Spain Capstone: Culture & Service- Summer 2017

Instructor Name:

Laura Mulas

Email:

Course Description:

August 22- September 22, 2017

This capstone is designed to provide an opportunity to learn about Spanish culture and society by means of immersion with a partner social service based organization (also non profit) in Zamora, in the region of Castilla y León, Spain. Upon arrival all instruction and communication will be 100% in Spanish. You will learn about Spanish culture as you work in teams to help lead organized and established activities. By doing so, you will also gain awareness of the special needs of marginalized citizens, specifically the young adult learner with limited resources and education. You will acquire the knowledge and the skills necessary to engage fully with the participants and collaborate with the service site in order to better existing programs and help create new activities as directed by the community partner.

This capstone course is 30 days long and will include 30 hours of service with our community partner and nearby excursions to discover Spanish culture and society. There will be some online pre-departure course work which will be a mix of synchronous and asynchronous online group meetings, discussion groups and preparative readings. The purpose of the predeparture work is so that you will be better prepared for the application phase of your learning in Spain. Course material will include a survey of Spanish history, culture and society as it pertains to this capstone. During this online portion we will explore what it takes to be an active team member, group dynamics, and will plan activities and a final project to present to the youth at our community service partner. Along with group dynamics we will also discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of group work and how to address problems early on. Upon arrival to Zamora students will spend the first few days getting to know their host family, be given a guided tour of the town. Each student will also receive a student guide to Zamora and a welcome package. The subsequent weeks you will volunteer at a service-learning site days a week(afternoons or mornings) and 2 days a week will attend planned excursions or cultural workshops. Weekends will generally be free. There will be optional organized activities offered each afternoon and evening. You will also be paired with a local language exchange partner to practice Spanish, teach English and share culture while in Zamora. An initial meeting will take place the first week in Zamora and then subsequent meetings will be organized between you and your partner. It is anticipated that you will meet at least 2-3 times per week for at least 1 hour. Students will need to have completed SPAN 203 or test score equivalent** prior to participation in this program.

**If you feel that you are at or beyond Spanish 203 level and have not taken any Spanish classes at the university level and/or are a heritage speaker please contact Laura Mulas (instructor) for information on how to test out for this level. mulas@pdx.edu

An interview in Spanish will be conducted prior to acceptance in order to assess their proficiency level as since all communication and classes during this Capstone are in Spanish. Preference will be given to those in third year Spanish courses

At the end of this course students will be able to

· explain the differences between Spanish and US culture

· articulate the effect of the current political and economic state of affairs on Spanish society

· identify at risk populations in the community

· strengthen and expand their knowledge and fluency of the Spanish language

· collaborate with staff, peers and participants at the service sites to identify, understand and implement strategies for communication and teaching of adult learners

· develop and strengthen presentation and advocacy skills.