Spanish 366 or Business Spanish-Language and Culture, taught students about how the characteristics of the business world in Spanish-speaking countries. Through different discussion boards, escrituras, MindTap homework, students learned about how different cultural aspects influence the business world and how the business world affects communities. This section of my ePortfolio displays the work I have completed in the class which has given me a deeper understanding about how language and culture are an enormous factor in the professional world.

Shown below is what I considered to be one of the most important assignments within the class, our Proyecto País (Country Project). While this was within the last module, I thought it important to display it first, as it required a great deal of cultural insight and thought within the project. When choosing a country to research, I picked one that I had previous knowledge on. I knew Panamá for its famous canal, and while important, I quickly learned that with or without the canal, Panamá was a small, but strong country with high biodiversity and rich culture.

Reflection: Proyecto País

This project was not something to be taking lightly. I found that when researching a country, it is really hard to find somewhere to begin. I was thankful that with the information from the book and the list of things to research from the assignment, I had something to start with. As expected, the pandemic affected many statistics within the country, however, it was surprising to see that Panamá rebounded quickly. The statistics of the economic world can sometimes tell you a lot about the culture. Panamá’s ability to recuperate quickly showed a great strength within its communities. This project was extremely beneficial in the continuous growth of my appreciation for Hispanic communities. I resonate with their family roots, work ethic and religious strength and spirit.

M1: La economía global en el mundo hispano: Contextos, metas y requisitos

M1 was our first look into the economic and Hispanic world. Throughout this module we learned about the basics of economics and the business world. These basics included information regarding globalization, business conduct, proper etiquette and integrity, language and how it affects business negotiations, geography of Spanish-speaking countries and how numbers are formatted in the Spanish world.

Much of the information we learned was not entirely new to me as I knew some of it from other Spanish classes. I would say the thought-provoking subject was the discussion board topic. The discussion board wanted our opinions and thoughts on the treatment of workers and laws protecting workers in less-developed countries. A topic that usually arises when there has been a tragedy. A tragedy that never should have occurred. However, these tragedies occur more often than noted by local new stations. It is a problem that, while it has been addressed and countries are trying to amend the wrongs, is still happening today.

Reflection: Discussion Board

This is a topic that saddens me deeply to discuss. There are so many people, children included, being taken advantage of in this world. Humans, albeit not all, are obsessed with money and power. This has been a fact since the beginning of time and cheap/slave labor has been a solution to people hungry for them. It is human nature to be greedy and selfish, which is why it is hard for me to see a solution to this. Even after hundreds of years, we are still falling in the same footsteps of our ancestors, using people in poorly developed countries to make a profit.

M1: Exam

While I do not have much hope regarding society in general, I believe that there will always be good people trying to do good things. I wanted to include this answer I wrote in the M1 Exam. If there are people trying to be good, if not great, leaders, then our world has a chance at a brighter future. There is work being done all over the world to try to make that day happen. I hope to see it.

M2: La empresa

This module was about the concepts regarding the infrastructure of a business. Beginning with the structure and function commercial businesses, the module also included information about all of the different sizes and types of businesses, including the different industries. The module touched on the regulations and laws that businesses needed to follow in regard to their size and type. Again, while some of this information was not entirely new to me, this module began to introduce some cultural differences between American and Spanish/Hispanic businesses and how business is conducted. Throughout this course I was given a broader understanding of how much more personal the Spanish/Hispanic economic and business world is.

For example, one of our homework questions stated that Hispanics preferred telephones over direct contact. I knew this to be false as in the Spanish/Hispanic business world, they prefer to conduct business face to face rather than disconnected through a cell phone or laptop. They like real, personal connections, something I admire and respect.

M2: La carta comercial

Instead of a discussion board, we were required to write our first written piece for this course. This piece was to be a letter regarding a negotiation or a topic regarding a business. I chose to conduct a negotiation regarding monkeys.

Reflection: La carta comercial

I will not say I found this to be an easy assignment. I only say it’s an easy assignment if I receive a good score on the draft/borrador, and I most definitely did not. I think the hardest part of writing this letter was solely having enough words to say without sounding repetitive or unprofessional. I learned quickly that blackmail was definitely considered unprofessional. However, after some fine tuning and reflection, the letter came together well enough that I would consider using its construct to format another letter of this type. Writing this letter gave me a deeper knowledge regarding what is typically said and addressed in a business letter in Spanish.

M3: La gerencia

This module was about the levels of management in business, along with the duties those levels are responsible for. There were many duties and qualities required of a good manager. Below shows my quiz answer to a question regarding the qualities a leader should have.

This module also discussed the different styles of communication in the U.S. compared to Latin America. As mentioned in a previous module, communication in the U.S. is very direct and impersonal, very to the point. Communication in Latin America helps to build stronger connections due to the level of depth it has.

This module included a discussion board that returned my attention to a topic that is never far from my mind: women in the workplace. Women have always had to work twice as hard to be where they are today. Strong traditional values in some countries have definitely had an impact on the progress women have made throughout history. While some traditions are to be respected, I believe that this world is past believing that women are inferior. We have proven to the world our worth and our strength over and over again.

