Beginning in spring 2024, language students at Pine Bush High School will have the opportunity to travel to Spain.
Enis Egdemir and Dan Edwards, Spanish teachers at PBHS, made a presentation to the board of education, laying out the plan they have created to provide this experience to students.
Traveling abroad will offer students an opportunity to grow as global citizens, they said. It will connect the Spanish classroom instruction to a real world experience and provide access to a travel abroad experience that students may not otherwise have.
“We are so excited about the 2024 Spain trip,” said Superintendent Brian Dunn. “We are also very grateful that Mr. Egdemir and Mr. Edwards have stepped up to create this amazing opportunity for our students.”
“There is a Chinese proverb that states, ‘To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world’,” said Mr. Egdemir. “My father, a speaker of three languages, used to say something similar to me when I was growing up. Our language students have opened this window and caught a glimpse of how others see their world. Now we can give them an opportunity to step through that window and immerse themselves in an environment created by people with different perspectives than their own.”
“Having traveled extensively ourselves, we feel that the opportunity to experience the language in the real world is vital to not only language acquisition but also motivation because it makes the connection, for students, between what they are learning in the classroom and the real life practical uses of the language,” said Mr. Edwards. “Additionally, there are a plethora of empirical studies that link students experiencing the target language culture with much higher levels of success and motivation in their language learning journey.”
The trip will take place during spring break in 2024, March 22 – 30. Students will visit Madrid, Burgos, San Sebastian and Barcelona. The cost is $4424 and includes airfare, hotel, breakfast and dinner each day, ground transportation, guides and much more. Scholarships and fundraising are available, including GoFundMe links for individual students and group fundraisers.
“This will help them to understand their own language and culture and at the same time solidify their linguistic skills by having authentic opportunities to practice,” said Mr. Egdemir. “They may even make connections with people that later on will turn into friendships. This trip will be the stepping stone for them to be true members of the global community.”
Click here for the presentation made by Mr. Egdemir and Mr. Edwards with more details about the trip.