SYA’s curriculum is our mission in action. In addition to their six required courses which typically include host country language instruction, an experiential language course, English and mathematics, students at each campus have their choice of unique electives designed to enhance their local experience. Here’s a look at some of our most popular offerings.

SYA France

History meets filmmaking in The Language of French Cinema taught by Eva Peña at SYA France. Here, students analyze the most important historical events of the 20th and 21st centuries while exploring the rich, innovative evolution of French film. Through the viewing of roughly 10 movies, students examine both the historical elements of film, as well as interpreting technical aspects like directing styles. They also have the opportunity to create short videos of their own.

French Cinema instructor Eva Peña reveals the mystique behind this thought-provoking elective.

How does this course enhance the overall curriculum at SYA France?
French Cinema class completes the range of elective courses on the Rennes campus: each one, in its own way, allows students to observe the world, and to exercise both their perception and their critical thinking. Throughout the course we encounter the visions of filmmakers, men and women, artists and pioneers, but also artistic movements, genres and sub-genres of films, periods of technical and aesthetic innovation. We have explored, among others, the worlds of the Lumière brothers, Méliès, Cocteau, Renoir and the young directors of the New Wave. At each stage, we take the time to have a look at the other side of the Atlantic – the U.S. Cinema is a matter of filiation, and it is fascinating to see how the art forms of the world question and respond to each other, echoing each other.

This course also demands that students exercise their creativity. They are given practical exercises that put into perspective what they have studied in class, from an aesthetic, technical and narrative point of view. Cinematography has its own language, and SYA students learn it at the same time they learn French.

Cinema is also an art of illusion and trickery. Young people live with a screen in their hands. Thousands of visual communication media pass through us every day. It is important to observe what is at stake in this complex relationship with images, to put them at a distance and to decrypt them, to create them too, conscious of playing with the potentiality of a powerful tool.

What student outcomes have you seen at the culmination of this course?
I feel that students, little by little, are looking at movies differently. They are more attentive in front of a scene. They know that nothing is insignificant, that something is occurring in the image at each moment, and that they can unravel it. It is a bit of a treasure hunt: What is the message? What is the intention? What is being played out without the viewer knowing?

I am delighted to see their progress in image analysis, to see the connections they make on their own between history and cinema, to discover the hypotheses they make, to talk with them about their point of view on the world.

As for their creations, it is particularly interesting to see the world through their eyes and their sensitivities. Their videos are inhabited by their questioning, their doubts, and also by strength and energy.

Can you describe one of the most popular or unexpected lessons?
One of the most popular and unexpected assignments was our mask workshop. We watched and studied a film in which the main character, wounded and disfigured by a shell during World War I, decides to make and wear masks, each representing one facet of his personality. I organized an art workshop related to this character, and the students created their own masks from scratch. Their creations were both beautiful and meaningful!

A Student Perspective: Sophia H. FR’23 (Concord Academy)

Why did you enroll in French Cinema?
French Cinema is one of the highlights of my day. I am a very visual learner, so this class works very well for me. We watch a lot of movies and do many hands-on activities. I did not come into the class with any expectations because it was the first cinema course I’d ever taken. I have gained more than I ever expected!

What is your favorite aspect of this class?
My favorite part is when we watch a French movie that takes place during the period of history we are learning about in class. It’s fun because all the classes get together to watch, then we dissect it and talk about it thoroughly. Every time we have a movie day, I find myself more and more interested in and appreciative of French cinema.

How has this class changed your perspective? Was there an unexpected discovery or memorable lesson learned?
I have learned to see history through a new lens. Taking this course has changed the way I view every film now, and I have also learned to view cinema as a form of art that reveals more about history than we realize.

SYA Italy

In Viterbo, it’s all about the food. Olive oil, wine, bread, cured meats and cheeses all play a part in SYA Italy’s popular Applied Agroecology course, which explores the science behind the rich agricultural traditions and processes that make Italian food known the world over. With Viterbo’s fertile soil and 12-month growing season as a backdrop, students take a hands-on approach to understanding problems that present both local and global challenges by comparing age-old practices and the applications of modern science – all with a focus on sustainability.

