Yale Summer Session in New Haven & Quito: Intermediate Spanish I & II + Culture
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International Study Award (ISA)
The ISA provides a stipend for one credit-bearing summer study abroad experience for eligible undergraduates receiving a Yale scholarship. You must apply to Yale Study Abroad and be approved for a Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad or Non-Yale Summer Abroad program. Yale Study Abroad does not administer the ISA. For all ISA-related details, including how to request funding, when it gets disbursed, how much funding you can expect, and more, visit the ISA website.
Program Information
Locations
New Haven, United States; Quito, Ecuador
Term
Summer
Dates
Sunday, May 28, 2023 to Saturday, July 22, 2023
Language
Spanish
Area of Focus
Arts & Humanities
Distributional Requirements
Fulfills L3 & L4 & Hu distributional requirement
Structure
Study Center
Course Number
SPAN S130-S140 & SPAN S149
Credits
4 Yale credits
Instructors
Terry Seymour | Ximena González Parada
Prerequisites
Yale College Applicants: SPAN 120 (Elementary Spanish II), SPAN 125 (Intensive Elementary Spanish), or placement exam into L3.
Spanish placement exams are valid for one year. If you took a placement exam prior to July 2022, or if you need to confirm your Spanish language placement level, please contact Professor Jorge Méndez-Seijas at your earliest convenience. Students who do not have a valid placement by the YSS Programs Abroad deadline will not be eligible for a Spanish language YSS Program Abroad in 2023.
Note: Students who have met the pre-requisite by either receiving a 5 on the AP Spanish exam or having taken SPAN 140 or SPAN 145 at Yale do not need to take a placement exam, regardless of the amount of time that has passed.
Spanish placement tests will be offered January 24-January 29 for all Yale students who need it for their study abroad applications. Please contact Jorge Méndez-Seijas for more details.
Other Applicants: Completed two semesters of college-level Spanish at another institution? Please contact Professor Jorge Méndez-Seijas prior to the application deadline.
Description
[NOTE: Program details (overall status, dates, costs, syllabus, etc.) are subject to change each summer, and the information on this page will be updated as such details are finalized.]
This intermediate-level Spanish program offers intensive language study and sustained interaction with Ecuadorian culture. Development of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through communicative activities rather than as a sequence of linguistic units. Analysis and discussion of the historical, social, and cultural development of Ecuador from Pre-Columbian times to the present. Information is presented through a variety of materials (literary texts, essays, movies, videos, music, visual arts).
In the final three weeks of the program, students will work with Ecuadorian professors and students at the Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) on practical projects. In 2022, projects were completed in the following areas: agroindustrial and food engineering, environmental studies, law and justice. Project topics for 2022 will be finalized in the spring semester.
The class will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Class times may be subject to change.) Students should expect about 2 - 2.5 hours of work outside the classroom each day, as well excursions and other program activities.
NOTE: The syllabi below are from a previous summer and contain dates that differ from those of the upcoming summer.
Learn about study abroad in Spanish and hear more details about this YSS Program Abroad. This session also covers details on the Spanish major and Spanish certificate.
Budget
Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad updates program budgets in late January. Please note the year listed on the button below.
Trips and Activities
Trips and activities are included as examples only.
Ecuador has great geographic and cultural diversity in a relatively small area. We will be able to explore the Andean and Amazon regions, and some of their cultures. Activities in Quito include a guided tour of the historical center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its colonial art and architecture, and a guided visit to the Capilla del Hombre to view the paintings of Oswaldo Guayasamín.
Trips outside of Quito will include:
- Three-day trip to the Amazon rainforest, guided walks in the jungle, introduction to Kichwa culture.
- Additional excursions with each of the final projects (agroindustrial and food engineering, environmental studies, law and justice).
Housing
[NOTE: Students are required to stay in program-provided housing abroad. There is no option for individually-arranged housing abroad.]
In Quito students will be housed with an Ecuadorian host family. While living conditions will vary amongst the housing assignments each participant will be provided their own room. Additionally, the distance between where host families reside and classes will be held will also vary amongst housing assignments.
Homestays are an integral part of this program. This living arrangement provides participants with the opportunity to learn more about the host culture, increase language proficiency, and form meaningful connections in the community. Students admitted into the program are expected to spend time getting to know their homestay family and be mindful of the need to balance time spent at home with time spent traveling or going out with friends. If you have any questions about living with a homestay family, we encourage you to reach out to the program instructor.
Participants must depart housing on the last day of the program.
Notes
The program starts with three weeks in New Haven, on the Yale campus, before moving on to Quito, Ecuador for the final five weeks.
Note: Effective Summer 2020, students using an Internatioanl Summer Award (ISA) to participate in this program will be eligible for free on-campus housing and meal plan for the New Haven period.
Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and may depart no earlier than the final day of the program; additional information will be provided upon admission.
Quito has an elevation of 9,350 feet. Some conditions may be exacerbated by this high altitude. Students for whom this is a concern should speak with their doctor in advance about their physical ability to live and move about comfortably in Quito. In addition, some program activities may include prolonged periods of walking.
Questions
For course content questions contact instructors, Terry Seymour and Ximena González Parada. For general program questions contact the Study Abroad staff.
Learn More
Review eligibility requirements, the application process, and deadlines: