Global Classroom in Trujillo, Spain by Sydney Pearson

Although the time I have spent travelling around Spain has been wonderful, nothing will beat the slow, relaxed class days in Trujillo. We really do have a global classroom in a historic convent called La Coria. Each morning, myself and the other students leave our host families’ houses and walk up the long, winding hills to La Coria. Here we learn about Spanish and sustainability in the most immersive ways possible. Rather than having lectures like a typical class, we go on walks to explore sustainable aspects of the town, engage in Spanish conversations, and reflect on our various excursions around the country. I have never experienced anything like these classes before, but I know I will walk away from this trip with so much more knowledge than I ever would have in a regular classroom setting.

My host family is another huge aspect of my education here in Trujillo. I arrived in Spain with a pretty elementary understanding of the Spanish language. I am only taking the 202 level class on this study abroad trip, so I knew I had a lot to learn. Thankfully, my whole family has been incredibly helpful and patient with helping me learn the language. They make sure I let them know if I do not understand something, and they always find another way to explain it. Although they only know a couple words of English, it has been amazing to see how much we can understand when communicating with each other. More than anything, this trip has forced me to forget my fears of saying something incorrectly or not knowing how to respond at all. My host family encourages me to speak as often as possible because the more mistakes I make, the more I will learn. I am definitely not fluent in Spanish yet, but I am blown away by how much I have learned in such a short time.