SiS Newsletter - September 2010

Newsletter Archive

Recent News September, 2010

• ESCC launches Spanish class for medical personnel.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100828/ESN01/8280309

• Virtual high school opens 'doors' to learning.
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123219649

• More high school students learning in other language.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/30/1799836/more-students-learning-in-other.html

SiS Student Ambassadors

• SiS Student Ambassador at University of Richmond

SiS on the road

• Study in Spain will be traveling throughout the US again this academic year.

Amigos del español

• Francis Ford Coppola

Institution Profile

• The University of Castilla-La Mancha

Interview Lounge

• Claire Carrol

 

SiS Student Ambassador at University of Richmond

Alper Daron is SIS Student Ambassador at University of Richmond. He decided to became a SIS Student Ambassador because of his Ladino or Judeo-Español heritage. He's able to speak this language with his grandparents in Turkey. He became a SIS Student Ambassador to be able to communicate in Spanish and get closer to the Spanish world, which is so close to the culture he comes from.
Here is his experience in his own words:

Since I was a little kid, I have always talked to my grandparents in Turkish, while they answered me back on purpose in Ladino, a language that was able to survive for centuries. Why on purpose? For two specific reasons; not losing my Sephardic identity and to be able to communicate with the Spanish world. In fact, these are the main reasons that explain why I am a Spanish minor and decided to become a Student Ambassador for Spain at the University of Richmond.

During my senior year at college, some of the activities that I organized or participated as an SiS Ambassador were Cena Tematica, Version Original, Study Abroad in Spain Presentation and Study Abroad Fair at University of Richmond. Although it took a considerable amount of time to get all the permissions from school administration, and advertise well, I can definitely say that I enjoyed getting together with people who have similar interests on Spain and its culture.

 

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.

SEPTEMBER
HACU - HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
SEP 18-20
SAN DIEGO, CA

OCTOBER
NAFSA REGIONALS CONFERENCES
Read more at: http://www.spainedu.org/index.php/meet-us.html

NOVEMBER
NAFSA BI-REGIONAL CONFERENCE
NOV 16-19
OMAHA, NE
ACTFL - AMERICAN COUNCIL ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
NOV 19-21
BOSTON, MA

DECEMBER
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP FOR US HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (W3)
DEC 13-19
MADRID

Read more...

 

 

Francis Ford Coppola
Movie Director

An American by birth and Italian at heart, Francis Ford Coppola now has his sights set on Latin America and is learning Spanish. This cinematic giant, best known for directing “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now,” will find that the language comes in handy now that he has a production firm in Argentina and hotels in Guatemala and Belize and is preparing to start shooting “Tetro,” a film about an Argentine family in which Spaniards Javier Bardem and Maribel Verdú have starring roles.

Do you read in Spanish?
That’s my hope, but at the moment I’m learning. I strongly support the idea of the United States being part of an American entity larger than one single country.

And in terms of literature?
The most exciting literature of the past eight decades has come out of Latin America. My hope is that (people) in the U.S. realize how wonderful American culture is as a whole and feel comfortable with bilingualism.

Who is your favorite author?
(Jorge Luis) Borges, (Julio) Cortázar and Mario Vargas Llosa. But the Latin American literary tradition is vast and precedes all of them.

Have you considered bringing any of their books to the big screen?
I would say that Borges was the inspiration for my last film, “Youth Without Youth,” a story by (Romanian author) Mircea Eliade but with a lot of Borgesian overtones.

Why Argentina?
“Tetro” is a very personal story centered around an artistic and eccentric Argentine family of Italian origin. A story and a country with people that reminded me of the most bohemian type of romanticism.

 

The University of Castilla-La Mancha

The University of Castilla-La Mancha is located at the Community of Castilla-La Mancha, in the heart of Spain with an area of 79,000 square kilometres, which represents 15% of Spain’s total territory. The region consist of the provinces of Albacete, Cuidad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, the latter being home to the capital.

Castilla-La Mancha enjoys an amazing variety in geography and a climate which is fundamentally continental. The region’s economy mainly centres on agriculture with grain such as wheat, barley and oats, together with olives, grapes, purple-skinned garlic and saffron being the main crops. Most of the industry is based in the largest centres of population and with the exception of Puertollano’s petrochemical industry, the rest are chiefly capital goods and consumer goods industry such as furniture, building materials, leather, shoes, cutlery, textile and food (wine and cheese). The 400-Year Anniversary of the Publication of Don Quixote has led to an expansion in the tourism sector. Trade, transportation, service and especially tourism have provided more and more people with employment.

The University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) was created on June 30th, 1982 through the union of different university centres into a single institution. The UCLM began its first academic year in 1985. Nowadays, the University has over 29,000 students (27,500 graduates and 1,500 postgraduate and Ph. Students), 830 foreign students from more than 60 different countries, 2.200 professors, and 1,300 staff.

UCLM has endowed all of its four campuses (Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo) with great autonomy managed by the Campus Vice-Rectorates. Its headquarters, the Rectorate, is located in Ciudad Real and interrelates with the other campuses by means of a fiber optic network that enables multi-videoconferencing and a series of internal voice and data communications in real time.

The University of Castilla–La Mancha is ready to face the challenges in the road ahead. We open up to this future with the serenity, intelligence and optimism bestowed by the challenges overcome in the two decades of complete devotion to the region’s progress, well beyond the mere role of generating and getting across science and culture.

The UCLM is also an open gateway to educational quality, the promotion of research culture, the design of future policies; in other words, the University’s acquired commitment to the society of Castilla-La Mancha.

Improving the International relations is a priority in the global strategy of University of Castilla-La Mancha. Academic bilateral agreements with US Universities allow the exchange of students and other academic collaborations (Texas A&M University, Universty of Arizona, Chicago State University, among more than twenty others). Currently, the University of Castilla-La Mancha aims to develop programs of study abroad with U.S. universities.

Specific and more detailed information about the University of Castilla-La Mancha, such as academic programs, academic authorities, University regulations and admission and registration dates and procedures can be found at:

http://www.uclm.es/english/ (English)
http://www.uclm.es/ (Spanish)
http://www.uclm.es/ori/convenios/mostrar_convenios.asp?pais=ESTADOS%20UNIDOS%20DE%20AMERICA (agreements with U.S.A.)
Contact address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Claire Carrol

When was the last time you have been to Spain?
June 2009. I’m going again in April of this year.

What do you enjoy most about Spain?
The language, people, architecture, culture.

What do you think are the advantages of Spain as a destination for American students?
It’s important for today’s student to become globally literate, and Spain is an excellent place to acquire skill in that area. Beyond the obvious opportunity to develop proficiency in Spanish, one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, study in Spain gives US students a glimpse into life in the European Union, while at the same time allowing them to experience the influence of Moorish culture.

Could you describe the Study Abroad programs your university has with Spain?
We are affiliated with a number of study abroad providers that operate programs in Spain. We also work with the Eduespana network of Spanish language schools.

How satisfied are, in general, American students going to Spain?
One student who recently returned from a semester in Barcelona wished he had been able to stay for the entire year. His experience is representative of others.