Spanish 102 built on Spanish 101 and taught me how to communicate more personably and in many more situations. From shopping at a market to ordering food at a restaurant, I was taught the importance of proper vocabulary and the role that social traditions play in day-to-day interactions in Latin America.

I believe that my professor used her life experience, growing up in Latin America, to expose the class to what the cultural norms are and how people actually communicate with eachother. I found that it is one thing to know the vocabulary from the book, but it is vitally important to understand vocabulary while also having command of when and where to use certain words.

Exploring Culture

My professor used personal stories to relate things in the U.S to things in various Spanish-speaking countries to display the differences socially and culturally. In addition to this, some of the history included in the textbook opened my eyes to the origins of what is now a rich and diverse culture across Latin America.

Interpersonal Communication

I think that the use of TalkAbroad was a great tool and I started to feel more comfortable when speaking Spanish to a native speaker. The individuals I spoke with, from Argentina and Nicaragua respectively, were relatable and allowed me to try to express myself in Spanish. I felt much more confident in myself after my second TalkAbroad conversation. By the end of the call, I felt that I understood my partner despite the language barrier.

Presentational Writing

The compositions forced me to think critically when applying Spanish. I struggled quite a bit forming consecutive, cohesive sentences. The second composition allowed me to be more successful because it was about a topic I am passionate about, food.