Misión Ñ: Cultural and self-discovery

Misión Ñ

The very first days here in Madrid, students hit the ground running (albeit jet-lagged!) and began talking with Spaniards about culture. 4 days a week, they go to plazas, parks, and other common places to ask for recommendations, talk about customs and habits, and learn about people´s tastes in food, music, film, and more. Another component is to ask their host family about life in Spain as well. They document their findings to me, their Program Leader, and Leo, their Spanish teacher. Students have commented the following about their experience with Misión Ñ:

My favorite part about Misión Ñ have been the opportunities to talk about anything with my host family. -Whitney

I really liked talking with the community, even though it seemed scary at first. -Jeff

Misión Ñ has been great to talk with people who live locally, and get a perspective from a different country. -Madeline

A positive aspect of the misión ñ project is getting out there and talking to locals with the language we’ve been learning in class. We are able to practice outside the room, and not just stuck in a classroom. -Bryan

A positive aspect of Misión Ñ is that it helps me connect with my host family in numerous different ways. -Nathan

A positive experience from Misión ñ is being able to engage with the community and hear about local culture firsthand. -Serena

Here are a few photos of students in action.

Lily, Jaden, and Matthew talk to a couple in a plaza about recommendations in Madrid.

Nathan and Madeline send documentation of their conversation to their Program Leader.

Jeff and Bryan´s conversation about recommendations changed direction. Their interviewee told students about the effects of tourism in Madrid from his point of view.