Karen Coates is a student at Rowan University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Karen is currently studying abroad with ISA in Sevilla, Spain.
At the risk of sounding cliche, I’m going to make the statement that much can be learned from the shopping experience in Spain. After being in Sevilla for a few days, I finally mustered up the courage to venture out to the shops. Today I went to Calle Regina, which is close to where I’m staying and is, in my opinion, a very happening street! If you are into international shops where you can experience world music, cultural fashion and delicious food, this is the street for you.
In addition to the worldly experience I had, I also realized that shopping was a good time to practice my Spanish without all the pressures of needing to speak. As I browsed the shops, I tested my vocabulary by making a mental note to identify the names of the various items in the shops. If I was interested in something, I had time to think about what I needed to say without stumbling over my words. So, I was able to purchase a few things, including tickets to see the opera Carmen (which I recommend for those in Sevilla, as Carmen has a rich history here), and the words flowed like I had been speaking this language my whole life. No one looked at me funny or patronized me by speaking English. So, I dare to say, shopping is good!