In addition to the semester-long programs in France, Germany, and Costa Rica, the Foreign Language Department is happy to offer study abroad opportunities in the form of two to three week trips to countries where the target language is spoken.

In recent years there have been trips to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Germany and France. Future trips are envisioned for Costa Rica (January 2008), Germany (2008).

These 3-credit academic trips allow students to be immersed in the target language and culture. Some trips include language courses, others concentrate on cultural and historical aspects of the country visited. In all cases, language students have the opportunity to put their skills to work in an authentic setting. Follow links to information and photos about the various trips recently offered.


Since January 2004, Spanish Professor Nancy Cloutier-Davis has accompanied different groups to a variety of Latin American countries, including Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru. During these two- to three-week trips, students visit many places of historical, cultural and social importance, giving them the opportunity to experience and learn first hand about the many aspects of life in Spanish-speaking nations.

A three-credit course, participation in the trip required scholarly effort as well. Each student researched one of the sites and made an oral presentation on the subject to the group as the site was visited. This research was then used to produce a written paper on the topic. Students also kept daily journals of their cultural and linguistic experiences, and wrote a second, less formal paper discussing the benefits of travel and study abroad.

J-Term Trip to Guatemala 2004
J-Term Trip to Costa Rica 2005
J-Term Trip to Ecuador 2006
J-Term Trip to Peru 2007
and J-Term Trip to Costa Rica 2008

Click Here to view photos from the trips listed above.