SPAIN SPRING SEMESTER PROGRAM

Spring 2008

Oviedo, Spain

Temple University is very pleased to announce the development of a new semester-long program in Oviedo, Spain, which will be offered in spring semesters, beginning in Spring 2008. The program is designed for students who are committed to developing their Spanish language skills. Courses are conducted in Spanish, and students live with Spanish host families for the duration of the program.

Built on the success of Temple’s existing summer session in Oviedo, the new semester abroad program will be based at the University of Oviedo in the province of Asturias, one of the most culturally significant regions in Spain. The city of Oviedo is the administrative, commercial, and cultural center of that region. Oviedo’s active cultural life includes concerts, operas, conferences, congresses, museums, and libraries. The university is located near mountains with ski resorts as well as coastal towns providing many recreational opportunities.

The University of Oviedo dates back to its founding in 1575; teaching activities began in 1608. One of the top universities in Spain, numerous outstanding figures of Spanish and European culture have been linked to the university throughout the past four centuries. Today, the University of Oviedo is an institution with over 34,000 students enrolled in 35 departments, 12 faculties, three higher technical schools, 17 university schools, and various university institutes and centers. The university has five campuses throughout Oviedo, as well as campuses in the nearby cities of Gijón and Mieres.

Study abroad participants will be enrolled in the Cursos de Lengua y Cultura Españolas para Extranjeros program, which for more than 20 years has offered courses in Spanish language and culture to international students. An integral part of the university, the center offers a broad range of courses, conducted in Spanish, at the intermediate and advanced levels. All program courses are held in Oviedo at the university’s humanities campus, El Milán, which has classrooms, administrative offices, as well as a library, video library, and language laboratory.

About Asturias and Oviedo

The Principality of Asturias, with a population of over 1,100,000, is situated in the far north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. Nestled between the Cantabrian Sea to the north, and the Cantabrian mountain chain to the south, Asturias is often called a “natural paradise,” due the presence of its high mountains, inland sierras, valleys, meadows and woodlands, and a rugged coastal area with cliffs, beaches and river estuaries. The climate is basically an Atlantic one, with mild temperatures and abundant rainfall year round. The origins of Asturian culture go back to ancient times, with prehistoric cave paintings, Celtic settlements, and pre-Romanesque monuments predating Roman baths, as well as Romanesque and Gothic monuments.

Oviedo, the capital of the Principality, is situated in central Asturias at the foot of the Naranco hills, 21 miles from the coast. Oviedo is a lively city with a population of more than 220,000. While the city has an impressive old-town center, museums, and significant historic sites, it is also a modern city. As there are relatively few English-speaking visitors, Oviedo is also an excellent location to improve language skills. The University of Oviedo has a notable presence within the city.

In addition to life in Oviedo, nearby coastal cities such as Gijón and Avilés provide students with additional opportunities for exploration. Gijón is the largest city in Asturias, and with a marina, beaches, and frequent cultural events and expositions, it is the main tourist destination of the region. Avilés is close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the region, and its medieval quarter has been named a site of historic artistic heritage.

The Program

Students must have successfully completed at least three university-level Spanish courses, at minimum Spanish 1001: Basic I, Spanish 1002: Basic II, and Spanish 1003: Intermediate I [formerly 0051, 0052, and C061] to be eligible for the spring semester program.

As a complement to academic courses, cultural programming and organized leisure activities offer students the opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge of various aspects of Spanish and Asturian culture. They also serve to strengthen students’ Spanish language proficiency outside of a formal classroom setting. All students participate in a non-credit enrichment workshop during one of the weeks of the program. Past workshop themes have included dance, short story, photography, cartoons, and journalism. Throughout the semester, the university hosts film series, short-story and photography competitions, and organizes visits to sites of interest studied in class.

The university also offers programs to facilitate connections between international and Spanish students, including a language partner conversation exchange.

Orientation Week in Madrid

The first six days of the program take place in Madrid, where faculty will conduct an orientation program, and students will have the opportunity to explore Spain's capital city and its environs before traveling to Oviedo to begin classes. The period in Madrid will also include day excursions to nearby cities.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Jaime Durán is a native of Oviedo and studied as an undergraduate at the University of Oviedo. He obtained his PhD in Spanish from Temple University, where he currently teaches. Dr. Durán developed Temple’s Spanish Language, Literature and Film summer program in Oviedo, and he has directed and taught in the program for the past five years.