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After an exciting and adaptive semester of Intermediate Spanish, it is my pleasure to present a compilation of my hard work, and newly expanded comprehension of the Spanish Language, and the varying culture that accompany it.

From honing my speaking and comprehension skills directly in conversation with Native Speakers through TalkAbroad, to filling in the cultural gaps of my knowledge and life experiences through the studying of Latin and South American traditions, this semester has been a thirst quenching dive into an incredibly rich language, and culture.

In this ePortfolio, one can find compositions showcasing improvement in grammar and writing, cultural connections between my personal experiences and the cultural showcases in our Adventuras textbook, and an amalgamation of music and pictures that represent the aspects of Spanish culture and history that I admire deeply. I hope the reader enjoys perusing this compilation of learning half as much as I enjoyed the learning process itself.

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As a kid, I had the privilege of going to Belize, where I was introduced to Latin American culture and history for the first time. The food, the languages (not only Spanish, but often a splendid mix between Spanish and ancient native languages) and the hospitality of a people who genuinely mean “mi casa es su casa”, was both enchanting and intriguing, and sparked a now life-long interest.
!No hay nada mejor que Salsa! As a musician, the complexity and diversity of Spanish music truly represents the complexity and diversity of Spanish culture itself. El Preso, is a wonderful mix between Spanish and Caribbean cultures, and a testament to the contributions of Afro-latinos.
Excepto por Flamenco, por supuesto… Once again, being a musician, specifically a guitar player, has given me an incredible appreciation for the beautiful sounds that have come from the Iberian peninsula. Another fine example of cultural mixing, Flamenco embodies the rhythm and warmth of Spanish culture, as well as the complex harmonies, expansive scales, and percussive contributions by the Moors. On a different note, Hotel California, and A Mi Manera provide excellent verb and vocab examples which can help Spanish students learn and memorize the language.

TalkAbroad-

Certainly my favorite type of assignment that we’ve done this semester, TalkAbroad built confidence, and provided a reminder of which skills need improvement, such as Vocab. In addition, not only was it enlightening to speak to individuals about the cultural similarities and differences we share, it was also extremely helpful to hear different accents in order to help improve my own. I found it quite interesting to talk about different day to day experiences of an Argentinian, and a Colombian, as well as the similarities of dealing with a global pandemic.

Huawei creó el primer “traductor” de emociones para ayudar a las personas ciegas (telemundo.com)

As an International Studies major I found myself having to do a large project about Huawei, and the complicated politics between the United States and China. Without delving into any of that, my ability to read and comprehend Spanish provided me the ability to use sources which would otherwise have been unattainable, for instance, this Telenova article which shows the difference in reception towards Huawei in South and Latin America. While news articles are certainly challenging to read at my current comprehension level, I was able to get a general idea of the message, and learn new words pertaining to politics.

Refleccion de Semestre

Over the course of this semester, I absolutely expanded my abilities regarding speaking, comprehension, grammar, and overall literary skills, by constantly striving to use the resources provided to us. By far, my favorite resource was TalkAbroad, since it truly tested my abilities in both speaking, and comprehension. In addition, it gave me a lot of confidence to be able to converse, even just for a short time, with a native speaker almost entirely in Spanish. The largest challenge I faced this semester was the retention of Vocab, and the use of proper grammar, and these two skills are only going to be improved by constant use and honing.