Brittany Bowers studies in Spain's "Golden City"

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/18/2010)(readMedia)-- Ten Augustana students, including Brittany Bowers from South Elgin, IL, will immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture as they participate in a month-long international study opportunity in Salamanca, Spain this July. Salamanca is a historical university town located 130 miles west of Madrid, which is nicknamed the "Golden City" for the unique golden color of its stone buildings.

Bowers will have the opportunity to attend a class at one of Salamanca's universities and experience the living history of its streets, museums and plazas. She is a sophomore at Augustana majoring in Spanish and business administration-advising.

On Monday through Thursday mornings, the students will attend classes taught by native Spanish professors. After lunch, they will have the remainder of the day to sightsee, shop and relax in Salamanca's famous Plaza Mayor. All of Salamanca's cultural sights, including the Plaza, are within walking distance of the students' university and residence. The students will have three-day weekends for more extensive traveling and sightseeing throughout Spain. During their first weekend, they will take an organized excursion to Madrid.

Dr. Allen Bertsche, the chair of the Spanish department and the faculty advisor for the trip, describes Salamanca as a "truly unique environment." He says, "Students get to experience a rarity in Europe, a college town. When you add the fact that pretty much the entire center of the city has been declared a heritage site, with most of the buildings dating back to the 15th century or earlier, it really is a unique experience."

Bowers is looking forward to practicing her language skills and learning about the culture of Spain as she interacts with the natives of Salamanca. "I am excited to see Spain's oldest university and experience all of the rich culture that the city has to offer. I'm also looking forward to being able to use the Spanish I've learned in a real world situation."

Salamanca is perhaps most famous for its role in developing the Spanish language. The first Spanish grammar book was written in the city, and many inhabitants of Salamanca continue to speak formal Castilian Spanish, which is known as the purest form of Spanish in the world. For this reason, Salamanca draws Spanish students from around the world who are looking to refine their language skills.

The city also played an important role in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s. During the war, the eventual dictator of Spain, Francisco Franco, had his troops headquartered in Salamanca. Several of the professors at the university had family members living in Salamanca during Franco's occupation, so they are able to give students personal accounts of the experience.

The Augustana students will also visit Paris before returning to the United States on July 28.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 70 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it always has done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.