Learning Spanish over the semester has helped me to discover a whole new world and culture. One aspect of Spanish culture is the overwhelming sense of community and family. In the image below, I have drawn conclusions between my family and a traditional Latin family. Communication is key and I will illustrate each style and method used this semester as a major aspect of my learning. Many challenges were experienced but I have been resilient and always remained positive even in confusing moments. I am grateful for my instructor who presented engaging feedback and exhibited a passion for assisting her students and providing much guidance. I did not have the confidence to learn Spanish in previous semesters but I am grateful that through the workload and instruction of Professor Sefcik, I became more comfortable with understanding that being a beginner in Spanish is just the start of my learning journey. I am inspired to keep learning for myself and my growing family.
Mi familia es importante! In the United States family is important and emphasized. However, family is expressed differently depended upon the many cultures that are represented. Unfortunately, In the United States capitalism and greed at times can ruin family dynamics and divide relationships. Many families are not able to spend extended times together because they are forced outside the home to work for extended hours. Thankfully, in my culture Sunday was the one day to get the family together for food, laughter, music and church. The blessing in my family is that we always set aside Sunday to relax and come together. I can relate to Hispanic culture in my family because my father is the leader (also the pastor) and patriarch, my mother is the matriarch and ultimate caregiver. We truly take care of each other and celebrate all of our achievements as one. Mi familia es hermosa y especial! My husband and daughter are shown below as I was granted permission to participate in the May, 2023 commencement ceremony for Old Dominion University. I was honored to accept my awards with my family in attendance.
Exploring Culture
Norfolk Latino Festival, July 22, 2023
Norfolk Latino Festival, July 22, 2023
Norfolk Latino Festival, July 22, 2023
On July 22, 2023 The city of Norfolk held the 22nd annual Latino Music festival in Town Point Park, in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia. The day was full of activities music and wonderful latin food. I enjoyed the music and loving atmosphere. The latin community emphasizes a love for family and it was felt the entire day. It was a great experience to read the menus in Spanish and utilize some of my new Spanish language skills. MI Gente! was a phrase ringing through the streets and made me feel deeply included. Everyone in attendance felt a love for community and culture.
The event was a heartfelt expression and exploration of culture! Learning the Spanish language is beautiful but goes far beyond the classroom. I have a new found love for learning and exploring the Spanish speaking world and culture. I am grateful for my experiences.
Engaging in Communities
Mis comidas favoritas
It is vital to engage in community through culture and one way is by food. We live in a digital age however the value of community should still be emphasized. People need people, now more than ever. La cocina española es deliciosa! Many of the dishes featured in the Spanish food and culture video were extremely appealing. However, one dish that I would love to try is ropa vieja or the traditional common term translated “old clothes”. The dish is a National treasure in Cuba and among the favorites. The dish consists of vegetables and shreadded meat with tomato sauce and spices served with plantains and rice. One of the dishes I have tried before was the arroz con gandules which is from Puerto Rico. It was amazing and I had it served with plantains. Additionally, I would love to try all of the dishes because Latin food is my favorite type of cuisine. The energy and vigor for life is experienced through each dish.
Interpersonal Communication
The Talk Abroad conversation went well and was a great opportunity to express interpersonal communication. I could tell I was nervous but excited for the activity. The conversation was led by the Spanish speaker and many of my questions were answered before I was able to ask. I became frustrated wondering what new questions to ask but overall still enjoyed the session. The speaker was patient and liked many activities that I am also interested in. I learned that I understand Spanish speaking and never had too much issue understanding him, I just need to practice my conversation skills and responses. I now understand what to expect and found the activity extremely inspiring. I am relatively new to Spanish and I am proud to be on this journey.
The conversation and words learned in class were a great preparation for the speak abroad
activity. The conversation was pleasant and exciting. The language style utilized was
relatively universal. In the future, I will learn to slow the speaker down to allow for a better more casual conversation.
Presentational Speaking
Over the course of the semester we utilized presentational speaking. On the Flipgrid platform I was able to speak to my fellow classmates and introduce myself. The Flipgrid environment is a great tool to interact in a distance learning environment. I had no challenges engaging and using the site. I enjoyed every interaction and opportunity to interact with others. I was not afraid to speak in Spanish in my videos even if it was not perfect. I am a perfectionist and I am happy I put my pride aside and relaxed enough to not feel embarrassed or afraid to speak in Spanish. As the years progress and I continue to learn Spanish I will become more comfortable and I am beyond excited to be on the road to becoming a comfortable speaker in Spanish.
Presentational Writing
¿En qué estás trabajando?
An example of presentation writing was detailed in a Spanish video used to display gender stereotypes. The children described the professions they were interested in or dreamed to become. The children described professions that were historically deemed male or female. Unfortunately, gender does shape how many people define certain job sectors and their associated stereotypes. In America, I notice more children speak about their dream professions as more neutral, many girls want to be policewomen for example. Los estereotipos laborales se pueden romper con educación y exposición. The many discussion post with my classmates weekly were great ways to interact and present my writing abilities and feelings on particular topics.
Mis actividades deportivas
Another example of presentational writing was in the Spanish video based on understanding the most popular sport past times, people were asked to give their opinions. The most popular sport to practice was tennis. My favorite sport is track and field and American football. However, my favorite sport to practice is swimming and skating. If given the opportunity and time, I would love to learn how to play golf and tennis like the people in the video. Venus and Serena Williams are my favorite tennis players of all time and have inspired many young girls to try tennis. El deporte mas popular es el tenis.
Interpretive Listening
The movie Desconectados, on Amazon prime video is one film that I would play in the background almost daily while I was working to enhance my Spanish listening skills. I found the film to be comical and the dramatic expressions by the characters in the film helped me to further follow what the actors were saying. I believe it is important to use films and television programming as tools to practice listening to Spanish. Utilizing films in Spanish for learning is a less intimidating way to enjoy and practice! I watched many Spanish movies on prime but found Desconestados to hold my attention and keep me entertained while learning. In addition, Spanish listening is becoming more exciting as my vocabulary is growing.
Interpretive Reading
Interpretive reading was a staple function throughout the semester. In the above illustration I was tasked with the assignment to pronounce words in Spanish. I pronounced Spanish words according to the alphabet while using the screen-o-matic tool. I enjoyed activities that involved reading and the pronunciation of Spanish words. The sound of the Spanish language is beautiful and a true romantic language. Interpretive reading is an important aspect of any foreign language and was vital to my learning this semester.