Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Exploring Culture

A few products that helped me gain understanding of cultural perspectives are the traditional tapestries and blankets of Ecuador and the many products made from alpaca in Peru. A practice that has contributed to my understanding of other cultures in the use of indigenous languages.

I had no clue that the tapestry and blanket patterns/designs I typically see here in the U.S. had come from Ecuador and was able to appreciate them in a greater sense. These objects and others are sold at the Otavalo Market, which are a huge part of Ecuadorian culture. In the U.S., they come from factories, not real weavers like at the Otavalo Market. This makes me want to support the craft of weaving by those in Hispanic cultures rather than buying cheap replicas of their art. In Peru, the hide of alpaca is used to make blankets, clothes, and quality purses. This helped me to understand how important alpacas are to the Peruvian economy and culture, and to observe the importance of animals in my country. Lastly, the practice of speaking indigenous languages is special to me because it keeps the languages alive which, in turn, keeps the cultures alive.

Engaging in Communities

Engaging in immediate and global communities is the most valuable thing someone can do. It could change the lives of those around you, as well as your own. What one may find when engaging in the global community is that there are just as many amazing things going on all over the world as there are tragedies. Everything is not negative.

I have participated in my immediate community (the United States) by signing petitions and raising awareness about violations of human rights. It is really nice because I can inform people on issues they may not have known about, then maybe they will go out and make a change too.

Interpersonal Communication

TalkAbroad was a great way to practice using vocabulary and speaking fluently. There were very few audio issues; everything worked well. Speaking in class is what helped me grasp grammar and vocabulary the most. Because participation was so encouraged, I was comfortable enough to try.

I liked the TalkAbroad interview, but I was really nervous. My partner was a positive aspect of the interview because she did her best to help me understand when I was having a hard time. Discussion board posts helped me to really think about sentence construction because there was more time to think than when verbally speaking with another person. The Aventuras 5th Edition textbook vocal exercise gave me the hardest time due to the talking speed of the recordings.

I overcame the nerves during the TalkAbroad session by listening to my partner. She was willing to help me and guess what I was trying to say. After this, I realized that in real world situations I do not have to be perfect, others will be active participants in a conversations. I excelled in vocabulary during the interview. Discussion boards helped me learn to read and properly interpret Spanish. For textbook assignments such as the one I was talking about, next time I would try to write down what I believe they are saying and see if it makes sense.

Presentational Speaking

My class did not have any presentational speaking assignments this semester.

Presentational Writing

I wrote several Spanish papers and compositions throughout the semester. They typically involved a specific location like the supermarket, a hotel, or a Spanish-speaking country.

The two compositions were not very difficult. What gave me great trouble was describing my daily routine. It required a lot of the reflexive, which I am currently struggling with. I can do better with it by practicing the reflexive and making flash cards. The brochure was difficult solely because of the formatting on Word. I excelled at the writing about creating our own clothing shop because I was familiar with that vocabulary (clothing items and colors).

Interpretive Listening

The interpretive listening assignments I have done this semester were usually asking what was incorrect between the questions and the audio. There were several activities like this throughout each chapter of the Aventuras 5th Edition textbook.

With all of the things I have listened to this semester, whether it was discussing clothing, food, or vacations, the thing I had trouble with was following. This recording I added here is from Chapter 7 of the Aventuras 5th Edition textbook. I liked the he was speaking slightly slower, but I still had to replay it a few times to fully process what he was saying. It was interesting that a great baseball player’s daily routine could be so ordinary.

Audio Text

EDGAR Muy buenos días, amigos de Radio Mañana. Yo soy Edgar Echandi y hoy tenemos el gusto de hablar con
la madre de un maravilloso jugador de béisbol. Estoy hablando del increíble Sergio Santos. Gracias por venir, señora Santos.
SRA. SANTOS El gusto es mío, Edgar.
EDGAR Sergio vive en casa con usted ¿verdad?
SRA. SANTOS Sí.
EDGAR ¿Y cómo es la rutina diaria de Sergio? ¿A qué hora se despierta y qué hace después?
SRA. SANTOS Bueno, mi hijo siempre se despierta a las seis de la mañana.
EDGAR ¿Los domingos también?
SRA. SANTOS Sí, todos los días. Después, corre una hora en el parque, come y va al estadio.
EDGAR ¿No se baña? ¿No se afeita?
SRA. SANTOS Oh, sí. Se afeita por la mañana y se ducha dos veces al día, después de correr y antes de acostarse.
EDGAR Sergio no sólo juega bien; es una persona muy limpia. Ja, ja. ¿Y a qué hora se acuesta?
SRA. SANTOS Se acuesta a las once después de leer el periódico.
EDGAR Gracias, señora Santos. Y amigos, ya regresamos.

Interpretive Reading

There were several articles I read within the textbook and online. They typically involved different Spanish-speaking cultures and customs.

While reading different article I realized I was not as well-versed on some grammar and vocabulary as I thought I was. This drove me to study and work on my comprehension skills. I also used context clues to work through articles like the one pictured. I found the different forms of art discussed to be compelling (textiles, literature, clothing, etc.). With each assignment I have gotten better with using context clues and with my comprehension as a whole.

Personal Reflection

I have learned a great deal this semester. I learned about simple things like the seasons and weather. I learned about not so simple things like direct & indirect pronouns and negatives. Most importantly, I have learned to make an effort – even if I may mess up. I learned that it is okay (great, even) to make mistakes because after that, you can be shown the right way.