Spain

A student desperately wanting to have class outside suggested we put the decision to a vote. An overwhelming amount of hands went up for having class in the sun and I paused to think about how I could adjust my lesson plan without a chalkboard. The students saw my hesitation and said, “but Claire, don’t you believe in our right to have a democracy?”. This was when I knew I would learn a lot more than just how to teach, from my international co-op term in Catalonia.

"I realized that as time went on, I was having difficulties connecting and adapting to this new culture I believe this sprouted from the strong language barrier and my inability to communicate with most of my co-workers". Read Aileen's story about how she overcame culture clashing and engage in intercultural communication. 

Going to Spain for co-op, I felt I would be immersed in a single culture. Read on to discover how this opportunity allowed me to develop a more intricate understanding of culture, communities, and families and to build lifelong friendships and family-like relationships across linguistic and cultural barriers.

Have you ever wanted to live and work abroad but could “never” find something career related? Well, in my opinion, what you “could not find” might actually be right in front of your eyes. There are countless opportunities for students to live abroad while teaching English. You just might be surprised at what occupational skills you might be able to extract from such a position. Have a read of my article to find out.

Are you looking into working abroad for your co-op?  Business student, Candice Woods shares what she learned in her co-op and how to combat homesickness based on her experience working in Barcelona, Spain for her co-op.

Michael Welk went to Spain to teach English for his co-op and shares about his adventure in a new country. Read on to find out about what you can gain from an experience such as leaving your comfort zone and exploring! This article was originally published in the Arts Co-op Newsletter in Spring 2015.

BPK student, Nick Crivici, spent nine months as an English Language Assistant in Barcelona.  Although this co-op was not directly related to the BPK field, he found tremendous educational value in his experience abroad.