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia, and a day trip to the world famous Sanfermines in Pamplona. As a point of reference, the semester-long 104 course at Vanderbilt meets five hours per week, meaning five hours per week times fourteen weeks, equaling 70 contact hours.

The courses at CIDE are very similar to parallel courses at Vanderbilt in design and requirements; in fact, many of the texts and materials used in both beginning and intermediate level courses are the same. Below are the syllabi of the two courses (an intermediate language course and a Spanish and Basque culture course) students will take. These two courses combined will be the equivalent of Spanish 104. Students will take both the language course and the culture course.

Academic Links:

Vanderbilt Course Evaluation List

University of Duesto

student life

There are many wonderful and exciting things to see and do in Bilbao. Today Spain, especially Bilbao, is considered the capital of modern architecture. Bilbao contains many important works like The Guggenheim-Bilbao Musuem designed by Frank O. Gehry which is located directly across from the university making it ideal for the students to visit. The students also participate in five different guided excursions to places like Madrid and Pamplona, which is famous for 'The Running of the Bulls.'

housing

Students have a choice between living in a co-ed residence hall with another Spanish student, a family stay, or a shared apartment. The residence halls include three daily meals and various amenitites such a free internet access, study rooms, washers and dryers, and a 24 hr reception service. Family stays allow students to experience Spanish family life firsthand. Depending on how involved the students want to be with their host family, they can either choose from a single or shared bedroom. The room in a shared apartment offers two options: an apartment with meals and other services included, or an apartment with kitchen privileges.

location

The University of Deusto is located in Northern Spain, in an area in which two official languages of different origins, Spanish and Basque, are spoken. Since its founding by the Jesuits in 1886, the University of Deusto has granted fundamental importance to its international relationships, and it currently leads numerous international projects which host an increasing number of students every year.

The private university has a strong reputation in Spain and enjoys growing recognition in Europe.Its elegant campus faces the new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Bilbao, long the largest business and cultural city in Northern Spain, has enjoyed a relaunching of the city as an international tourist center due to the recent opening of the Guggenheim-Bilbao Museum.

expenses

Program Costs: Semester Costs, Summer Costs

application

Bilbao Application