Faculty-Led Study Abroad Opportunities

The Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures coordinates a variety of study abroad opportunities during J-Term and over the summer months.

WL 315 Experiencing Sundance: Independent World Cinema at the Sundance Film Festival

January 2024

Two and a half weeks of on-campus classes will introduce you to film analysis and the development of alternative film practices. This introduction to international cinema will culminate in a 7-day on-site immersion at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, held every January in Park City, Utah. Founded in 1981 for the express purpose of recognizing the work of “artists of independent vision,” Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the United States. Students will engage with newly released world films and filmmakers firsthand through a series of screenings, panels, class discussions and assignments.

  • $2,600 all inclusive, with scholarships available
  • Fulfills the EU Integrated Curriculum requirements for Fine Arts, Intercultural Global Engagement, and counts towards the World Literatures and Cultures minor
  • Contact Federica Bando for more details

Downloadable Flyer

SPN 315 Linguistic and Cultural Immersion in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Next Offered, January 2025

This course will take students to the capital city of Buenos Aires where they will attend classes at a language school in the morning and participate in a variety of cultural activities such as Argentine film, tango lessons, art museums, art fairs and cultural site visits in the afternoon. During the weekend, the group will travel to selected sites near the city of Buenos Aires, and will spend a day in the country, as we read fragments of Don Segundo Sombra, and experience the gaucho lifestyle.

This study abroad trip is in line with the university’s stated goal of being a Hispanic-Serving Institution with vibrant connections to Latin American culture, and the university’s stated mission of inspiring “intellectual and personal growth in our students, preparing them for meaningful and ethical contributions to a diverse, global society.”

Elmhurst, Mozart, Beethoven and Beyond

Dates TBD

Learn about the music and culture of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Downloadable Flyer

Previous Short-Term Study Abroad Courses

January 2023

Two experienced Elmhurst University professors will lead the group to Madrid, with day visits to Toledo, Segovia, and Alcalá de Henares. Language and Culture classes in the mornings with an affiliated Spanish institution and excursions in the afternoons and weekends.

  • All-inclusive price range of $3,650–$3,900, with scholarships available.
  • Contact Dr. Chris Travis for more information.

January (J-Term) 2019

Explore the African, Arab, and European world cultures of Morocco with Elmhurst University faculty! This study abroad course based in Rabat and ending in Paris is open to all Elmhurst University students. We will explore imperial cities, camp in the Sahara desert, learn calligraphy and Moroccan cuisine, and discover Roman ruins.

  • Course Cost: $4,950
  • Fulfills ECIC requirements in Historical Analysis, Intercultural Global Engagement, and Experiential Learning
  • Contact: Rebecca Léal, Ph.D. for more details

J-Term 2018

This course was designed to provide students with a three-week immersion experience in Argentina to learn more about its language and culture.

We will stay with a host family in the capital city of Buenos Aires, taking language classes with a focus on Argentine Spanish, and participating in different cultural activities such as local cuisine, Argentine film, tango dance, and site visits to the many city attractions. During the weekends we will travel to nearby areas, such as San Antonio de Areco, for a day in the country, as we read fragments of Don Segundo Sombra, and experience the gaucho life style.

June 2022

Two experienced professors will take you through the famous Camino de Santiago in North-West Spain. Together, we walk the ancient pilgrimage route and discover beautiful scenery and villages.

June 6–26, 2018

Two experienced professors will take you through the famous Camino de Santiago in North-West Spain. Together, we walk the ancient pilgrimage route and discover beautiful scenery and villages. Two experienced professors will take you through the famous Camino de Santiago in North-West Spain. Together, we walk the ancient pilgrimage route and discover beautiful scenery and villages.

Paris is known as the city of romance … however, it is also an urban stage for towering cathedrals and grandiose palaces, as well as monumental revolutions in arts and culture. This course is an exploration into the complexities and contradictions of Parisian arts and culture and its subsequent influence on Western civilization. Students will explore the ways in which the past remains physically, culturally, and artistically present in the city. Course objectives include experiencing Parisian arts and culture through historical sites, cultural artifacts, and the fine arts. We will understand how particular histories of Paris have been developed, and examine the thematic and theoretical functions of art, literature, and film in constructing these histories.

Connect with #elmhurstu