Two weeks of orientation and intensive language classes help students adapt to their new culture and prepare for the University of Granada language placement exam. Classes are held for three hours per day at the Center for Modern Languages located in the Palacio de Santa Cruz in Granada. In the afternoon, following the traditional midday meal and siesta, programming may include orientation meetings, guest speakers, or a tour of the city or other nearby locations. Cultural programming is designed to complement coursework for an integrated learning experience. Students receive one credit for each week of orientation.
During the orientation, students are housed with the same host families they will have during the semester. Three meals a day are provided. At the end of the second week, students take the University of Granada language placement exam.
Cultural Activities and Excursions
Cultural activities and excursions are an integral part of the program and continue throughout each semester. Tickets and entrance fees are covered by the program fee and may include such events as:
- a flamenco dance performance
- the opera
- a bullfight
- museum exhibitions
Each semester a three-day trip to Madrid is organized with guided visits to museums and places of interest, possibly including a day trip to the city of Toledo and a visit to the royal palace of la Granja and the city of Segovia.
At least one other overnight excursion based on student interest is arranged, sometimes in collaboration with the University of Granada. A typical itinerary might include visits to the Alpujarra region, the cities of Sevilla and Córdoba, and the Mediterranean coast. Optional daytrips to nearby sites in and around Granada, such as the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Guadix or Fuentevaqueros (birthplace of Federico García Lorca), may also be arranged in collaboration with the University of Granada.
Central College reserves the right to alter destinations and itineraries.
Cross-cultural workshops are offered each semester to help you better understand what you’re feeling and experiencing during your time abroad. These workshops, held at the CCA center, meet four times throughout the semester. The workshops are required of all students and are non-credit bearing. At the end of the semester you will meet for the last session to process your Granada experience and prepare for your return to the states.
Optional Cultural Activities and Excursions
The University of Granada Cultural Center "Casa de Porras" offers many different workshops including flamenco, guitar, ceramics, drawing and painting, photography, theatre, puppeteering, yoga and Tai-Chi. Registration is on a first-come basis. Students also have the option of taking a month of sevillanas, salsa or belly dance lessons in the dance studio "4x4" or a cooking class. These options are offered each semester. The cost of enrollment is not included in the program fee.
