Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication
Address the reflection exercises in each of the following sections. For each section, you will need to embed portions of these assignments and activities as artifacts to substantiate your reflection. Then, at the end of each section, include a link to the document or embed it as a PDF.
Tutorials are available:
- Embedding a PDF
- Embedding Media (Images, Audio)
- Embedding a Video
Exploring Culture
With learning a new language there are cultural aspects that come along with the language. Tradition is key in all countries and they will be different from others but all deserve to be understood and appreciated. Understanding Spanish cultures involves looking into the different countries because they are not the same traditions all over the spanish speaking countries. Having an open mind was key for me to understand how or why things are done differently in these countries. In many of our assignments in Lingro Learning we were to examine how different countries practice and live life in that society. While growing and learning this language I learned that not all cultures have the same traditions.
I was closed minded and thought all Spanish speaking countries celebrated this holiday. For example, “Día de los Muertos”, the day of the dead. Later learning that it is from and most common in Mexico; other countries celebrate this holiday differently if at all. Traditions are very important to me personally so understanding other’s traditions and culture is almost a show of appreciation that their ways are understood and respected. Learning different society norms was challenging yet eye opening as well. There are gender norms that are not really challenged due to society and family culture. Hispanic families tend to put more emphasis on obedience and respect for their elders. This authoritarian style is characterized by clear rules, high standards, strict punishment, and little communication. While this is present in American families as well it is more predominant in Hispanic families under the ruling of the male head. Although the strictness is stereotypical in my eyes their main rock in life is with family. Family is very strong in Hispanic culture regardless of stereotypes, I envy their family connection and love for one another.
Engaging in Communities
Communities are what holds people together in society. It is always important to assist others if you are able to. I was raised to aid others even if it is hard for you in life as well. Without the care of others many may be without food or other necessities. Every year as a family and business we donate toys to the “Stuff the Bus” by Shaggy with Z104 and the Salvation Army. These goods are for the children of the 757 and 804 community for those who are less fortunate. With Covid-19 this did impact how much we were able to give but customers came together with us to aid and continue our tradition. For the Toys for Tots, we set up an area at our local bar for the community to help aid as well. For our pet stores we make donation boxes for our Gloucester-Matthew’s humane society and the Peninsula SPCA. This is so we are supporting our local shelters as well with the increasing number of pets rising. I personally give back with my time as well, we have a local food back called “Bread for Life” they aid in feeding anyone regardless of their income in my county. When I am able, I buy food to donate to this food bank because I want to ensure that everyone in the line has a chance to get what they need.
Interpersonal Communication
The TalkAbroad assignments are where we talk to an individual who lives in a different country. With this we are able to speak with a native speaker of that country; this gives us examples of using what we have learned and hearing how words are said where they live. In our discussion boards we are to answer one other student who has done the assignment in Spanish as well and give positive feedback.
With the discussion boards I feel as though they were easier for me because it was informational, and we had to write a sentence in Spanish. The TalkAbroad assignments that we had for this course was stressful at first but by the second interaction it was a little easier. I found the experience to be interesting because the accents were hard to adjust to. The women that I spoke to were very helpful in making me feel comfortable; when I would get to a section of the conversation and did not understand they would explain by typing or showing me images. That way it stayed in Spanish as much as possible. I could tell that while I am still struggling the conversations have been easier to understand and that it is now harder for me to respond than anything. I stress very easily and normally have a panic attack before a meeting, but they happen less and less because all I can do is my best. I feel as if my strength is in reading and not in verbal. I feel as though I need to try learning the language slower in the future, I need to understand and master an area before moving on. I am a slow learner, especially with conjugation.
Presentational Speaking
A presentational speaking activity would be a verbal piece that we make ourselves and not discuss with others. With our assignments on Lingro Learning we made several verbal pieces to answer questions at hand.
I am not good at verbal pieces in Spanish and there was a section where I knew the information. The vocabulary section is on food which I knew the words just struggled saying it personally. This section challenged me because I knew the information but struggled to verbalize which is why I added this piece. I feel as though I can pronounce things better to a point. Even though I practiced the section multiple times before recording, the anxiety got to me and even though I got frustrated I still continued the discussion. That took a while for me to get over and come to terms with.
Presentational Writing
A writing piece consists of a written activity such as activities from Lingro Learning. One of the assignments was to use our vocabulary list and write a menu for a special dinner. Include the list of necessary ingredients and basic information about the preparation of the dishes that you plan to serve.
“La merienda servir antes de la comida principal, pan de ajo y ensalada de la casa. La ensalada de la casa tiene, lechuga, cebolla, tomate, aceitunas y zanahoria con el aceite de oliva y vinagre. Para la comida principal, voy a preparar el pescado al horno con el arroz y las verduras a la parrilla. Las verduras son papas, cebollas, pimientos, y champiñón. Los pimientos hacen que las verduras sean picante. También voy a servir los mariscos al vapor con una salsa de mantequilla y tomate la sopa. La sopa es servir caliente y con el pan tostado.“
With the assignment of writing our menus it was very creative and personal which gave individual interest. I feel as though I have practiced in formulating my sentences better. I feel as though I would try to be more creative in the future and not just limit my thoughts to only what I like personally. Limiting my vocabulary because of my personal interest limits my learning and remembering possibilities. I enjoy food so a decent amount of the vocabulary was easy to read because it was interesting to me.
Interpretive Listening
For interpretive listening would be our youtube videos of the cooking ads for instance. We are to listen to these activities and get an idea of what is being said to the viewers. We may not understand all of the context but we are able to get an idea by using context clues. Another example would be listening to music which can help individuals remember words.
Outside of class I started listening to new music with Hispanic musicians, I have always liked listening to Hispanic music, but it is better now knowing part of the lyrics. It is challenging for me because of how fast they sing but it will help me understand a little better. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer is one of my favorites. The song Mia meaning Mine in the song is romantic once you learn the lyrics. I enjoyed the song in both Spanish and English so that way I could match what words mean what.
Interpretive Reading
Interpretive communication would be article or stories which are present our Lingro Learning assignments we discussed same sex marriage and that subject is touchy in some countries. We had several reading sections through our assignments that discuss their life in society and who is accepted and who is not.
Within the activities it was hard to comprehend the difference between the countries and how their society perceive same-sex marriage. This topic was very difficult because I feel as though it should be respected as any other marriage possible. I went digging and found an article that discusses the topic in the District of Columbia. Other countries that are a part of this article are Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay, as well as in some regions of Mexico.
“Ee. Uu.: La Corte Suprema Ratifica El Matrimonio Entre Personas Del Mismo Sexo.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020, https://www.hrw.org/es/news/2015/06/30/ee-uu-la-corte-suprema-ratifica-el-matrimonio-entre-personas-del-mismo-sexo.