Spanish Track
Quito, Ecuador
Why the Spanish Track?
The Spanish Major Track in the Living and Learning semester in Quito is an amazing mixture of adventure, academic excellence, culture, practical experience, language, mission, and integrated living. During the semester, students will enroll in 12-18 credit hours in upper-division college-level Spanish that will deepen students' language development at an advanced level from native Spanish speakers.
During the semester, students will complete an internship practicum for credit or engage in service-learning opportunities across the city and country. While enrolled in the semester program, students will live with an Ecuadorian family to experience culture and build relationships. This provides a greater opportunity to immerse themselves in Ecuadorian culture and community.
Course Offerings
Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units to be considered full-time.
Required Courses
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Ecuador tiene una diversidad de riqueza histórica, cultural, y natural. La diversidad presenta oportunidades y también desafíos para el desarrollo de la nación. Este curso enfocará en ayudar a los alumnos a entender e interpretar los siguientes temas: 1) Historia del Pueblo Indígena (Antes y Después de Contacto) 2) Historia y Contexto de las Creencias Culturales, Actitudes, y Hechos de Ecuador, particularmente al desarrollar la persistencia de la Tradición Oral. 3) Historia del Arte Ecuatoriano: Estilos, Formas, y Expresión. 4) Estructuras y Figuras Políticas de Ecuador. 5) Historia del Movimiento Misionero/Evangélico en Ecuador.
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An integrative cross-cultural experience designed to help the student understand and form his or her Christian worldview, cross-cultural engagement, and understanding of diverse social and cultural contexts. A 1-hour per week course requires the attendance of all students. The goal and emphasis of this course are to provide students with a set of tools to utilize in interacting with people in work, community, or educational settings. Community development interventions in this course are understood as activities to facilitate, strengthen, and improve less-advantaged communities, empower residents to define and participate in the development process, and interact in larger social, political, and economic systems on behalf of the community. As part of this course, all students complete a local internship. This course can be taken for one or three credits. Students may request to take the course for more units if needed but must receive approval from L&LI.
Spanish Courses
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Students will begin to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture. The focus in class will be the application of grammar principles in daily communicative situations. Grammar explanations will not be the focus of class lessons. You are expected to read and study grammar explanations in the textbook prior to coming to class, pay close attention to the material presented in class, and then to review any unclear points on your own at home.
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Students will begin to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture, building on concepts that were mastered in Spanish 101.
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In this class, students will continue to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish while learning about Spanish-speaking cultures, in particular Ecuadorian culture. Spanish 201 will be taught in a communicative manner. This approach to language instruction has proven to be highly successful for adult learners. Therefore, the class will be conducted in Spanish, using language is a communicative way through listening and speaking.
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Spanish 202/250 is a 3-credit reading, writing and intermediate to advanced grammar course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize authentic readings and student experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and culture in Quito. This course will teach reading strategies and provide advanced reading practice in a variety of genres which will introduce them to literature in Spanish, increase vocabulary to a more advanced level and prepare students for higher level Spanish classes. Students will be assigned activities in all four modalities: reading, writing, listening and speaking, with a focus on analyzing readings. Readings will be from different genres, which will then be the basis for writing and conversation tasks. We will review and learn new major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures.
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This course is a 3-credit conversation and advanced grammar course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize student experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. Students will be assigned activities in all four language modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Assignments will be both formal and informal. We will review major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures.
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This course is a 3-credit advanced composition course. In order to increase fluency and grammar accuracy in Spanish, we will utilize experience outside of the classroom as they interact with people and cultures in Quito. Students will be assigned activities in all four language modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Readings will be from different genres, which will then be the basis for composition tasks. Assignments will be both formal and informal. We will review major grammar principles and build on those concepts to more advanced structures in both speaking and writing.
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Este curso es de nivel avanzado y combina la investigación, la redacción, y el debate a través de temas importantes y complejas presentadas desde la perspectiva ecuatoriana tanto para desarrollar y mejorar el idioma y profundizar el conocimiento histórico y cultural del Ecuador. A la vez, el estudiante tiene el desafío de integrar la fe y la cosmovisión bíblica al considerar estos temas importantes.
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El curso trata de forma general los aspectos literarios y culturales de américa latina. La literatura latinoamericana fue galardonada por cinco oportunidades con el premio Nobel de Literatura. Se conocerán los aspectos principales de las obras literarias de esos autores representativas de nuestra cultura y desarrollemos lecturas seleccionadas para trabajar con ellas. Este curso afirma conocimientos gramaticales avanzados del idioma español. Los estudiantes conocerán modismos y frases idiomáticas propias del idioma español. A través de los temas de cultural ecuatoriana los estudiantes podrán entender algunos aspectos de la variedad de la cultura y de esta forma relacionarse cómodamente con los ecuatorianos.
