Célia is astudent in  Applied languages doing her 3rd year of bachelor's dgree at the Universidad Técnica de Manabí in Portoviejo, Ecuador. She shares her impressions of South America with us.

The early days...

My arrival was a shock. You learn to live differently and, more generally, to change most of your habits. After a few weeks, it even became normal. Ecuadorians have a natural hospitality that you get used to. In the shops they call you mi hija or mi amor, which can be disconcerting at first, but then you get used to it. People are always ready to help you. I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by very nice people.

The country...

Ecuador is a very diverse country with all kinds of landscapes and climates. There is the Oriente, with the Ecuadorian Amazon, the Sierra, with the Andes, and the Costa, which borders the Pacific Ocean. Not forgetting the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to many turtles.

The language...

Ecuador also boasts a wealth of language: Spanish is very different from Spanish in Spain. You learn the subtle differences between Ecuadorian, Venezuelan and Colombian Spanish. Over time, you can guess which country people are from by the words they use or the way they speak. Even at a national level, you'll notice that people from the Sierra speak a different kind of Spanish to those from Guayaquil, Manabí or even Esmeraldas.

The courses...

The university system is very different from that in France. The teaching is different, the way you learn, the way you do things; but again, it's something you get used to. The teacher-student relationship surprised me at first; it's very informal compared to the one we have in France.

In a nutshell...

You're surprised, you adapt, you relearn, but that's what the exchange year is all about!