For my second blog, I wanted to write about a challenging moment that I experienced with my experience abroad. As someone who wanted to improve my Spanish speaking skills and fully immerse myself in Sevillian culture, I chose to live with a host family during my semester abroad. In high school I took Spanish classes and continued my studies into college. I value the ability to know more than one language and understand another culture, however when coming to Spain, I was by no means fluent. Before moving into my homestay I was extremely nervous about the language barrier and began to regret my decision. I remember using google translate to look up the words to properly greet someone in Spanish. After moving in I quickly learned that there was no reason to worry, my family was very understanding. We were able to communicate entirely in Spanish, despite my fears. Throughout the semester, I slowly began to improve and have stronger, more extensive conversations with my host family. Every night we watch the news during dinner and talk about what is going on in Spain. My most impactful moment was when my parents from America visited me and we went to dinner with my host family. I acted as a translator between my Spanish and American parents and we were able to hold a strong conversation and have a great dinner. In just a couple months, my Spanish speaking skills have improved drastically and I have confidence in my abilities. In conclusion, if you would like to fully immerse yourself in another culture and learn the language, I would strongly suggest living with a host family!
Will Fetting
Hometown: Marshfield, Wisconsin
Major: Economics
Program: CIEE Seville Business and Society