Reflection: Discussion Board

I have experienced the feeling of someone not thinking I can do something or that I shouldn’t do something just because I am a woman. I am thankful to have been raised by someone as independent and strong as my mother. I was proud to witness the strength and loudness of women in Spain last year on International Women’s Day. I wish to see more of that charisma in America. It saddens me to know that in parts of the world, women are still being held back, held under societal norms and cultural restrictions that do not make sense, at least not to me.

Carta Presentación

I really enjoyed writing this Carta Presentación. After four years of university, it was refreshing to write something that I will be hopefully be writing to a future employer rather soon, whether it be in Spanish or English. This letter was very similar to a letter I would write in English, however, there are small differences such as the date.

M3: Exam

I wanted to include this answer from a question asked in this module’s exam. My answer further illustrates difficulties women have in the workplace and family businesses. There are positions that are typically given to men within a family business rather than the women. I have known many women in this position, where their brothers seemed to have a bigger claim on parts of a business solely because they were men. However, as I already see it happening today, I hope more fathers and mothers leave their business in the undoubtedly capable hands of their daughters.

M4: La banca y la contabilidad

Throughout this module, we learned about banks and accounting. There were several concepts regarding banking to understand, such as the difference between banco (bank) and banca, which is the system of operations regarding banks.

I felt as though this module was concentrated on concepts regarding banks and accounting and fully understanding them.

Cultural aspects were introduced through our discussion board, which was very eye opening to me. I did not realize that there was a level of distrust between banks and Hispanics, along with other immigrants and minorities. I always assumed that anyone could have a bank account and that was a typical and easy thing to manage and open an account. However, I now know that I truly had a lack of knowledge regarding the topic concerning minorities and immigrants.

Reflection: Discussion Board

I know my video received a lot of comments. I believe that my classmates thought that I thought that banks should distrust immigrants and minorities. Banks do view these demographics as risks. However, I truly believe that banks are big corporations who should not care if they take a risk with opening an account for someone from these demographics. I believe that banks should be the ones to fix the problem and help people receive the resources they so desperately need to be able to live easily in this country.

Entrevista 2

This module required us to conduct an interview with another classmate for a potential job.

Reflection:

Working with another classmate is always a challenging, but very rewarding, experience. I thought this was a fantastic way to practice our skills regarding interviews. It definitely helped me to feel more confident when I was interviewed during my TalkAbroad video conference.

Exam M4 Reflection

I wanted to include this essay from a video we had to watch to demonstrate one of my weaknesses I had during this course. I think it is important to reflect upon our strengths and weaknesses regarding assignments. Without subtitles, I struggle to fully comprehend what someone is saying in Spanish. By paying attention to the context and watching the video several times, I was able to develop a better understanding, however, this is not helpful during a timed exam. It is something I hope to become better at in the future through discussions with my friends in Spanish and watching more Spanish content on social media and streaming platforms

M6: La oficina

This module touched on subjects regarding the office, proper office conduct and communication and how office materials have evolved throughout the years. It was very interesting to see the evolution of office materials as we have gone from having a great deal of equipment to only a computer and a cell phone.

Through our discussion board, we talked about diversity and its benefits in the workplace.

Discussion Board Reflection

I thought the topic for the discussion board was enjoyable to discuss, as I believe that diversity in the workplace is so incredibly important. Different cultures and people and languages just bring so much to the table. It is amazing how many ideas can be formed solely from a group of diverse people working together with different ways of thinking and different experiences. It was very interesting listening to classmate’s responses because, like me, they believe there are so many benefits to having diversity in the workplace. There are benefits for both the workplace environment and the production efficiency of the staff, as well.

M6 Exam

M7: Los RRHH y las relaciones laborales

This module discussed concepts regarding the process of applying for and being selected for a job, the managers responsibilities regarding this, along with the rights that workers have with unions, and the types of relationships regarding labor.

TalkAbroad Interview

This module was important because of our interview through TalkAbroad.

Reflection

While I do not have the video from my interview, I wanted to note a few things about it. I found that the experience helped my confidence with speaking to strangers in Spanish. By preparing for the interview, I was able to answer the questions without having my mind go blank, as it sometimes does. I think that the interview was incredibly beneficial to me. The woman I spoke to was from Barcelona and understanding her accent was not difficult as it was one I had heard many times before studying abroad.

Curriculum Vitae

This was not a terribly difficult assignment, however, I wanted to make sure I was as accurate as possible with the information. This is an assignment that could benefit me greatly in the future, with the possibility that I may need to provide a CV in Spanish. For one, it is already completed and should I need to make a new one, I will have a CV as an example

M7 Exam

We discussed two different theories regarding rewards in the workplace. La teoría del mercado only gave rewards that were pre-determined amounts that did not change regardless of the status of the economy. While this would be fine for a stable economy, it would not do well for workers during inflation or an unstable economy, such as after a worldwide pandemic. La teoría del nivel allowed movement of pay and rewards with the economy. This allowed for more flexibility with work and life and covered professional and personal expenses. Learning about these theories was very interesting to me as I had never heard of them. I hope to have a job in the future that practices la teoría del nivel (level theory).

Course Reflection