SiS Newsletter - November 2009
Article Index
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Recent News November, 2009
• Online University gets better results.
Recent researches show it: Online University is getting more and more popular. In United States 3.9 million people attended online courses in 2007, that means a 12% growth in the number of students respective to 2006, according to Sloan Consortium
data. Read more...
• Spanish Courses for proffesors and proffesional educators.
The Education Field of the Spanish Embassy and prestigious Spanish universities have announced the 2010 edition of the “Summer Courses in Spain for Professors and Professional Educators”. Read more...
• United States gets over and Study Abroad Program applications increase.
As the United States gets over the economic downturn the Study Abroad Program becomes more and more popular. Evenmore, students are now much more flexible with destinations and are concerned about the importance of getting involved in a new culture that can provide them of greater social skills as well as cultural background and a fantastic experience. Read more...
SiS Student Ambassadors
• Lindsay Clark, SiS Student Ambassador at Oregon State University.
SiS on the road
• Study in Spain will be traveling throughout the US again this academic year.
Amigos del español
• Stephenie Meyer
Institution Profile
• Estudio Sampere
Interview Lounge
• Michael Doyle
Online University gets better results
Recent researches show it: Online University is getting more and more popular. In United States 3.9 million people attended online courses in 2007, that means a 12% growth in the number of students respective to 2006, according to Sloan Consortium data.
On the other hand, and in the same direction of American trends of walking towards online teaching, in Spain, 30% of postgrade studies offer is already available online. “Growing is unstoppable”, say the experts and most of them agree in the point that the best way to handle this new option is combining both, on-campus and online education.
It will be necessary to transform the actual facilities at universities in order to better accommodate to new technologies. Thus, students will be able to interact with each other and with professors more easily and studying will become a more dynamic activity. The main objective is to let the passive attitude of the listening student behind and develop a collaborative university model, which at the same time, will be flexible and high quality.
The Spanish community is one of the most actives at Moddle (an online platform to create online dynamic websites for students). Spanish Universities keep on creating online campuses and furthermore, forming alliances with each order in order to build a bigger and more efficient educational infrastructure.
Spanish Courses for Proffesors and Proffesional Educators
The Education Field of the Spanish Embassy and prestigious Spanish universities have announced the 2010 edition of the “Summer Courses in Spain for Professors and Professional Educators”.
These courses are targeted at professors at non university levels and Community Colleges from US and Canada and the main objective is to spread the Spanish culture all over the world, as well as provide professionals of the needed background, sources and material to accomplish their mission as educators and courses to improve their knowledge of the Spanish language. Other optional activities are also available, such as visits, cultural courses and trips.
Courses will be given in July at Spanish universities all over the country by specialised professors. Masters take 500 hours, while three week courses take 60 hours. There is a wide range of different courses and masters available, depending on the needs and demand of the applicants.
Call for applications will be open from January the 1st until January the 31st for masters and until February the 28th for courses.
More information is available at the Ministry of Education of the Spanish Government.
United States gets over and Study Abroad Program applications increase
As the United States gets over the economic downturn the Study Abroad Program becomes more and more popular. Evenmore, students are now much more flexible with destinations and are concerned about the importance of getting involved in a new culture that can provide them of greater social skills as well as cultural background and a fantastic experience.
Finances remain to be the main problem. The challenge now is to it make this programs more affordable for students and households. Since the crisis, less credit is available for Study Abroad Programs and endowed students have no financial support to access them. However, according to “The Open Doors Report 2009” the number of American students studying abroad increased by 8.5 % in the 2007/08 academic year, which shows the growing popularity of this kind of experience and the willingness of students to enrich their lives.
On the other hand there are the passionate people working in the Study Abroad field. Most of them attended similar programs to study abroad and it changed their lives. Now they work to help students in order to make it possible for them to enjoy this great experience of living and studying abroad for a period of time.
Lindsay Clark, SiS Student Ambassador at Oregon State University
Over the last year (2008-09), the Study in Spain program has allowed me to spread my love of the Spanish language as well as create awareness of the study abroad programs available to students at Oregon State University.
The program acts as a platform for students to share their experience with others. Study in Spain has provided wonderful promotional materials for me, which in turn have helped garner interest campus wide through drawings and giveaways, all promoting study abroad.
Personally this program has brought me joy and a sense of accomplishment. Through my hard work and close contact with Study in Spain officials, I feel that I have been very successful in growing the interest of other students for study abroad programs.
I am very honored and excited to be asked back to represent Oregon State for a second year. I am happy to see that the program is continuing to grow and gain recognition across the United States and throughout Spain as well. I love that the program enables students to get out in their communities and fully support them in their promotional endeavors.
Although the program is not strictly structured as to what events can and cannot happen, this freedom of creativity is wonderful for students like myself and allows me to connect with various individuals on my campus. With this flexibility, all ambassadors have the chance to connect with their school’s culture and present the information in their own unique ways. It is truly an honor and a joy to be an Ambassador for the Study in Spain program.
Study in Spain will be traveling throughout the US again this academic year
The 2009-10 academic year will once more have the Study in Spain program participating in the most important education fairs and events.
Since its opening, the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami, with the support of ICEX (Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade) and EDUESPAÑA have carried Study in Spain all across the US in an effort to promote international education in Spain.
The rewards have been undeniable, as Spain is the third preferred destination for American students worldwide.
This is a brief preview of the projected participation of Study in Spain. The dates and/or events may be subject to changes.
