Mollie Deadwyler
I really enjoyed my time studying abroad at the University of Oviedo! I only took classes at the Casa de Las Lenguas, but the classes were fun and the professors were nice. The town of Oviedo was a really amazing place where all the people were really friendly. The scenery was also very beautiful with mountains and the ocean. In December there was even snow on the mountains. I have never lived anywhere that snowed or had snow so it was very interesting and exciting to see. There was also many forests and beautiful rocky cliffs that were easily accessed by public transportation. Something that was really difficult for me was living completely in another language. Besides my American friends, it was not common for people in the North of Spain to speak very much English. This was contrary to Madrid where I had studied abroad in the summer where almost everyone spoke English to some degree. My classes at the Casa de las lenguas were completely in Spanish and I only really understood maybe four sentences a lesson. This made it very difficult to participate in class or to take tests. This was also difficult when communicating with the teachers because I often felt I was unable to articulate my point in Spanish which left me unsure if they were able to understand what I had said. My host parent also did not speak English, but we were still able to talk regularly. My conversational Spanish was good so I was able to talk with her about a lot of things. The problem was I was in an Art History class completely in Spanish, and I really had not learned Spanish art history terms. Although it was difficult, I really enjoyed practicing another language. I began to think of things in Spanish with a lot more efficiency. My host mom and I were able to get past the language barrier by describing things in familiar terms or even using google translate for some words or even looking up pictures to communicate. I also practiced Spanish with my American friends when I got the chance. I think from the point of view of a local they were pleased when I could speak some Spanish. My host mom really enjoyed when we would talk in Spanish to each other. For the most part, people were pleased when I spoke Spanish. I think this is because learning the language of another country shows a level of respect. If you go to Europe expecting everyone to speak English it shows a lack of respect. By taking the time to really learn about another culture and its language it shows you really appreciate the culture you are experiencing. There are also certain words or phrases that do not have a direct English translation. This means when you learn the language you are experiencing the culture on a deeper and more personal level. You are able to show that you really care about culture learning.