PHOTOGRAPHY IN SEVILLE

By:

Frida Sanchez-Rosalino

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Frida Sanchez-Rosalino

<i>Pronouns:</i> She/her <i>Home Institution:</i> Elizabethtown College <i>Expected Graduation:</i> 2025 <i>Major / Minor:</i> Spanish Education / Family Business and Entrepreneurship <i>Study Abroad Location:</i> Seville, Spain <i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hola <i>Program Provider:</i> API <i>Identity:</i> Hispanic/Latinx <i>Future Career Goals:</i> After I graduate from Elizabethtown College, I will earn my English as a Second Language Graduate Certificate in a graduate program at Temple University. This graduate program in Philadelphia involves fieldwork to gain experience teaching English language learners. These courses also count toward earning Temple University's MSEd in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). With my Pennsylvania Department of Education's Program Specialist: ESL Certificate, I will be prepared for my career teaching Spanish, ESL, and TSEOL in the Philadelphia Public School District, specifically at the high school level. As a future educator, and since I am myself an English learner, I want to teach students my first language and support Spanish-speaking newcomers and English learners, demonstrate how Latinx culture is diverse and fascinating, and develop the ability to communicate proficiently in both languages. I will create a culturally inclusive classroom since teaching about the importance of diversity and differences between one another is crucial to the learning process because studying a language contributes to a student's cultural sensitivity and interpersonal skills, which are essential to success in our global economy. I will encourage students to feel part of the community, thrive, and advocate for underrepresented populations. I will explore with my students the linguistic diversity of the Spanish language worldwide. I have friends from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru; sometimes, we need help understanding each other as specific vocabulary differs significantly. <i>Top 3 Goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. While studying at the University of Seville, I will improve my language skills in European Spanish and experience the beautiful host city's rich, traditional Spanish culture. As well as meet new people and create meaningful connections where I can learn about Spain and my new friends can learn about America and Latin America. 2. I will live with a host family, explore the Andalucía region, understand the history and culture, and relate different experiences connecting me to the world, seeking a new perspective. I will share with my future students, teaching them the different variations of Spanish and the appreciation of other cultures. 3. I will take a course on teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in a local school. The pedagogy skills I acquired during the semester in the classroom at Elizabethtown College will be implemented at a local school in Seville, collaborating with my colleagues through lesson planning, designing unique learning resources, classroom observations, and accomplishing objectives—a great benefit to my future goals as an educator. My previous experiences as a tutor, and a student-teacher, leading our college's Children's Spanish Program's community-based service-learning project, have all prepared me for student teaching, tutoring, and community outreach in Seville.

I am currently studying abroad at the prestigious University of Seville in Spain, and it has been an incredible experience as I pursue my academic goals. I am enrolled in five courses, with the same classes every Monday and Wednesday and the same classes every Tuesday and Thursday. This schedule is very helpful for planning and managing my time effectively. I am thoroughly enjoying my courses, as they offer a good balance between theoretical and practical content.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I attend classes on Teaching English to Spanish Students: Methodology and Practice, Seville’s Historical-Artistic Heritage, and Photography. Initially, I was hesitant about taking the photography class since it was scheduled late in the day, but I am glad that I did. It has been one of the best decisions since starting my studies in Seville. Not only have I enhanced my creativity, but I have also met incredible people, including my professor and friends. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I attend Introduction to Translation: Culture, Vocabulary, and Process, as well as Literature and Cuisine: Writing, Reading, Cooking, and Eating. These courses are equally interesting, and I am thoroughly enjoying them too.

During my photography class, we have the opportunity to learn both theory and practical skills in every session. We watch videos and study the fundamentals of photography during one class session. Then, we put our knowledge into practice by going to the streets downtown to take pictures of people in the following class. Our teacher provided us with different activities and techniques to try out, such as working with film cameras and polaroids, creating our camera obscura prototype, and experimenting with the use of light and shadow. This approach to learning has helped me not only to enhance my technical skills but also to become more creative and to think outside the box.

During one of our photography classes, we had the opportunity to capture the essence of Seville’s bustling Avenida de la Constitución, which is located in Plaza Nueva. The area is always bustling with tourists, and you can hear several languages spoken simultaneously. The street is also filled with street performers such as musicians and flamenco dancers, clothing and souvenir stores, Spanish restaurants, and American franchises. This provided us with the perfect opportunity to capture the beauty and diversity of the city through our photography skills.

We had an interesting and exciting exercise of capturing ten images of unknown people in different places. However, it was quite challenging to find suitable subjects, as some were walking on the opposite side of the avenue, or they didn’t seem interesting enough. Finally, I spotted two foreign teams that looked like elderly couples, but I couldn’t distinguish what language they were speaking. I decided to follow them while trying to disguise my actions. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but I did it quite well. One of the men seemed to be the group’s guide, holding a map in his hands, while the other man had a professional camera hanging from his neck. The women were walking and talking together, perhaps looking for a place to eat or just exploring the city. Eventually, they entered an alley, and I lost sight of them. I couldn’t help but wonder where they were going, whether they were friends or family, retired couples traveling together, or just tourists exploring Seville. These unanswered questions added to the mystery and excitement of the exercise, making it an unforgettable experience.