Applied Agroecology teacher Linda Scanlon, who started the class in 2016 with husband and SYA Italy Resident Director Pat Scanlon, shares the secrets to the course’s success and popularity.

How does this course enhance the overall curriculum at SYA Italy?
First of all, it is a completely mission-driven curriculum. When we ask ourselves, “Can this module or activity be done outside of the context of our school?” the answer is almost always “no.” For example, students study the mechanisms of what makes cheese. Then, we make several kinds of cheese, but the final project is making a cacciottina or a cheese made of raw cow and sheep milk. Although it is not easy even for us, we are still able to find raw milk for the student laboratory, which is almost impossible for most schools in the U.S. Other examples are our unit on wine making and olive oil production. It is true that our bread unit might be copied elsewhere, so we invite a master baker to demonstrate the processes using local techniques. The final project for the natural yeast unit is to try to recreate a loaf of bread that was found during the excavations of Pompeii, and which the students saw during their trip to Naples.

What student outcomes have you seen at the culmination of this course?
I am glad to say that we see outcomes that we hoped to stimulate and which we foster: skills and knowledge that students have almost no understanding of, or no experience with, prior to taking the course. The goal is to give students hands-on experience with the food system that we often take for granted when we sit down to meals without asking how it all got to our plates. We really hope that students ask questions for the rest of their lives pertaining to what they consume, where it comes from, how it got there, and how they learn to avoid waste and the work involved in disposing of waste products appropriately.

Can you describe one of the most popular or unexpected lessons?
We ask that question at the end of each course cycle and there is always someone who says that one of the units we do is their favorite. It ranges from making strawberry jam and learning about the role of sugar as a preservative to the tempering of chocolate, a unit that concludes the first semester. The most popular lesson is probably the wine making, especially the first day when we harvest, crush and design the experiment that, year in and year out, produces a respectable wine. From that day forward, there are tasks to complete that include taking the wine off the skins, pressing the skins, and later decanting the wine off the dregs and finally to bottling. We have stores of wine in various cantine in Viterbo, saved for the alumni from year’s past to taste. It truly is better with age!

A Student Perspective: Lorna B. IT’23 (Stratford Academy)

Why did you enroll in this class?
My family runs a large-scale industrial farm in Peach County Georgia where we harvest a variety of crops. This class immediately caught my eye because of my agricultural background. I was very curious to learn about agriculture in Italy and how it compares to America. Learning about the differences between farming in Italy and America has been very insightful, not just the business/industrial aspect, but also the cultural differences. The hands-on learning style creates an environment that is invigorating and exciting. I have learned so much from this class, even beyond what is in the curriculum.

What is your favorite aspect of this class?
My favorite part of this class is all the hands-on learning we do. Whether it's a field trip to an olive farm or making ravioli, class is always interesting. I also enjoy the flexibility in our curriculum. We can ask questions and spend the entire class discovering the answers to them, even if that was not the original lesson plan.

How has this class changed your perspective? Was there an unexpected discovery or memorable lesson learned?
This class has taught me a lot about Italian culture and the role that food plays. Every type of food we talk about and experiment with has had a significant role in Italian culture today. Learning about Italy through its agriculture and food is like eating a piece of history. The complexity and continuity of our world are far greater than I ever imagined, and this class has revealed this to me through food.

SYA Spain

SYA Spain’s Spanish Theater: Analysis and Performance elective exposes students to Spanish literature from both sides of the Atlantic, while also giving them the opportunity to hone their language and acting skills in a fun and engaging way. Students not only read and discuss contemporary Spanish plays, but they are required to participate in a production with responsibility for all aspects, including rehearsals, scenery, costumes, music, lighting and programs.

Spanish Theater instructor Oriol Bastardes, who has taught the course since its inception in 2001, highlights the impact that theatrical studies can have on language acquisition.

