Cooking, Culture & Confidence: How Duke in Madrid Transformed My Spanish Skills

What was a class activity that stood out to you during Duke in Madrid? 

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Being a part of the Duke in Madrid intermediate program was particularly special because all intermediate students are in the same Spanish course, learning about Spanish Gastronomy and Culture (as opposed to the Advanced program, where students take two Spanish courses and are given a few options to choose from). 

The Gastronomy course included activities outside of the classroom that were some of my favorite parts of the entire program, including three cooking classes and a wine tasting. The cooking classes were highly interactive and taught us how to make traditional Spanish dishes, while the wine tasting allowed us to learn about the winemaking process and different Spanish wines. 

All in all, these activities were a great way to spend time with my classmates and professor outside of class, and a great way to apply the vocabulary we learned in real life.  

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What was your favorite excursion that you went on? 

Our day trip to Segovia was definitely one of my favorite memories all semester! Even though it was later in the year, the weather was still beautiful, and the fall colors made the town just that much more amazing. The water ducts in the town were so cool to learn about, and I love that they bring the professors on as the tour guides, instead of hiring other guides. 

Visiting Jardines del Palacio Real de La Granja was an incredible experience, getting to see the artwork and the huge gardens. Even though it was just a day trip, I had a great time walking around Segovia and we had plenty of time to explore the town on our own. 

How did your skills or knowledge change from doing this program?

Despite having taken a few years of Spanish prior to this program, there’s nothing like full immersion that can help accelerate language acquisition. I was nervous coming in as an intermediate student because I felt that many of my peers were much more fluent than myself, but all the Duke in Madrid staff and professors were incredibly patient in their communications and tried their best to make us feel welcome, without sacrificing the full immersion experience. Taking Gastronomy fully in Spanish forced me to learn how to communicate without necessarily worrying about perfect grammar and helped me become so much more confident in my speaking. 

What advice do you have for other students considering this program?  

Out of all the programs in Madrid, Duke in Madrid is definitely the best option!!! While the program does have many activities outside of class that might seem burdensome, the trips are honestly some of my favorite memories from my entire semester abroad. They allowed us to see so many parts of Spain that I wouldn’t have necessarily got to see myself. The care that the Duke in Madrid staff have for all of the program students is also so incredible, and (from what I can tell) they provide much more support in the transition process than other programs in the city. I’ve also made such incredible friends in the program I didn’t know prior and am so excited to get to see them on campus in the coming year!