Undergraduate student Claire Hein-Salvi shares why she chose to major in Spanish and talks about her experience studying abroad in Spain.
Claire Hein-Salvi in Granada, Spain.
Becoming a Spanish Major
“The moment I really fell in love with my Spanish major was when one of my professors played us a reggaetón song in class—I absolutely love Latin music.”
I loved Spanish class in high school and I was close to becoming fluent, so I decided to take a few courses in university. I enjoyed these classes so much that I ended up having enough credits to major in Spanish! The moment I really fell in love with my Spanish major was when one of my professors played us a reggaetón song in class—I absolutely love Latin music, specifically reggaetón, as well as Mexican food.
I love that the Spanish class sizes are small, so you really get to know your professors and fellow classmates. Many UBC classes for my psychology major have 100+ people, whereas the most I’ve had in a Spanish class has been 30 people. Getting to know the professors is also a huge bonus, as this helps with reference letters and obtaining certain job opportunities.
I would love to be a professor or work for a travel agency one day, and I know my Spanish skills will be an asset professionally. It will help me communicate with a wide range of people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Studying Abroad in Spain
“It was by far the best year of my life.”
When I studied abroad at Centro de Lenguas Modernas in Granada, Spain, I took all my classes in Spanish, which covered topics like the Political System of the European Union, Spanish Art History, etc. Every week, we were able to participate in excursions organized by the university to various cities around Spain. I went to Sevilla, Córdoba, Ronda and a few other cities around Spain with the university, and we had private guides (lunch was always included!).
It was by far the best year of my life. I met so many amazing people who I am still in contact with daily almost two years later. I had the opportunity to go to Morocco as well for a week and traveled around Europe. I became fluent in Spanish and the classes were very captivating and interactive. I had the time of my life studying abroad and would highly recommend it to anyone!
My advice is: immerse yourself in your favourite aspects of the language (food, music, history, etc.), make friends with people who speak that language and, if you have the chance, travel to a country that speaks that language.
