Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication
Exploring Culture
Spanish 101 has been an interesting class. Beyond beginning to learn the language, the class has also focused on the culture of Spanish speaking countries, especially ones in Latin America. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were two important, Mexican artists. These talented painters used their skills in meaningful ways. Through her efforts, Frida Kahlo embedded Mexican history into memorable art. Additionally, the style of Diego Rivera’s work broke grounds in his generation. Both of them, along with countless other Latin American painters, helped put Latin culture. The image below gives a brief overview of their lives as well as one of Diego Rivera’s pieces.
Engaging in Communities
I grew up with several languages in my household, but there is nothing quite as joyous as meeting a stranger who speaks the same language as you do in a primarily English-speaking area. There is something to be said how comforting it is to speak with someone who can understand your words or decipher your accent. I believe it is important for everyone to learn more than one language so they may broaden their social circle and learn about valuable cultures.
Interpersonal Communication
While I have spoken to very few native Spanish speakers, I have thoroughly enjoyed each encounter. Additionally, I have collaborated with several of my classmates as we learn Spanish together. We chat in emails, learn in discussion boards, and practice in class.
At work, I often run into customers of various backgrounds who speak other languages, Spanish being one of them. While I do not know enough to respond coherently in Spanish, I do know enough Spanish, combined with other languages, to understand what they are talking about in my field of work. These experiences have taught me more than any other of how putting patience and effort into learning a language has a tangible benefit. I found I learn the most when speaking with natives. They also tend to be the most appreciative as speaking in a first language is generally much easier than a second language. I hope over time that I can gain enough fluency in the language to not second-guess my responses.
Presentational Speaking
I have had to participate in several oral exams throughout the semester. These exams require a knowledge of the vocabulary, the ability to understand and ask questions, and the ability to answer questions.
I included a small sample of my own personal introduction. I recall my very first oral exam being quite stressful, but by the second one I was already much more comfortable speaking and understanding Spanish. These oral exams are something I have come to look forward to. In my future oral examinations, I hope to be able to have even more natural sounding conversations. I am sure with enough practice that I can speak with more ease and understand more things.
Presentational Writing
In this semester, I have written two different compositions in Spanish. The first was a letter introducing myself and the second was an introduction to Old Dominion University.
Between my first and last composition, my ability to correctly conjugate verbs and adjectives greatly improved. I found that if I took my time and double checked with my dictionary, my spelling and conjugation was much more accurate. I had the most fun coming up with the scenarios and using vocabulary I already learned. In future compositions, I hope that my grammar is even better. I still have a ways to go, but I greatly enjoy writing.
Interpretive Listening
This semester has included plenty of opportunity to listen to the Spanish language. I have practiced in class, through homework, and with the oral exam.
One of the most challenging parts of this class for me has actually been interpretive listening as I struggle to process auditory information no matter the language. Things like the example of the song above took me quite a lot of focus for me to understand. I have overcome this problem with practice, repetition, and exposure. I love listening to the Spanish language. Over the course of this semester, I have transitioned from understanding almost no Spanish to having a basic grasp of the language. By practicing often, I have seen steady results. The more I know, the less nervous I feel, and the more effectively I can understand the language.
Interpretive Reading
In this semester I have read many different articles about Spanish speaking countries. Most of them covered the culture of the countries and integrated new vocabulary.
While reading the articles was enjoyable, answering the questions often took plenty of reading over. As the article suggested, I found that paying attention to the context of the article helps to translate what I am reading. I usually a smooth time reading, but a hard time answering the questions. Paying attention to the context of the surrounding sentences helped me the most to understand the article. Additionally, I re-read passages to make sure I have a stronger grasp of the meanings of each questions in the context of the articles. I enjoyed how this article presented so many families. I especially love how the article shows how relatable each different type of family is. In this article, I learned how to talk about my family and relationships. Over the course of this semester, I have learned how to read an article and learn meaningful information from it.