OVERVIEW

MAIN GOAL

To provide a distinctive and unique experiential learning opportunity through a 2-week linguistic and cultural immersion experience on campus, at XJTLU, in which you will increase your communicative proficiency, cultural sensitivity and confidence when speaking Spanish.

PARTICIPANTS

This academic year, our local programme is open to XJTLU students of all levels, including absolute beginners. We are working hard to bring this XJTLU learning experience to our local, regional and national communities.

DATES

12 – 23 July, from Monday to Friday (6 hours/day + optional social activities).

JUSTIFICATION

Opportunities to expose students to Spanish in places like Suzhou (or China, in general) are often scarce beyond the classroom. Consequently, several second language acquisition theories and models confirm issues in a context where exposure to the target language outside the classroom is low.

In countries like the United States of America, there is a tradition of language programmes that offer immersive learning contexts that significantly increase students’ proficiency in a location where Spanish is not the native language of the general population. However, in China, there are not many programmes with the same characteristics and tradition. In order to provide our students with more opportunities to be exposed to the Spanish language and to its cultures, the Spanish Division at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has put in place the Spanish Immersion Summer School in Suzhou. This programme follows the principal traits of this immersive learning and teaching philosophy but adapted to the Chinese peculiarities and tradition.

DETAILS

• Start date: 12 July
• Attendance: Full time
• Duration: Two weeks
• School: School of Languages

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

1. A meaningful immersive experience to ensure that you effectively communicate in Spanish no matter your proficiency level, thus improving your Spanish skills via authentic communicative situations.
2. Extensive and diverse cultural knowledge through a great variety of fun and cultural activities, which will facilitate language acquisition and provide you with the necessary intercultural skills to succeed in our everchanging world.
3. Cutting-edge teaching methods, as well as an innovative immersive approach.
4. A highly experienced team of Chinese and Spanish lecturers from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, that come from different academic backgrounds (linguistics, cultural studies, literature, communication, performing arts, etc.), and have extensive experience in academic institutions all over the world (Spain, India, the US, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Ireland, etc.).
5. The extraordinary human and material resources of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, the historic partnership between Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool in China.
6. An experience adapted to your Spanish level, no matter if you are an absolute beginner or an intermediate-high learner.

APPROACH

At XJTLU Spanish Immersion Summer School, we have adopted an approach that incorporates Chinese expectations and learning beliefs into an immersive experience where learning occurs in real and meaningful communicative settings. Our learning sessions don’t follow a traditional approach focused only on language structures, nor a natural approach that focuses exclusively on content and ignores the study of grammar. Instead, we have created a dynamic immersion environment in which students’ daily schedules begin with a more-traditional language class, and transitions progressively to less-controlled immersive settings, in order to promote Spanish language use and acquisition in meaningful and authentic communicative situations. These sequences, along with cultural knowledge, are not isolated, but rather always embedded in relevant cultural contexts. For instance, the daily cultural content that frames the learning sessions is built around a specific Spanish-speaking country or community.

MODULES

GENERAL STRUCTURE, TYPES OF COURSES AND DYNAMIC IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT

Every participant in the Spanish Immersion Summer School will take five types of courses, which are designed to provide this dynamic immersion environment:

1. LANGUAGE COURSES≈14 hours
   These more-controlled sessions provide the main language resources that students will need to apply in the other sessions of the day (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, communicative functions).
2. SPANISH APPLIED TO CULTURE≈12 hours
   In these content-based sessions, students will deepen and increase their language resources in context, while learning Hispanic cultural products, practices and perspectives.
3. CULTURAL WORKSHOPS≈18 hours
   These open learning spaces will allow students to apply the language resources learned in authentic cultural activities (e.g., handicrafts, cooking).
4. SPECIALIZATION WORKSHOPS≈9 hours
   Students can choose between several cultural and professional workshops, taking into account their own personal and/or professional interests (e.g., sports, Spanish for business, theater).
5. EXPERIENCIAS EN EL MUNDO HISPANOHABLANTE≈3 hours
   Presentations of and conversations with individuals in the community who have studied Spanish and lived in Spanish-speaking country.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES:

In these optional activities, students gather with other students and community while immersing themselves in cultural practices and languages (e.g., dancing events, movie sessions).

*Social activities are optional. When there is an expense related to a social activity (e.g., dinner in a Mexican restaurant), this expense will be covered by the participant if he/she decides to join.

FEES

2,940 RMB

Please note that this price has been reduced by 40% for XJTLU students (original price of the Spanish Immersion Summer School: 4,900 RMB).

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?

• All the courses and materials needed for the courses
• One official t-shirt of the Spanish Immersion Summer School.
• Two meals (one per week).
• Certificate of attendance (if you attend at least 80% of the mandatory lessons/activities).

Other expenses (accommodation, meals, expenses related to optional social activities, etc.) are not included in the price, and must be covered by the participant.

HOW TO APPLY

Deadline: 25 June 2021.

Applications should be submitted via the XJTLU online application system.

IMPORTANT:

1. Seats are very limited. Consequently, if you are interested in the programme it is strongly recommended that you submit your application and make the payment as early as possible. Please note that your seat will not be reserved until you submit your application, your payment is processed, and you receive an email confirming that you have been admitted in the programme.
2. Please note that the minimum group size is 8 participants. If less than 8 students register in one specific level, this level might be cancelled (students will be notified by June 28th at the latest, and the reimbursement will be processed soon after).

CONTACT

If you have questions about the registration process, please contact Yunxia Jiang at yunxia.jiang@xjtlu.edu.cn.

If you have any general questions about the Summer School, please contact SPA.Summer@xjtlu.edu.cn.