About JYS:
JYS in Seville
Why Seville?
 Learning a foreign language is a challenging and rewarding enterprise. It keeps our brains active and open, it allows us to understand different cultures, and it gives us academic and professional advantages. It can even teach us things about our own culture and about ourselves. For the 21st-century U.S. college student, learning Spanish simply makes sense, not only for practical reasons (it is the third most widely spoken language in the world and its use is growing quickly in the U.S.), but also perhaps for less tangible motives (it is a beautiful language, the vehicle of expression of innumerable works of literature, songs, and films).
Spain is the perfect country for students who want to improve their knowledge of Spanish beyond the classroom. Spain, where Spanish originated, is a modern European country with a long and fascinating history that currently enjoys a stable social, economic and political situation. While each region of Spain has its charm, Andalusia is known for an abundance of joy (alegría) and spontaneity. Andalusians tend to have a sunny disposition and an infectious sense of humor. They enjoy life to the fullest and are reputed to possess an aristocratic elegance and style. This is particularly true of Seville, the capital of Andalusia and the fourth largest city in Spain. Smaller than Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, Seville has all the attractions of a sophisticated and lively city, but at much more affordable levels.
History
The history of Seville goes back to the 8th century BCE. The Greeks and the Romans called it "Hispalis;" the Moors, "Isbiliya," from which its current name derives. Although Seville was already a center of commerce and learning during the Middle Ages, its peak came with the prosperity that followed the exploration of the "New World," when its harbor on the Guadalquivir River became the gateway between Castile and the Americas. After a period of recession, the 1992 World's Fair (Expo 92), with its more than 40 million visitors, put Seville at the forefront of Spain's emergence as a major force in the European Union. Present-day Seville is a safe, modern European city of great beauty and vitality that has managed to preserve its traditions and its legendary relaxed pace of life. Visitors from all over the world come to Seville attracted by its architecture, which reflects its long history, and by its famous festivals and celebrations.
Architecture
AlcázarAmong its many architectural treasures is the Cathedral, the largest Medieval Gothic cathedral in the world, which incorporates the famous Giralda, a magnificent Mohammedan minaret. Nearby is the Alcázar, a royal palace that dates back to the 14th century. The Archivo General de Indias, a 16th-century building located next to the Alcázar and the Cathedral, houses the most important collection of documents related to the trade between Spain and the Americas. The Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More recent, but equally significant, are the main building of the University of Seville and the adjacent Hotel Alfonso XIII, one of the many beautiful edifices that were commissioned for the World Fair of 1929. All of these sites are located within minutes of the JYS student center.
Cultural Activities
Eating gofres at Feria de AbrilAmong Seville's most significant celebrations are Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Feria de Abril. Semana Santa processions have been taking place since the 15th century. Feria de Abril (originally a cattle fair) is marked by six days of dancing, musical concerts, food, and elegant horse-drawn carriages and riders in gallant costumes. The rest of the year, the city is alive with all sorts of cultural activities: flamenco dance and song, opera, plays, concerts, exhibits.
Apart from its impressive history and architecture, what probably makes its many visitors fall in love with Seville is more difficult to describe with words: the charm of its narrow streets, the orange trees that blossom in the early spring and perfume the air, the flowered balconies, the tranquil courtyards, the delicious tapas and the local beer (Cruzcampo), the constant coming and going of people no matter what time of day or night. These are smaller things that appeal to all our senses and that can only be fully appreciated in person.
The University of Seville
University of Seville - Former
Real Fábrica de TabacosThe University of Seville was established in 1505. Today, more than 55,000 students attend one of its 25 Schools, where they can choose among 70 undergraduate degrees. The Schools of Philology and of Geography and History, where most of the JYS students attend classes, are located in an 18th-century baroque building, formerly the Real Fábrica de Tabacos (Royal Tobacco Factory), and the setting for Bizet's Carmen.
The JYS Student Center
Our student center is located in the heart of the city, along the wall of the Alcázar and directly across the street from the University of Seville.
The center includes administrative offices, three classrooms, a library, and a computer lab where students can do their academic work. The center has wireless Internet access for those students who choose to bring their laptop computers.
The student center is primarily a work and study area, but its proximity to the University and its relaxed atmosphere make it a good place for students to take a break between classes and to meet with friends.
Opening hours:
Monday - Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Staff
Perhaps the most valuable asset of our program is the people who work for it. If you ever have a problem, do not hesitate to contact any of them. If they can't help you, they will be able to point you in the right direction to get help.
Macarena Alonso Pérez-Tinao is our resident director. She has a licenciatura in Philosophy and her work has always involved teaching in one way or another. She has worked with JYS since 1990 and has been our resident director since 2001. As such, she takes care of legal and financial matters, relationships with other institutions, and the academic and cultural planning of the semesters. She works directly with the director, whom she represents whenever the director is not in Spain. Macarena also teaches a JYS seminar entitled The Spain of Today.
Blanca Alonso Pérez-Tinao, Macarena's sister, is our coordinator. She has worked for JYS since 1995. She is in charge of coordinating all aspects of the Seville office: housing, registration, relations with professors and staff at the University of Seville, students, etc. You will soon learn that she is probably the key person to know while you study in Seville.
Isabel Fernández Ruiz joined JYS in the spring of 2004 as assistant to the coordinator. Isabel is in charge of the program's accounting issues.
Rocío Guerrero Durán has been working with the Seville office since 1998. She is in charge of extracurricular activities such as internships, volunteering, sports, dance lessons, etc.
José (Pepe) Reyes Bautista is our computer specialist, and he also fixes any electrical and/or mechanical problems that may come up in the office.
Living Arrangements
Semester students live with Spanish families or in family settings with single women who may be widowed or divorced, with children ranging in age from grammar school to university age. Year students have the option of living in an apartment with other Spanish students during their second semester on two conditions: that students find the apartments themselves and that their living arrangement is approved by the JYS staff, the students' U.S. families, and the students' home institutions.
Living in a family setting while in Seville is central to the JYS educational philosophy. While some students are initially hesitant about living with a Spanish family, they soon find that it provides a warm, secure, and authentic environment in which to live, and that there is no faster way to absorb a language than to experience the daily life of the culture.
We try our best to match students with compatible roommates and families. Our host families welcome their students with kindness and understanding, and, after a year together, students often become very attached to them and develop close, lifelong friendships.
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