AHA International wants to get your input on how we could create the ideal study abroad program at our site in Siena, Italy.
Information about the current program is here
Check it out and then design your ideal program in Tuscany.
What would you study?
Who would teach your courses?
How long would the program last?
What kinds of excursions would you take?
What kinds of students would you study with?
What would your housing be like?
What would you want to get out of your experience abroad in Italy?
Anything else you can think of . . .
Your input is appreciated. Looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts and ideas!
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My ideal program in Tuscany would be as follows:
ReplyDeleteI would study the Italian language, history, and culture. It would also be interesting to take classes that dealt with Italy and international relations (immigration, teaching, environmental).
I would like local instructors to teach, although it would depend on the language skills of the instructors/students and the availability of instructors who could teach the various subjects.
The program would last from one semester to one year, depending on what students want in regards to length of study.
I would want to take excursions within the city of study, to nearby locales, and have a major trip or two to significant sites (Rome, Venice, etc). It would also be fun to go on excursions to see culture events (cooking, dancing, festivals, etc).
I would want to study with college age students from around the world.
Housing would be with a host family or in a university dormitory.
I would want to come away with a better understanding of the culture, new language skills, and a better sense of self.
The only other thing that I can think of is having a good on site support staff to help out with travel, questions, emergencies, etc.
things i would have liked:
ReplyDeleteTo attend classes at the university in siena. This way we can mingle with other siena students and meet people are own age
live with both students from the program as well as italian students
have classes offered that are geared more towards italian culture (cooking, history, etc.)
have classes from italian proffesors instead of ones from home
lists of suggested places to visit and why
local events that are taking place, rallies, festivals etc.
other than that i think that the aha program is by far the best program out there. siena was my favorite place that i went to and im really glad that i studied there. since it is such a small city you will be emersed in the culture and will learn the ways of italian culture much better
i also thought it was great how we were matched up with italian students to help us learn the differences between our countries. I would have liked to be encouraged to speak italian during these meeting though and not just english
i think the staff is amazing and they really helped me feel at home and safe. If i could go back right now, i would do it in a heartbeat. it was the best experience of my life
I would ideally have instructors that were all from Italy, or at least not instructors from America, because I feel that the cultural lessons that we all learned were the ones that we took away more than anything.
ReplyDeleteI would not have classes that met for such a long time having a structure that was mainly discussion based, because I know a lot of students were frustrated with how quiet and awkward things got.
I think that placing an emphasis on living with Italian students or with a host family would be great because I feel that the people who did that took away a richer experience.
I thought the program was amazing though, I had the time of my life and met some interesting and intelligent people.
I thought the program was great, but I do have a few suggestions.
ReplyDeleteMore interaction with Italian students or Sienese people. I didn't meet as many locals as I would have liked.
Living with Italians may make those interactions more meaningful.
Less lecture/discussion, more interactive activities. I really enjoyed the art history class because we visited museums and looked at the art.
I really loved the excursions, so I wouldn't change anything there.
Our group was rather large, so it was difficult to bond with everyone when we were all spread out across the city. If it is possible to do more group bonding activities, that would be great. Thanks for getting our input!
The AHA Program is really great. I really don't have much criticism for them. I am very partial to my experience so if I were to do it again I wouldn't change too much. I went in the fall and was in Italy for three months. The weather was absolutely gorgeous when I arrived and stayed that way for a few weeks. When it got cold, it was cold but it was very pretty in Siena. The best part of the trip was to be immersed within the town, to do the day to day things like going to the market for food or going out at night. If I had the choice I would have more excursions. Actually it would have been so great if school ended and we would have had an extra couple weeks in our apartments to just hang out and do what ever we wanted. It would have been amazing to have nothing to do but wander around or go on trips and of course that is possible if you choose but I am saying that it would be great if our apartments were still available for this. The program ended very abruptly, because we were all worried with finals so the last week or so was a blur. Aha should provide a language software like Rosetta Stone before the program for students who have no knowledge of the language. This would have been great as I knew nothing and had to fend for myself for like three days prior to meeting any Americans. Overall it's an absolutely amazing program. If anyone actually reads my babble and you are on the fence at all about going through with this, do it. It is worth it. Vai Vai Vai!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the program. The one drawback though was that the American AHA students were segregated from local Italian students. If there were a way to hold classes at the Università di Siena we could more easily interact with Italians during breaks or before/after classes.
