Language study abroad funding?

[MirandaAskHer]

Hi all,

 

I have a situation that appears (to me) to be a bit unusual. I'm currently a first-year MA/PhD student in an interdisciplinary program. Since I was last at university, I've developed a potential research interest that would take me abroad and likely require ethnographic research in Spain. And lucky me, I don't speak Spanish. I'm currently enrolled in coursework at my university, but the only way to start Spanish here is in the interminably slow undergraduate courses, which, in addition to being unfocused, teach Mexican/Latin American Spanish. To acquire the language skills I need, I will almost certainly have to study away from my university, and would prefer an immersion experience in Spain to maximize my benefit from time spent. I've been hoping to do that this summer.

 

I'm a fellowship student, and despite the fact that I'll be funded for summer study on campus, I cannot apply my tuition benefit to a non-university program, even one approved by the university (don't get me started on this; undergrads can do it, but grad fellows can't). I've been looking for other sources of funding, but most funding for graduate students to go abroad is, of course, geared toward those doing research, and funding for language study abroad is limited to undergrads or students working on an endangered or "strategically significant" language. tl;dr, my standing and goals disqualify me for any funding options I'm seeing. 

 

Has anyone else run into this problem? Anybody have any suggestions on where I can look for language-study funding? Need-based options would be fine; I don't have support from outside my university and my stipend isn't sufficient to pay my rent and also my program fees for two months. 

 

Thanks!

[lyonessrampant]

I was in a similar situation except it was Italian for me.  I spent 7 weeks in an immersion program in Italy last summer and 6 the summer before supported by a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship.  These are funded through the Department of Education and it is likely that your university participates in the program.  The downside is that French, Spanish, and German are often not funded because these are commonly taught languages.  I had a friend from UWashington who did French, though, so it does vary by university, which is what matters since it is the university program who makes the decision about whom to fund, not the DoE.  You might see if there is a FLAS program at your university and ask them if they ever fund Spanish applicants.

[kyjin]

In addition to looking into FLAS, have you approached the Spanish department at your university for assistance? Perhaps they have some funding available, or at least would be familiar with funding sources that you could look into. 

 

As an alternative to going to Spain, have you looked at Middlebury's Language School? The tuition is also steep, but they do provide financial aid, and it looks like there are some scholarships available. Might be another option to investigate. 

[rising_star]

As someone that has studied Spanish both in the USA and in Spain, I can tell you that learning Mexican/Latin American Spanish won't put you at a huge disadvantage for being able to speak Spanish in Spain. There are some differences in word usage and you'd have to learn vosotros but otherwise the two are quite similar and mutually intelligible. All of which is to say that you shouldn't be underestimating what you're learning in your undergrad courses. If you really want to improve your language skills more rapidly, focus on getting into courses that emphasize conversation, find a language partner who you can practice with, and regularly read and write in Spanish. If you don't yet have the skills for those things, then I'd say that perhaps you're gaining more from the undergrad class than you wish.

 

I can't help with funding as funding to go to Spain is fairly scarce and largely dependent on having at least intermediate language skills. If you can get over your hang-up about Mexican/Latin American Spanish, you'll find that there are numerous programs in the Western Hemisphere where you can have Spanish immersion that also cost less than equivalent programs in Spain. Particularly well known destinations for Spanish immersion are Guadalajara and Veracruz in Mexico, Chile, and Argentina.

[victorydance]

Totally agree with rising_star. Most of Latin American countries speak Castellano Spanish (the exception is Rioplatanese which is common in Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay), which is the same Spanish that most of Spain speaks. The only really difference is different slang/word usage and the congrugation of vosotros. 

 

The cheapest places to study Spanish are Bolivia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Ecuador. These places you are looking at $6-8 an hour for 1 on 1 lessons, which is nothing. Find a sublet for your apartment during the summer and you could realistically live in these places for the same price that you would have spent at home anyways.

 

If you have any questions, ask me, I know a lot about this subject, I have and am currently studying Spanish in Latin America and have lived here for multiple years. 

Edited November 28, 2014 by victorydance