Overseas Opportunities

The Department of Modern World Languages requires all language majors to live, study, or teach outside the United States for a semester during their sophomore or junior year. Students majoring in TESL or TEFL are required to teach English abroad for at least three weeks. Bethel offers a semester-long program in Guatemala and Spain, or students may work with the Office of International Studies and the department to select other programs abroad. In addition, students can participate in interim courses in French or Spanish speaking countries.

Bethel University Office of International Studies

Guatemala Spring Semester

Guatemala Term Update

Guatemala Term is a cross-disciplinary program designed to provide students an opportunity to improve their ability to communicate in Spanish, to participate in the culture of Guatemala, to develop an understanding of the connections between community ministry and community development, and to integrate experiential learning with formal academic study.

• The semester begins with a brief orientation in Guatemala City.

• The rest of the term is divided into four course blocks. Two of these blocks are dedicated to intensive one-on-one language study at one of the most prestigious language schools in Guatemala.

• Engagement in community-based ministry programs located in local villages is combined with the academic study of holistic ministry for the other two course blocks. Through face-to-face experiences, reflective analysis and direct hands-on service, students learn ways in which cultural perspectives, economic factors, and various other forces influence village life and existing human needs. Ministry site leaders guide this unique combination of hands-on experience and academic study and a Guatemalan faculty member experienced in helping North American students understand the Guatemalan culture they are studying and living.

• Students live with a Guatemalan family and interact with the community of Antigua throughout the semester.

• Orientation and an end-of-semester debriefing in Guatemala City as well as three other organized excursions to other parts of Guatemala allow students to experience the diversity and richness of Guatemala.

Spain Fall Semester
Bethel University Spain Term is a semester-long program providing students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Spanish language and culture study.

They will live with Spanish families in the city of Segovia, known for the lovely plaza mayor and awe-inspiring cathedral, an enormous and beautifully preserved Roman aqueduct, and a Castle reminiscent of Disney's Cinderella.

Students will choose Spanish courses that transfer directly to Bethel's Spanish programs, and will be taught by highly-qualified local professors. Aside from studying, students will gain a broader picture of Spanish culture and life by visiting other parts of the country such as Madrid and Andalucia.

In addition, there will be opportunities to participate in service-learning or internships. Spain Term is an incredible opportunity for students of Spanish to develop fluency in the language and acquire a personal understanding of Spanish culture. The program is open to students of all majors, however, it is geared specifically towards Spanish majors as the course offerings reflect. For more information or an application, please visit Bethel's Office of International Studies!

Mexico January Term

This is an experiential course designed to introduce students to Mexican culture and education in the city of Guadalajara. Components include observing and teaching in a Christian school, a home-stay with a Mexican family, creation of a classroom ethnography, and an opportunity to reflect on the culture and educational process of one Mexican school.

Study in France
French majors at Bethel have studied abroad for a semester through Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) in locations such as Aix-en-Provence and Grenoble, France. The School for International Training (SIT) also offers semester-long programs in locations including Madagascar and Toulouse, France. There are also opportunities available after graduation. For more information see frenchculture.org.

Other Overseas Programs
The Modern World Languages works with students and the Office of International Studies at Bethel University to find and coordinate study abroad programs for interested students. In recent years Bethel students have studied in Spain, Italy, Ecuador, Mexico, and France.