Language and Culture in Argentina
Cecilia Colombi
Spanish
Professor Colombi has succesfully led this program every spring since 2001!
A Message to Students and Parents
"I consider myself a transnational individual who deeply believes in the value of international collaborations to contribute to a better and more peaceful world. I was born in Argentina of an immigrant Italian and Spanish family. My education has been a very international one too. I started my university experience studying English at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (the same institution that has received our Mendoza Quarter Abroad Program students since 2001). Later on I studied applied linguistics at the University of London, England and came to California to do my doctoral studies in Spanish languages and literatures at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Studying educational linguistics showed me the value of languages in making meaning and, in understanding the cultures around me. Through my professional life, I continued my research, teaching and collaboration with many colleagues in different parts of the world, through study abroad programs, faculty exchanges, summer seminars, institutes and collaborative research efforts. I have started and organized study abroad programs in Latin America and Europe since my first position as a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1989. I am strong believer that first-hand experiences with other countries and communities help us not only gain knowledge of other languages and cultures but also allow us to understand the challenges and benefits of living, studying and working together in a truly global context."