Language faculty lead study abroad trips

Students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) have three opportunities this summer to strengthen their language skills and experience international culture through faculty-led study abroad programs:

• Giuseppe Sanfilippo, lecturer of Italian, will take students to Italy from May 16-June 14. The application deadline is Feb. 6. They will spend most of their time in Siena and Florence, while also visiting other parts of the country.
• Dr. Alvaro Torres-Calderon, associate department head of Modern Languages and associate professor of Spanish, will take students to the city of Cusco and its surrounding areas in Peru, from May 22-June 28. They will also spend two days at the end of the program in Lima, the nation's capital. The application deadline is Feb. 6.
• Dr. Joseph Pecorelli, associate professor of Portuguese and Spanish, will lead students to the Spanish cities of Madrid, Seville and Valencia from May 19-June 20. The deadline to apply is Feb. 6.

Dr. Kristi Hislope, department head of Modern Languages and professor of Spanish, said the time abroad is "life-changing" for students.

"It really opens them up to see they can do things they didn't think they could do," Hislope said.

Torres-Calderon said students gain far more than language practice by participating in the Peruvian culture.

"Getting to know other cultures will give you a better perspective of the world. You may be out of your comfort zone," Torres-Calderon said. "Being out of your comfort zone allows you to interact in different societies and communities. Getting to know each other will create a bridge that connects the world."

Pecorelli said students on the study abroad in Spain will live with host families. As much as he seeks to weave cultural elements into his regular courses at UNG, nothing can match the experience gained abroad.

"Everything becomes real. You're not being told a story. You're living a story," Pecorelli said. "Everything you're experiencing is from your own perspective."

This summer will be the second time Sanfilippo leads the study abroad in Italy. He said students embrace the culture and history of Siena, which is a medieval city.

"The students discover there's a world outside the classroom and outside their comfort zone," Sanfilippo said. "You see the joy in their eyes."