Experiencing Erasmus in Madrid: Culture, Language, and Travel

2023-12-26 10:29:00

“Spain was my first choice. I had been there before and I love the culture of that country. I also wanted somewhere warm, and I was interested in learning Spanish . I was able to learn a little of the language since my roommates were 100% Spanish. I also had courses organized by the university, but they were Spanish courses given in English, so it was not not always suitable. The teacher told us, for example, to pay attention to certain words that were very different from English even though they were similar to French. At present, I could understand conversations, but I would have difficulty speak it since I haven’t done it since my return from Erasmus.”

What struck her during her Erasmus in Madrid?

The warm atmosphere convinced her from the start. “I was struck by how people were in a good mood, smiling and sunny.”

However, when she arrived, Ysaline didn’t always understand what the locals were saying to her. “Very few of them speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish at all. Not understanding anything at first was hard for me. I felt a little lost. But, little by little, I was able to understand better and express myself.”

The young woman was also surprised by their pace of life. “They go to bed very late. And, unlike at home, in Spain it is common to see people having breakfast in a restaurant. At home, it is rather either the midday meal or the evening meal that we take from outside.”

What memorable anecdote during your Erasmus in Madrid?

“I remember a credit course called ‘Discovering Madrid’. As the name suggests, the aim of this course was to introduce us to the city. So we walked around the capital and we were able to discover places off the beaten track. It was in this context that I took a flamenco class. I was struck by how complicated and physical it is. It’s not my type of dance, but I’m glad I tried.”

“During my Erasmus, I also had to submit work in English that I had already done in Belgium, but in French. So I simply translated my work and submitted it. I had more points in Spain than in Belgium.”