Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Exploring Culture / Interpretive Reading

Each chapter we covered as a class this semester had a section for learning about Spanish culture.

This section was also part of the interpretive reading section because the readings were in Spanish. It was sometimes difficult to read the entire sections in Spanish, but with the help of a dictionary it became easier.

We learned about the hike of El Camino Inca and vacations in Peru. This hike is long and tretcherous, but I believe there are hikes similar to this in America. I am not much of a hiker, but I do like exploring new places. We learned about open air markets and shopping in Spanish-speaking countries. These open air markets are similar to what we call farmers markets in Virginia. Although a lot of bargaining happens in Spanish-speaking countries that is not as common in America. We learned that in Spanish-speaking countries naps are an important part of the day to day activities and that often shops and places of business close at lunch time so that workers can go home to have lunch with their families and rest afterwards before returning to work. This is very strange to me, but I wish that our country would adopt this practice. I think it is very valuable and would prevent our workers from feeling so tired and burnt out. Overall, I believe there is always something to be learned from other cultures and value in our differences.

Engaging in Communities

Throughout the course of the semester I did not have many interactions with the community due to COVID. There isn’t much opportunity to engage in communities outside of class time, so I’d say my engaging in communities is confined to my classmates. We had class together three days a week and often communicated in class together. I’m not currently working, and have not been going to restaurants or things where I would communicate with people outside of class.

Interpersonal Communication

This semester we had the opportunity to participate in multiple forms of interpersonal communication. TalkAbroad, discussion boards and assignments with partners on VHL.

These experiences really helped to solidify how we can communicate with others in a language that is new to us. Having the opportunity to converse to native speakers aided in our understanding of the language. It is really nerve wracking to talk with someone who understands the language so well when you are still learning but it is a great immersive experience. Speaking with classmates in written form in discussion boards was helpful with working on our written communication with others. Speaking with classmates in VHL was less scary because we were at similar levels of understanding but because of that I feel like we learned less than we did when speaking with people who have a better understanding of the language. It is important to prepare questions, answers and certain back up words when preparing for speaking portions of assignments. In the future, I want to be more comfortable speaking with people that I feel intimidated by (native speakers when I’m still learning). I think the way to feel less intimidated and anxious is to become more confident and comfortable with the language.

Below is an example of a discussion board with a classmate.

Presentational Writing

During this semester we completed two written compositions. One about a vacation, and another about our daily routine while on vacation.

Like most assignments this semester, my growth in the understanding of the language is evident. I felt a lot more confident in my second written composition than I did in my first. Brainstorm assignments were completed before the actual composition. These helped to solidify ideas and conceptualize what I was going to write about. I think the part I struggled with the most was keeping my grammar consistent across the entire composition. I would sometimes mix up my tenses as I moved sentence to sentence making the overall composition a little harder for a reader to understand. This is something I will have to work on as I continue my studies in Spanish. Attached below are both of my compositions, which demonstrates the growth of understanding between the two assignments.

Interpretive Listening

For interpretive listening this semester I listened to native speakers in the VHL homework assignments and had to interpret their sentences, answer questions, respond logically, or determine if a sentence was logical or illogical.

Listening and interpreting is one of the most challenging skills for me. I have a hard time with auditory processing and often have to listen multiple times to understand and move forward with interpretation. That being said, I do think my interpretation skills have improved since the beginning of the semester. I am able to recognize key words, and begin to interpret quicker. When listening to native speakers practice makes perfect, and more practice will be the only thing that helps me get better.