Honors Spanish Language & Culture

CIEE’s Honors programs offer classes only at Levels 2 and 3. Level 2 is for students who can carry on everyday conversations in Spanish, and Level 3 is for those who can participate in discussions on social and academic topics. In the spring before you depart, you’ll take a language proficiency test and when you arrive on site, you’ll participate in an oral interview. How you do on the test and in the interview will identify the level that is right for you. 

Each week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day, you’ll advance your Spanish—through activities and discussions in class and through conversations with locals in the community and at your homestay.  

Week 1: Settle in and meet your classmates as you explore the Discovery Theme. Ask about and describe family members, discover and describe exciting things to do in Madrid, and compare daily routines and customs in Spain and the USA. For your Project, create and present a Memory Book of Your Life in Madrid.

Week 2: Explore Spanish culture during this week’s Creativity Theme. Compare musical performances, express opinions on art, tell what happened in movies, and persuade a classmate to attend a cultural event. For your Project, create a Photo Gallery on Spanish Culture and share it in a conversation.

Week 3: Delve into Madrid in this week’s Community Theme. For your Project, create and present a Neighborhood Tour in Madrid. Describe the city and what happens there. Role play scenes in a market and restaurant. Report on Madrid’s past and future.

Week 4: Consider the impact of your summer during the Personal Growth Theme. Tell what happened in memorable moments and how you felt about it. Make cultural comparisons and persuade a friend to study abroad. For your Project, create a Study Abroad Album and share it in a panel discussion.

Each week, you’ll explore a Theme and create a Project. Each day, you’ll advance your Spanish—through activities and discussions in class and through conversations with locals in the community and at your homestay.  

Week 1: Settle in and meet your classmates during the Cultural Encounters Theme. Tell what happened on a first encounter abroad. Summarize past and current events in Madrid. Express your opinions as you compare cultural norms and stereotypes. For your Project, create and present a Field Report on Madrid.

Week 2: Explore Spanish culture in this week’s Creativity Theme. Describe street art and profile artists, express opinions on magazines and movies, and compare musical performances. For your Project, create an Arts & Culture Magazine and share it in a conversation.

Week 3: Continue advancing your Spanish as you delve into the Discovery Theme. For your Project, create and present an Awareness Campaign about a global threat. Give information on its causes and effects, explain solutions, and persuade others in debates, justifying your arguments.

Week 4: Consider the impact of your summer in this week’s Personal Growth Theme. Conduct a class survey on experiences in Spain and make cultural comparisons. Tell an original story about a memorable moment and speculate on what’s next for you. For your Project, create a Study Abroad Album and share it in a panel discussion.