Tiana J. Payne
As a student in the Language and International Trade program at Clemson University, I was required to select a country in which my target language is spoken, which is Spanish, to study abroad in. The location I chose was Cordoba, Argentina. I wanted to go to Argentina rather than choosing Spain or Mexico due to the proximity of the latter countries to English-speaking countries. I also looked forward to learning more about the Italian and Native American cultures that are also very prevalent in the country as of yet.
I departed for Santiago, Chile to connect to Cordoba February 4th and returned to the U.S. by way of Chile June 28th. Upon my arrival to Argentina, I was greeted by Rosa, my host mom, and our study abroad program leader. I was comforted by the fact that there were 5 other students from my university on my flight from Argentina because I did not know anyone. During this 5 month period I lived in the suburbs outside the capitol of Cordoba near the University of Blas Pascal, at which I would be taking courses.
The program I elected was an immersion program, which meant the other students and I would be expected to speak and interact in the Spanish language majority of our time in Argentina. For the first month of the program we were given a crash course on the Argentine language, Castellano, the culture, as well as a bit of the history of the country. I believe that this was very beneficial to assist with our acclamation to our new environment. At the end of the intensive month we were assigned our classes in the University, including horseback riding, cooking, and dance classes. Throughout the semester my routine consisted of attending classes and also travelling into the city to participate in an internship program. This internship assignment consisted of assisting the leaders of the project to conduct research of both the Argentine and United States target markets for the application they were in the process of developing.
After this first month the group dedicated the long weekend to a trip to the capitol of Argentina, Buenos Aires, where we visited many historic, government, and other cultural locations. My favorite aspects of the country include the diversity amongst the people of the country, the food, and the landscape. Within the 4 months that remained I also had the opportunity to visit Mendoza, Argentina, which is the wine capitol of the country. There was also a second group vacation in which we visited the northern region of Argentina, which has provinces bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay, this area proudly boasts the culture of the Native American tribes in the region. As well as many beautiful landscapes such as the Salt flats and the Mountains of 7 Colors.
This program was an essential part of my journey as a Spanish & International Trade student. Being immersed in the language and culture of a country which speaks your target language is both enriching and enlightening. Your learning process is facilitated through using the words in context and having people around you who can assist you in understanding their native language. You are living the language, rather than just learning it in the classroom.
I felt very welcomed majority of my time there, I made new friends amongst our group as well as outside of the university. The only instances in which I felt unwelcomed were times in which people would stare because of the differences United States citizens clearly display, such as skin tone, clothing, and of course our speech. Learning how to go about living a “normal” life somewhere I was completely unfamiliar with was somewhat of a challenge. The other students and I had to become acclimated with the public transportation system, the medical system, the cellular phone industry, the banking system, and many other aspects of everyday life in a foreign country. Although challenging, it allowed me to explore my abilities and become more independent. Our program leaders were very involved in our learning process. My host mom was extremely willing to help me when I needed it. She enjoys being a host mom, as she has been doing so for more than 10 years. She was especially welcoming when my mom came to Cordoba to visit me for a 4 day period during the Easter weekend. I was elated to share this experience with my mom and show her how I had grown and the life that I was living in Argentina.
The word “Experience” sums up my time in Cordoba, Argentina perfectly because there were both amazing times and also times when I struggled. But in the end I learned to be more independent, more self-aware, and I grew to expect the best of myself to overcome the hard times that may occur. I would highly advise other students the study abroad. If I would have done anything differently in college, it would have been to study abroad earlier, and more than once. It is an opportunity that can only truly be appreciated through experience. I plan to return to Argentina often, as it has become a very important part of my life.