ReplyDeleteSomething else that would be cool is to have Italian language tutors. Maybe local students that plan to become teachers would be interested in tutoring or teaching extra classes.
Another idea might be for AHA to suggest clubs or volunteer opportunities. That might help students get involved with the community better and learn the language and culture close up. Of course people can find these on their own, but it might be easier for AHA faculty living in the area to find them and help students get involved.
Overall I loved the program and had a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteWhat I would suggest is more interaction with Italian students and/or have class at the actual university in Siena. I know that a lot of times students don't understand enough Italian to be fully emerged in an Italian class, but I think it would be worked out. I think it would also help students learn how to interact with Italians. Our apartment happened to be next door to some Italian students who were a little older, but it was kind of intimidating to go up to them and try to become friends. Once we did though, we had a great time.
Another suggestion is placing students in a home stay or at least in an apartment with other Italian students. I really did enjoy my time with the other American's and made some great friends, but having other Italians around would have been nice as well. I probably would have practiced my Italian more too! Even if two American's were placed in an apartment with some other Italians, it would be great.
I also really enjoyed my art history class with PG! He was so enthusiastic about it, and the excursions made it all the better. If we had less classes taught by the American teacher, and more by Italian teachers, I think it would have been more intriguing and given us more a sense about the culture. And more excursions during class around town that would correspond would have been great. My favorite excursion was with PG to the old orphanage that had all the cool underground caverns. In general, more excursions around town during the week to get to know Siena more.
I was lucky enough to have only 13 people in my group, and it was really nice. If the group was much larger, I don't think it would have been as enjoyable. We were able to get to know each other and got along well for the most part. So keeping the groups small would be my preference.
Having the option about the cooking class was wonderful. I still make gnoochi at home for my friends! The best classes were the ones taught by Italians.
I loved being in Italy and I would do it again. Studying aboard is a wonderful experience, and I wish everyone could do it. Siena is a great little town with so much culture, I can't wait to go back!
I was in Siena last fall, and I honestly wouldn't change a thing. It was probably the greatest thing I have done in my entire academic career.
ReplyDeleteI just have to start out by saying that the AHA Siena program was without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Because I feel that way, my opinion may be totally biased and make it difficult for me to really point out anything wrong with it. That being the case, I can try to suppress my day dreams of Italy and focus on the point I find to be the most important: the culture.
ReplyDeleteThe best moments of the Siena program are when students are exposed to the underlying culture that is Italian lifestyle and customs. Beyond the food, the art, and the history there is a common thread in which we all share. Finding that common thread can be difficult at first, but once you're able to do it, able to see the similarities and differences of everyday life you can boil the experience down past a vacation to a genuine human experience and truly "seen" Italy.
Promoting that notion is what I would like to see more of. This can be done by forcing students out of their comfort zones, ensuring that they don't find a click and just float through the experience, and always have an eye open to what is really going on around them. I believe that more interaction with Italian students can definitely help this. As Braden said, tutors would a great idea. English students being tutored in Italian by native students, and vice versa. Perhaps even for those that would be comfortable, students could have the option to enroll in a university course with their tutor or on their own.
I also feel like there was a lot of time spent sitting in a class room. Assigning more work to be completed out of class, rather than in, may help that situation. As college students, that shouldn't be something they can't handle.
Finally, I'd just like to say it again, students need to be forced to live an Italian lifestyle and there should be a change from who they were before arriving in Italy. It's the little things you really remember; buying groceries, going out to AC Siena games, the smell of Siena sun on stone walkways, and PG's smile. Fill your trip with those types of experiences and you'll learn more about Siena than you could ever read in a book.
As others have said, the lack of interaction with Italian students was the main drawback to AHA Siena. However, I still managed to find them with some effort. There was an opportunity (provided by the AHA coordinator) to assist an English class at the University, we were visited a couple times by local youths (high school students), and a little courage at a bar or cafe always paid off.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the Siena program was the best choice I made in college. I participated during my final quarter, and it was the perfect cap to an otherwise uneventful undergrad career. The city was the perfect blend of small town charm and large city luxury. It is off the main path so not dominated by tourists, and after only a few weeks it is easy to feel like a part of the city.
The most important advice I would give is the same as I see above: live the lifestyle! It is easy to preserve an American way of life there, but once you embrace long meals, lots of walking, wine as a life partner (not just a means to get drunk), crazy soccer on the weekends, and a different kind of grocery shopping, you will have the time of your life.