Internships
Those enrolled in our Summer or Semester program have the opportunity to participate in a for-credit internship in a placement relevant to their study. This internship is designed to help students understand and form their Christian worldview, cross-cultural engagement, and understanding of diverse asocial and cultural contexts. Students in the Spanish Track will be placed in an internship that is full Spanish immersion with no English spoken at the internship site.
Along with the internship, there will be a 1-hour per week Community Development course that students are required to take. The goal is to provide students with a set of tools to utilize when interacting with people in work, community, or educational settings.
A few internship placement examples include:
Pan de Vida is a nonprofit that gathers the resources needed to help those who are less fortunate in Quito come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and fully live to their God-given potential.
Escuela Numa is a public K-12 school. Its mission is to provide an exceptional education to children from lower-income backgrounds.
Casa Mis Sueños is a Foundation that seeks restoration, education, and empowerment for youth & women at risk in Quito, Ecuador
Camp Hope is a nonprofit that helps reach the needs of the economically, physically, and mentally challenged children, teens, and young adults. They provide education, medical services, spiritual discipleship, rehabilitation and vocational training.
Casa Adalia Is an aftercare discipleship home for young women ages 18-22 who have been rescued from desperate and vulnerable situations.
La Biblia Dice is a Christian international Radio ministry/ and Christian app developer that seeks to share the gospel in unique and creative ways.
Cultural Activities & Engagement
Class Trips
Tour Neo-Gothic and Baroque-style churches in Colonial Quito
Visit the Presidential Palace
Day Trips
Orientation Session(s) at a Retreat Facility and/or City Park
Equator Visit & Zip-lining in the Cloud Forest
Hike Rucu Volcano with a summit of 15,696 feet
Explore Otavalo Market (largest open-air market in South America)
Hike to the Refuge of the Cotopaxi Volcano (15,748 feet)
Overnight Trips
5-day trip to the mountain adventure town of Baños (Swing at the End of the World)
5-day service trip to the Amazon jungle of Ecuador
5-day trip to the Galapagos Islands (Santa Cruz)
4-day trip to the Coast of Ecuador for Debrief
Host Families & Student Life
We are committed to providing a program that nurtures the integration of the whole person: intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Spanish major students' community will include students, faculty, staff, homestay families, guests, visitors, and numerous other people. Living in community is a focal point that will encourage growth and development and the opportunity to explore and experience the concept of a Christian community as it is affected by the diverse backgrounds and patterns of thought in our student body.
Students in the Spanish track with spend the whole duration of the program with an Ecuadorian family. All homes are carefully screened for suitability and are inspected regularly by our staff. We call this our "homestay" program because when you participate in this program, you are not only renting a room in somebody's house, you are being welcomed into their home as if you were a member of the family. We prefer to place two students per family because when students live together we have found the placement to provide additional safety and joint language learning.
What’s included?
Depending on the program you select, you will need to check with your college or university for exact costs. However, in most cases, if you are a student at one of our partner schools a semester in Ecuador will not cost you more than what you are currently paying for school! If you are not currently enrolled in a college or university and would still like to attend, contact us.
Pricing Breakdown:
$12,000 - Tuition
$3,000 - Room and Board
$1,500 - Extended Host Family Stay
$16,500 - Total Program Cost
Cost Includes:
12-18 semester credits
All Lodging and Transportation during program events
Homestay with an Ecuadorian Family for the full semester
All meals during program events (about 75% of meals during the semester)*
Excursion to the Galapagos
Excursion to another region of Ecuador
Mission Trip to the Amazon Jungle
Final Debrief Trip to the Coast of Ecuador
Cultural Experiences and Student Activities
Internship Experience (for credit option)
Visa
International Travel Insurance (not primary medical insurance)
Does Not Include:
Airfare
Passport
Immunization
Meals when not with the program (about 25%)*
Personal expenses like shopping, personal needs or personal travel.
Talk to your study abroad office and share that you’re interested in this Ecuador program. L&LI partners with many Christian colleges and universities.
Reach out to us and let us know you’re interested! We’ll advise you through the application process.
This track is reserved for students who are advanced Spanish speakers and are able to place at the 300-level for Spanish during the application. Priority is given to Spanish Majors and then awarded on a first come first serve basis.
If accepted, we’ll walk you through the onboarding process, explain what forms are needed, and share what to expect during your semester.
You’ll spend an incredible semester learning, exploring, earning college credit, interning in a field related to your studies, and growing in your faith.
L&LI is an accredited program that can transfer college credit back to your university to be used on your transcript. Upon completion of the semester, we’ll send your grades to your university.