DECEMBER
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP (3) FOR US INSTITUTIONS
NOV 30-DEC 06
MADRID
FEBRUARY
NABE, National Association Bilingual Education
FEB 03-06
DENVER, CO
AIEA, Association of International Education Administrators
FEB 14-17
WASHINGTON DC
MARCH
CSCTFL, Central Conference of the Teaching of Foreign Languages
MAR 04-06
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
CABE, California Association of Bilingual Education
MAR 11-13
SAN JOSE, CA
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP (1) FOR US INSTITUTIONS
MAR
MADRID
FORUM ON EDUCATION ABROAD CONFERENCE
MAR 24-26
CHARLOTTE, NC
NECTFL, Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
MAR 25-27
NEW YORK, NY
APRIL
SWCOLT, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching
ABR 08-10
ALBURQUERQUE, NM
MAY
ANNUAL SiS MEETING AND AWARD PRESENTATION
MAY
NAFSA, Association of International Educators
MAY 30-JUN4
KANSAS CITY, MO
JUNE
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP (2) FOR US INSTITUTIONS
JUN
MADRID
JULY
AATSP, American Assn. of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
JUL 10-13
GUADALAJARA, MX
APAC, The College Board AP
JUL 14-18
WASHINGTON DC
Stephenie Meyer
There are books that sink their teeth into the reader and don’t let go until the very end. Such are those of 34-year-old bestselling American author Stephenie Meyer, who until five years ago was a housewife and mother of three with no literary preparation aside from the books she had devoured throughout her life. She is now the author of the moment thanks to her young adult Twilight series, which combines teenage romanticism with vampires’ thirst for blood.
What are you reading at the moment?
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. My agent gave it to me and it’s one of those that keep you up all night.
And what about in Spanish?
I’ve forgotten everything I learned in school, but my lack of Spanish is not a problem because I was just in Spain and everyone understands me.
Did you get inspiration for a new novel while you were there?
I’d say rather that it increased my appetite. What food! The paella… even the bocadillos (sandwiches) are good! But the coolest thing was that I found the Edward from by novels at a flamenco show.
Do you have a favorite author?
At the moment The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, because I owe him for getting my son hooked on reading. And that’s always something to be thankful for.
Who did the same for you?
Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Orson Scott Card are my favorite authors. But my first book was The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I was 7 years old. And ever since I’ve been devouring books, the thicker the better.
Estudio Sampere
Estudio Sampere is one of the most prestigious Spanish schools in Spain. Since 1956, thousands of students have learned Spanish successfully at this school.
With headquarters in Madrid, Salamanca and Alicante it offers the great advantage of learning in small international study groups. Schools are located in some of the most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities of Spain, where apart of learning in an internationally recognised institution, students have the opportunity to get involved in the Spanish culture and enjoy the great variety of cultural and social activities.
This school receives students from several American institutions, such as Virginia Tech, Minnesota State University, Samford University, Florida SouthernCollege, Radford University, Washington and lee University, Dutshess Community college, etc.
To get more information, please visit the webside: www.sampere.es
Michael Doyle
Dr. Michael S. Doyle is a Professor of Spanish, Translation, and Latin American Studies, and an Adjunct Professor of International Business, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, he has chaired the Department of Foreign Languages and has also served as Graduate Coordinator, Director of the Certificate in Business Spanish and Director of the undergraduate and graduate Certificates in Translating and Translation Studies.
Dr. Doyle is the lead co-author of Éxito comercial: Prácticas administrativas y contexto cultural, an advanced-level Business Spanish text that has been adopted at 417 colleges and universities in the United States and used by more than 46 institutions and companies.
Dr. Doyle received the Faculty International Education Award, in recognition of his “high standard for international scholarship […] service to the campus community on behalf of internationalization, and efforts to create interdisciplinary connections related to internationalization at UNC Charlotte.”
When was the last time you have been to Spain?
I was most recently in Spain in October 2008 for a conference presentation at the Universidad Da Coruña. In the summer of 2008 I also travelled with my family to pick up my oldest son who had just completed a year of study abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla. We spent a month visiting Madrid, Granada, Sevilla, Badajoz, Salamanca and Barcelona.
What do you enjoy most about Spain?
Everything! The many Spains! The people, the history, the culture, the geographical variety. The literature, the architecture, the museums, the cuisine (and the excellent restaurants, bars and outdoor cafes). The many good friends that I have made over the years. The energetic "vibe" that is always crackling in Spain. The human warmth that characterizes Spaniards.
What do you think are the advantages of Spain as a destination for American students?
Students vastly improve their language skills and cultural knowledge in an environment everywhere marked by history and fabulous artistic achievements. Spain has a long tradition of excellent programs of studies, whether it is at Spanish universities or the many high quality institutes. Spain is accessible for American students, who can easily travel to Spain from anywhere in the U.S. It is a safe learning environment and Spain gives them easy access to travel throughout the rest of Europe.
Could you describe the Study Abroad programs your university has with Spain?
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte participates in a study abroad consortium agreement (summer, semester, academic year) with the Universidad de Cantabria. However, our students, both undergraduate and graduate, can also study at other Spanish universities and institutes, and have done so at institutions such as, most recently, the Complutense de Madrid. We are currently seeking to establish new ties with Spanish university graduate programs in translation studies (e.g., the University of Málaga, Granada, Valencia, Barcelona).
How satisfied are, in general, American students going to Spain?
I think American students are very satisfied with their study abroad experiences in Spain. Such an experience is life-changing and endures over time. I am an example of this. In 1973 I studied abroad at the Universidad de Barcelona, and I am still in contact with people who studied with me!
