Harvard Summer Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina
At a Glance
Dates:
June 5–July 31, 2010
Application deadline:
February 5
Cost:
$5,750
Accommodations:
Host family
Slideshow
Contact
- Johanna Damgaard Liander, e-mail
Harvard College students can attend the study abroad fair to learn more about this program.
Cultural and Spanish language immersion in Argentina’s historic capital
Faculty: Johanna Damgaard Liander
Buenos Aires, Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital and one of the largest metropolises in the Americas, has for generations enticed and entranced its visitors. Founded in 1536 as the City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds, or Buenos Aires for short, it was a sleepy Spanish colonial capital until Argentine independence in the early nineteenth century. By 1880 it was Argentina’s capital, the center of rapid economic expansion, the destination for waves of immigrants, and the heart of a vibrant culture. One writer has called the Buenos Aires that emerged “the most beautiful, sophisticated, and civilized city in Latin America,” while countless others have described it as “the Paris of South America” or “New York in Spanish.”
Home to such diverse figures as Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Gardel, Eva Perón, and Maradona, Buenos Aires provides students with a fascinating setting for complete immersion in the Spanish language and Latin American culture. Students live with Argentine families in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, near the Instituto de Desarrollo Económico y Social (IDES), where classes are held. Lectures by distinguished Argentine scholars and artists as well as numerous excursions around and outside of Buenos Aires are included.
Course of study
SPAN S-Dx Study Abroad in Buenos Aires: Latin American Culture and Spanish Language (32104)
Johanna Damgaard Liander.
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment
This is a second-year-level course in Spanish language and Latin American culture, with a focus on Argentina. The goal of the course is to move students toward fluency in Spanish quickly using Spanish grammar review and language instruction. This language work is combined with an in-depth study of the culture and character of Buenos Aires through history, music, literature, and ethnography, focusing on 4 periods: the second half of the nineteenth century, the 1920s, the 1960s and 1970s, and contemporary Buenos Aires. Students study Buenos Aires in the greater context of Argentina by comparing the city to the provinces. By participating in language sessions, instructional excursions and lectures, and film screenings; listening to popular music; and viewing art and photography, students expand and strengthen their linguistic skills and learn about the history, language, and culture of Buenos Aires. The course provides students with numerous occasions to speak Spanish with native speakers from diverse backgrounds. In class, students compare levels of formality in both written and spoken language. Students become familiar with the vast and fascinating lexicon of Argentine Spanish, develop their written and spoken academic Spanish, and attain an advanced linguistic level by the end of the course. Each student also engages in research with an academic advisor from the IDES on a subject of Argentine culture, related to their field of study in college.
Morning sessions integrate language instruction with cultural materials and readings. Afternoon and evening sessions include lectures and conversations with scholars and artists, a retracing of Borges' Buenos Aires, visits to museums, La Recoleta cemetery, the Teatro Colon, San Telmo, La Boca, Tigre, and San Isidro, plus a tango class and performance. All afternoon and evening sessions are directly related to classroom study and assignments, and provide students with greater exposure to the cultural life of the city. Additional weekend excursions enhance the understanding of the richness and diversity of Argentine culture. These include visits to San Antonio de Areco in the province of Buenos Aires, where students can visit the pampas and experience the life of the gauchos, and to Colonia and Montevideo, Uruguay, just across the Rio de la Plata. In addition, this summer the group is spending a week in the northeastern province of Corrientes, learning about Guaraní influences, chamamé music, and biodiversity in this subtropical region, bordering Paraguay and Brazil.
Prerequisites: Harvard students must have completed Spanish Aa and Ab, Spanish Acd, or received the equivalent score on the Harvard University placement test. Other students must have completed 1 year or 1 accelerated semester of college-level beginning Spanish.
Course credit
See Study Abroad Credit Information.
Faculty
Johanna Damgaard Liander, Senior Preceptor in Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University. Liander is the undergraduate advisor in Spanish and has taught at Harvard for over 20 years. She received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard.
Application
Students must be at least 18 years old and have completed 1 year minimum of college or be a first-year student in good academic standing to apply.
The application materials, outlined below, are due February 5:
- A completed online application (available in early December) that includes the following:
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee
- A supplementary statement describing relevant coursework in Spanish, interest in the program, and any travel experience abroad (previous travel is not a prerequisite)
- The names and telephone numbers of a personal and an academic reference
- Official transcripts (sent directly to the address below; unofficial transcripts are accepted for Harvard College students only)
Transcripts should be addressed as follows:
Matilda West
Study Abroad Coordinator
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Students will be notified of admission decisions by late February or early March.
Cost
The cost of the program is $5,750 and a nonrefundable $50 application fee. This covers the following:
- Tuition
- Room, breakfast, and dinner
- Excursions (including meals when appropriate)
In addition to the program fee, students are responsible for:
- A health insurance fee ($175; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States)
- Transportation to and from Buenos Aires
- The cost of passports and visas (if the latter is needed)
- Any immunizations
Program directors will advise students of likely additional expenses. A sample budget for estimating expenses will be available soon.
How to pay and funding options
See How to Pay for payment deadlines, deposit amounts, and more information including funding options for Harvard College students.
Accommodations
Students are placed in homes with local families—chosen by the experienced staff of Buenos Aires Homestay—to have the best chance to experience life in Argentina and to speak Spanish. Families live in Palermo, a residential neighborhood in the center of Buenos Aires. Classes are held at the Instituto de Desarrollo Económico y Social, also located in Palermo.
Additional information
Contact Johanna Damgaard Liander, jliander@fas.harvard.edu; (617) 495-5895; fax (617) 496-4682.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible. See Students with Disabilities for more information.