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Providence University

Publication Date

Spring 2011

Program Name

Spain: Language, Community, and Social Change

Abstract

Throughout the course of the semester, I had the opportunity to work at La Ciudad de Los Niños, a facility devoted to bettering the lives of children living in Granada, Spain. I chose to write about this topic because of the positive influence it had on my learning, both culturally and linguistically. I gathered the content of my paper solely through my experience working there, through formal and informal interviews with workers and students, and by using the facility’s website. In keeping a work journal, I was able to monitor my language growth and document different facts about the Ciudad de Los Niños, as well as the programs it offers to the students. Inside of my paper, one will find a general overview of the Ciudad de Los Niños, what it does, its history and more. Additionally, I have included a section that compares my work at the Ciudad de Los Niños to a previous volunteering experience I had at Nathan Bishop Middle School in Providence, RI. I did this to draw comparisons between some the programs being offered to the youth in both the United States and Spain. Upon concluding my work at the Ciudad de Los Niños, I can firmly say that my learning increased tenfold because of the relationships I developed with the children there. I began working there merely as a volunteer, yet left as a friend to 25 beautiful and intelligent girls. I feel that having this opportunity improved my ability to speak Spanish significantly, because as the semester came to a close, I was able to see how the language barrier that once existed between us is now gone. Working with the youth of Granada gave me insight to a different aspect of the culture that could not be learned in the classroom, as they carried on traditions and included me in their celebrations. Working in such a friendly and culturally rich environment made my educational experience abroad more valuable and one that I will never forget.

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Education | International and Comparative Education

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