CMU-Q students are numbers people: in each of the core programs of biological sciences, business administration, computer science and information systems, all students complete rigorous coursework in mathematics and computation.
It is surprising, perhaps, that one of the most popular academic experiences at CMU-Q has been the trip to Spain.
“Regardless of what they study as a major, learning a language opens new doors for our students,” says Erik Helin, special lecturer in Spanish at CMU-Q.
For several years, Helin has coordinated student trips to Spain that complement the work he does in the classroom. This year, Helin took ten students to Salamanca for intense language training and an immersion in the language and culture of Spain. Helin has also organized academic travel with a broader, interdisciplinary focus. In the spring of 2016, he teamed up with Zeinab Ibrahim, teaching professor of Arabic studies, to guide a group of students through the Spanish region of Andalucía. Students came from varied backgrounds: some had studied Spanish, some Arabic language and literature, and some history.
Located very close to northern Africa, the Andalucían culture, including architecture, religion, language and food, is infused with Arab influences.
“The Salamanca trip is more linguistically focused, but for our trip to Andalucía, the emphasis was cultural, touching on the history and literature of the region,” says Helin.
Helin, who has taught Spanish at CMU-Q for more than a decade, believes that language and culture are inextricably linked. “For me, we could study just the grammar to learn Spanish, but it would be boring, for them and for me. Instead we learn the language through history, culture, and literature, and vice versa.”
Amer Ahmed, a rising information systems junior, was part of this year’s trip to Salamanca. He found the trip solidified his Spanish language skills: “Learning business jargon in a different language can only help you and broaden your prospects. It will better equip us to be adaptable professionals.”
“Integrating this type of cultural learning provides a nice balance for our students, who are otherwise studying in very quantitative fields,” says Helin.
