Unit 1 Project: Mi Descripción

Write a paragraph of about 50-75 words that includes the following information to introduce yourself to your classmates.

Unit 1 Reflection:

This unit was a great start to the semester. I had a previous knowledge of Spanish before this class, but had forgotten most of it. The first unit was great because it helped me refresh my memory and start to remember what I knew. The project of this unit was simple and easy-going. There wasn’t a whole bunch to it other than writing down your personal information. The hardest part of this project was the paragraph portion but it was made easier once Dr. Garcia walked us through what he wanted to see.

Unit 2 Project: La Entrevista

Create a two-minute video interview, in-person or virtual, where you spontaneously ask questions to a Spanish speaker in Spanish.

Unit 2 Reflection:

This unit is where things started to become a little tougher. There was a lot of new words in the unit, so it was hard to keep up with all the new information. After studying the new vocabulary, I was able to get it down. The project for this unit wasn’t very difficult, it was more fun. The hardest thing from this project was the pronunciation of words. It was difficult to pronounce every word right while also making sure it was grammatically correct. I was able to overcome this challenge thanks to my interview partner. We both talked though what we wanted to ask in our interviews and he helped me on words that I had trouble saying.

Unit 3 Project: Mi Horario

Create your calendar including at least 10 activities using an infinitive verb form. Write a paragraph of about 75-100 words describing some of your activities this week. Talk about what you do every day or every week, as well as what you only do on certain days.

Unit 3 Reflection:

This unit was a little easier than the previous unit in my opinion. I believe it was easier for me understand because it was a more creative project and unit all together. There wasn’t as much new vocabulary in this unit as well, so that helped a little. I enjoyed the project for this unit because it was more creative. I didn’t have to speak or make a video, so I was more confident in my final product. I didn’t struggle so much with the project as I did the others. The only thing I had a little trouble with was finding 10 different activities to write about.

Unit 4 Project:  Mi Universidad

Create a two-minute video describing at least three favorite places on campus and/or where you live and study

Unit 4 Reflection:

This unit was also not so difficult for me to grasp. It could be that I was learning the knowledge fairly quickly and previous unit knowledge also helped. This unit was not the most exciting for me, but it was still fun to create. The only difficult part I had with this unit’s project was pronunciation. I struggled a little bit throughout the video due to adding new vocabulary that we didn’t learn in class. Having to use outside sources without hearing anyone else say it made the project a little complicated. I did my best to pronounce everything correctly and I am satisfied with my project.

Exploring Culture:

With the use of LingroLearning, I was able to experience many different cultures. The website we used in this class was very helpful and eye-opening. Each unit we were exposed to different countries through different people. During the introduction lessons we would be introduced to new people that would show us around their country. It was very interesting to see how the U.S. and Spanish speaking countries both relate and differ. Through these lessons, I was able to understand just how much we relate to others around the world while also realizing I had so much to learn about others. I was able to understand what ideas and practices were more important in different countries. I was able to learn that our values are not the same as others, and some things here that aren’t so important are actually very important in other countries and cultures. I was able to start understanding how interesting Spanish speaking countries were, and appreciate their culture as a whole.

Engaging in Communities

In my opinion, it is very important that everyone engage with their community, wether is be immediate or global. You never know what anyone is going through and by engaging with those around you, you might be able to help them. It’s important to engage with your global community because you are able to gain so much knowledge and compassion for those you have different norms than you. This semester has helped me understand this because I didn’t know much about my classmates and where they came from until the unit projects. The projects allowed for me to understand my peers on a different level and see how their lives work compared to mine.

Interpretive Listening

Throughout this semester we had many different times we had to listen to interpretive actives. We had to listen to exchanges between students, teachers, and friends. We also had to listen to what someone was saying and then try to write down all the information that answered a specific question. Overall, my listening skills strengthened due to this class. I am now able to closely listen to what someone is saying and understand what they are asking or informing me about.

Interpretive Reading

In this class, during the whole semester, there were many many many interpretive communication activities that we had to complete. We had to read letters, emails and sometimes even different schedules for different people. At the beginning of this class, this task was very difficult for me. Over time I was able to understand more and more and gain confidence in my ability. The challenging part of this was trying to translate everything while also understanding everything that was being said. Since we did this so often, the ability came easier and faster and by the end of the semester I was able to do it at a moderate pace.

Presentational Writing

This class gave me the ability to write many presentational things in Spanish. I had to write many personal paragraphs, as well as calendar schedules and descriptions of many places. It was fun to see where I started at the start of the semester compared to what I am able to do now. The class started off with simple tasks, such as paragraphs describing ourselves, but ended with us being able to describe what is around us and the people we admire. The class gave me the confidence in my Spanish writing due to the many actives we did involving presentation writing.

Presentational Speaking

Throughout the semester we had two main projects and three interviews with the professor that involved presentation. We had to create videos that displayed our use of Spanish vocabulary by interviewing classmates and showing the university around us. We also had interviews with the professor where we were asked multiple questions and had to answer the best we could in Spanish. I started off this semester very insecure in my pronunciation and presentation speaking. Over the course of this class, my confidence grew and I was able to communicate without being scared of messing up. By the end of the semester I was mostly able to have a conversation in Spanish and present videos on the world around me.

Can-Do Statement:

I can have a simple conversation in Spanish, as well as describe the world around me and what I admire most about the people I love.

Proficient Level:

I am able to have simple spontaneous conversations with those around me without having to memorize or practice beforehand.