Ever since I was a child in elementary school, I have wanted to be fluent in another language. At first, this began with an attempt to learn Japanese to follow the footsteps of my older sister, who also was studying the language. This venture, however, was fairly short lived, and followed by another weak attempt at learning a language, this time with Portuguese. It wasn't until middle school that I had the chance at formal language instruction, where I chose to take the Latin language track. Finally, I was much more successful, and further developed my love of learning languages. I found Latin to be a beautiful and interesting language with so much fascinating and ancient literature, and continued to take Latin classes through the end of high
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Overall, one of my most important learning goals for studying away is to improve my Spanish language proficiency, with another one being to develop my cultural literacy of Latin America, two objectives that are very related to one another. I believe that it is crucial to be able to speak and understand another language, and studying abroad in a Latin American country (with Spanish as the principal language) is one of the best ways to achieve that target. The homestay component of the program is critical for me, and one of the reasons I specifically chose the ACM program. Because I will be living among native Spanish speakers, I will be forced to speak Spanish whenever I'm at home (rather than be tempted to "cheat" and speak in English), which is integral to learning another language. Furthermore, living with a native family, rather than a dorm or my own apartment, will give me insight on what life is like in Costa Rica that no textbook can …show more content…
First, they will all be in Spanish, which already makes them very valuable for me. Secondly, each of the courses I plan on taking provide important information about Costa Rica and its culture. The "Spanish in Context: Introduction to Costa Rica" and the "Spanish Language and Culture" courses will further improve my Spanish language skills and knowledge of the area. In addition, "The Impact of the Health System in Costa Rica" also will provide unique information about Costa Rican culture, as it likely would be difficult to find many details about the nation's healthcare system
Overall, one of my most important learning goals for studying away is to improve my Spanish language proficiency, with another one being to develop my cultural literacy of Latin America, two objectives that are very related to one another. I believe that it is crucial to be able to speak and understand another language, and studying abroad in a Latin American country (with Spanish as the principal language) is one of the best ways to achieve that target. The homestay component of the program is critical for me, and one of the reasons I specifically chose the ACM program. Because I will be living among native Spanish speakers, I will be forced to speak Spanish whenever I'm at home (rather than be tempted to "cheat" and speak in English), which is integral to learning another language. Furthermore, living with a native family, rather than a dorm or my own apartment, will give me insight on what life is like in Costa Rica that no textbook can …show more content…
First, they will all be in Spanish, which already makes them very valuable for me. Secondly, each of the courses I plan on taking provide important information about Costa Rica and its culture. The "Spanish in Context: Introduction to Costa Rica" and the "Spanish Language and Culture" courses will further improve my Spanish language skills and knowledge of the area. In addition, "The Impact of the Health System in Costa Rica" also will provide unique information about Costa Rican culture, as it likely would be difficult to find many details about the nation's healthcare system