Even thinking about it now makes me wish I was back there...
Happy travels!
It would be even better if students were given the opportunity to meet more people outside of the program.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really important to study the culture. In order to fully understand the place you are living, it is vital to understand their customs both past and present.
ReplyDeleteAs far as teachers go, I think it is good to have a mix between Professors from home as well as Professors from abroad. I agree that I would have liked to have taken some classes at the University (Which I did in Macerata one of the other AHA Programs), but in order for this to really achieve the desired goal it would need to be a mixed class with both Italian and American students.
I decided to stay in Italy for an enetire academic year. I found this hard due to the limited and uncertain classes offered throughout the year. It would be nice to know well in advance what classes are being offered and if I am taking them. On this topic, it would also have been really nice to know where I was living before I traveled over 5,000 miles. I think a lot of people found that to be really stressful. I didn't know if I needed sheets, or towels other household items. I tink we would al have beneifeted from knowing our roommates and living situations before leavig the country. Anyways, back to the length, I would like to see a longer program offered, maybe a whole year one, because I dont think 2 months is long enough and the potential to repeat classes threatens to shy people away from a great experience.
I really like the excursions we had. It is important to travel within Italy and the region you live in. I would have like to have seen at least a few optional travel excursions both in and outside of Italy. For a lot of us, this was our first time in Europe and although traveling and getting to know Italy is really important, I think seeing other parts of Europe is great too. I heard of other programs setting up travel excursion to 3 or more countries at a time. That would be cool.
Honestly, I thought my group in Siena was great. I was surprised that it ended up being so many people from the U of O that I didnt know, yet I still really got along with them. I have made some really god friends out of my experience, which is not the same thing I can say of my other trip.
The people can make or break it for you if you let them, YOU DONT HAVE TO LET THEM THOUGH!
I had an incredible housing experience. Ideally, I would live in the city in an apartment with a nice view and possibly a balcony that was not so close to school. Although I am constantly running late, I think if you live further away from school you get to experience a lot of different cultural routines, including getting to know your local espresso bar.
I would want to get exactly what I got. I made friends that I brought back home, and I left some Italian friends beind that I cant wait to go and visit. I feel like I have a greater apreciation and understanding of the Italian people, and I cant wait to go back and visit it again! I think the one thing that could be better about the Siena rogram is the tandem project. I know for me it was good to get to talk to Italian students, but they were never ur age. It made it difficult to conect and create relationships with them when we were 4-5 years older than them. We are in just such a different place. In Macerata the best part was their tandem program. Even though my partner was more than ten years older than me, we still had the same expectations of eachother: we wanted to learn the language. I think future students would benefit greatly from something like this.
Dont get me wrong though. The Siena program was great. Sylvia and Claudia were indispensible. I felt like they were my parents in my home away from home. I never had that experience in Macerata. The Siena program was amazing and for me there is nothing in particular that needs to be change only things that could be tweaked to somehow make and already amazing and lifechanging experience even better!
Thank you for everything and goodluck to all the future students going. Be open minded and you will have the time of your life.
I really enjoyed the AHA siena program. However some things I would like to see would be:
ReplyDelete- More cooking classes or a cooking class that was a part of the program itself that students could get credit for.
- I would have also liked to take excursions to more prominent cities in Italy. Our program went to Rome and Florence which was wonderful, but we visited Florence twice (during two day trips) I would have rather gone for one full weekend and then had the other weekend available for another excursion or open for independent travel plans.
We also visited some VERY small cities that I did not enjoy very much such as Buonconvento and Monte Oliveto Maggiore. I guess I would have rather done a group trip to Lake como, venice, or even more small towns in tuscany like Volterra, Montepulicano, or Monteriggioni that have a little more history than a small farming town.
- I also would liked to have learned more about the culture and different festivities. I loved learning about the Sienese contrada and palio, but I would also like to learn about the festivities that happen for celebrations of the city's patron saint for example.
- I enjoyed the living situtation with students spread about the city in different apartments, it was nice not to be with everyone ALL of the time and also made us get a better understanding of the cities layout by visiting the different apartments.
- Slyvia and Claudia were also amazing and critical to the success of the program. Don't let them leave!!
Overall, I had an unforgettable experience with AHA in Siena, these changes are not major... you are doing things right keep it up!!