How does this course enhance the overall curriculum at SYA Spain?
The theater course follows the SYA curriculum in all its aspects, but it goes even further. As far as mastering the target language, the fact that members of this class must memorize texts in Spanish, while working on their pronunciation and fluency, makes their command of the language reach very high levels. On stage, they have to speak in conjunction with a specific body language, which produces greater ease and naturalness in the actors’ use of language.

It is very formative for students to be aware of the interdependencies that occur in this course. They must understand that the success of others depends on their own work, which increases their sense of responsibility and camaraderie. This strong feeling of participation in a common project and the need for mutual support and help are very specific to the theater team.

Another topic unique to this class is the social aspect of this subject. The fact that the plays are performed in a real theater, with a large audience, gives our program a social dimension that has an impact on the actors as well as on the other students, their teachers, friends and their American and Spanish families. The two theater productions, at the end of the first and second semesters, are a meeting point for all of us who make up SYA Spain and this helps us get to know each other and unite everyone in the same purpose.

What student outcomes have you seen at the culmination of this course?
The most remarkable thing that I have seen in the students who participate in this class is the feeling of pride in having participated in and produced something as palpable as a play. There is a general feeling among members of the theater team of reaffirmation of their personalities and an increase in self-esteem. To produce good plays, it is necessary that they help each other and that they work as a team.

This class has an important literature component, as we read complete contemporary theater plays in their original Spanish version. This greatly increases the vocabulary of the participants and their control of different linguistic registers. And there is no doubt about how important reading is in terms of opening new horizons to them and their ability to reflect from a rich and challenging point of view.

Can you describe one of the most popular or unexpected lessons?
Theater workshops to help students lose inhibition, work on body language, and feel comfortable using Spanish as a language of expression are a part of this course. There is a process that begins with the presentation of mimes, then monologues and, later, dialogues. Recently, the members of this year's team presented five very surprising dialogues, with plots that were sometimes shocking, even surreal, but full of imagination and unexpected twists. I was very satisfied with their creativity, their ability to write correct texts in Spanish and with their sense of scenography. These exercises also help to create a positive atmosphere that facilitates the preparation of the play that will be performed in May.

A Student Perspective: Madeline S. ES’23 (St. Paul's School)

Why did you enroll in Spanish Theater?
I had never done theater in my life and besides the occasional dreaded school presentation, I had never put myself in any public speaking positions. As such, I decided that the first major experience I should have with acting should be in a language that I (at the time) barely spoke. Primarily, I took the class as a chance to push myself out of my comfort zone because I thought it would be an interesting way to learn Spanish. I never expected theater to become one of my favorite classes.

What is your favorite aspect of this class?
No other class has helped me improve my Spanish as much. Within the class, we have been presented with myriad opportunities to practice reading, presenting, interpreting, and understanding different genres and texts. Theater is a class that has deeply challenged and pushed me into improving my Spanish drastically. It has been a way to improve my Spanish as well as improve my understanding of Spanish culture through various Spanish-written works. The group activities, such as the final play, allowed me the opportunity to become significantly closer to my peers. How could I not become closer to my classmates after sharing the collective experience of watching my classmate dressed as a vacuum cleaner being pushed around by another student in a bathrobe and horrendous gray wig? If I had to choose, working with my classmates at the end of the semester has been one of my favorite aspects of the class so far. Not only was it incredibly fun to get into costume and swear in Spanish, the moments behind the stage and after the play when we could come together and relish in the satisfaction of a job well done, to laugh together and see all the hard work we put into set design and memorization, finally coming to fruition was very rewarding.

How has this class changed your perspective – was there an unexpected discovery or memorable lesson learned?
Through theater, I have become significantly more confident with my Spanish and public speaking. I have discovered an unexpected love for theater and performance. The community which we have built together in our theater class is one I treasure. I cannot imagine a better way to learn Spanish than in theater class and I recommend that all future SYA Spain students take it.