Making friends, by Sophia Smith

I wanted to write about making friends in Sevilla. Due to the language barrier, it at first was awkward when talking to people my age from Sevilla. I quickly learned that “going out” settings were the easiest way to talk to people! Everyone is more approachable when they have a couple of drinks in them, and in settings like bars and clubs, when there is a lull in the conversation, you are able to just dance or listen to the music! This was also helpful for my friends and me, because we would often make mistakes with our Spanish, so it would be much less embarrassing having to repeat ourselves when we were out. We eventually would stop embarrassing ourselves and began to make friends! The picture attached is a taco night we did in the Youniq residence with some friends! Their names are Carlota and Marta. They go to the University of Sevilla and are from Cádiz! This experience of mine concurs with Social Learning, especially social learning theory. Obviously, the culture in Spain is much different from the culture we are used to back in the United States. Especially in terms of going out. It took a few test runs, but my friends and I eventually adapted our own behavior to those of Spaniards our age so we were able to acculturate, imitate, and make friends!
The Link I attached has to do with social learning in the workplace. But I think so much of what it has to say can be applied to making friends as well!

https://maestrolearning.com/blogs/how-social-learning-helps-you-focus-on-your-people/