Earn 3 credit hours in ENGL 4611 (English-Undergraduate)
or ENGL 6611 (English-Graduate): English Studies/Internl Locale Topic:
International Experiences in Creative Writing. (Important Note: for summer
abroad courses, all students regardless of their state of residence or
university pay only U of Memphis in-state tuition rates and can receive official
U of Memphis transcripts for the course. Audits are allowed for the course with
Instructor permission.)
This course combines cultural experiences in the Mediterranean region of Spain
with study of literature set in Spain and a creative writing workshop in which
students write works based on their experiences. Students will study and write
examples of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction based on field trips, before
choosing one of the three to write a portfolio of work as his/her main project.
Covering 23 days in Spain (with an option to stay an additional week at low
cost), the trip will include an immersion experience (students will stay with a
Spanish family, or share an apartment where they will do their own shopping and
cooking) in the port city of Alicante, known for its beaches and its beautiful
downtown esplanade and marina, as well as for a fascinating history going back
to the Phoenicians.
During the stay, students will experience the Fiesta de San Juan, which one
recent student described as "like Mardis Gras on steroids." With
parades, nights of fireworks displays over the ocean, and the climatic burning
of the Ninots, giant statues built to be burned, students will come away with
experiences not to be forgotten. They will visit small, rural towns, and will
have the option of weekend trips to Barcelona and Granada. They will learn the
history of the fiesta, will shop at the Mercado Medieval (Medieval Market, a
yearly event), and will visit museums of cultural interest as well as have the
opportunity to experience the night life in the old quarter. They will meet
Spanish students studying English and translation at the University of Alicante
and will thereby develop their language skills and cultural awareness. See the course schedule/syllabus below for
more details.
The course will be valuable for students ranging in knowledge of Spanish from
none to fluent. The families they will be staying with are accustomed to all
levels of speaking ability, and some speak enough English to help beginners
until they acquire enough Spanish. There will also be options for formal
Spanish language study, either for credit (up to 3 hours) or for non-credit.