Working with partner schools in Germany and Guatemala, MATC offers students interested in studying abroad the opportunity to experience firsthand cultural and language immersion in an international setting. Imagine touring a colorful city surrounded by ancient ruins and tropical wildlife, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s… That’s how the students going on MATC’s abroad trip to Guatemala will be spending their winter break next December to January.
Centered in Antigua, the trip features excursions to historic Mayan ruins and the Pacaya volcano, a zip-line canopy tour through surrounding forest areas, dance and cooking lessons, scenic mountainside hikes, and – most importantly – individual instruction from native Spanish speakers, who have an average of 19 years of teaching experience.
Deborah Esparza, chairman of the World Language department, says that such an immersive learning environment is invaluable. Instructors work with the students’ level of experience, whether they enter into the program speaking Spanish fluently or not at all. “Students really advance with the one-to-one ratio of instruction,” she says.
On top of total language immersion in a native setting, Esparza informs that intimate settings in staying with host families and day trips to cultural and historic sites are the essential elements offered by the program to provide students with a solid learning experience. Esparza, who has herself studied abroad, says that it can be life-changing. “It empowers students and gives them a new perspective on the world.” Language credits can be earned simultaneously, making the benefits hard to dispute.
In addition to the language immersion program, students of the Occupational Therapy and Automotive and Machining programs have the opportunity to study at host schools in Germany.
While the culture is certainly of a different flavor than that of Guatemala, the experiences provided are in no way lacking by comparison. Leaving this May, Occupational Therapy program students will stay in historic Berlin, while students of the Automotive and Machining program will stay in Geissen; a modest town located in southwest Germany.
Students take classes related to their program at their respective host schools, in addition to gaining firsthand experience of German culture through activities, tours and trips to cultural sites.
Accommodations are decided on factors of cost and group size, although unlike students in Guatemala, students traveling to Germany won’t be staying with host families. In any case, their stays are kept as authentically German as possible, says Director of International Education Jonathan Feld.
According to Feld, MATC has been working to expand its offerings for international opportunities, although it is not yet official which specific programs are being considered. Feld has traveled extensively and believes that abroad experiences such as those provided by MATC “can make a person appreciate the world in a different way,” adding, “these experiences serve to connect students with cultures different than their own.”
There’s no better time to travel than when it can be counted toward college credits. In a diverse and globalizing world, it can hardly hurt to gain firsthand knowledge of diverse cultures… and, it’s fun!
Interested students can contact the Department of International Education to learn more. Registration applications for the language immersion program in Guatemala can be found on the school website, and should be returned either to Deborah Esparza in Room M378 or Barbara Surwillo in Room M270.
Students must also include a non-refundable $250 deposit, which is used to secure a spot for the trip and is applied toward the overall cost. There is a cap of 26 students and spots fill up quickly, so students are encouraged to register as soon as possible to avoid being waitlisted.