Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication
Exploring Culture: Throughout the semester, I engaged in various cultural activities to better understand Hispanic culture. I read books and watched movies that were written or produced by Hispanic individuals, asked some my peers from Spanish speaking countries about their origins. These activities helped me gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the values and attitudes in Hispanic culture, as well as how these compare to my own culture. I realized that cultural differences are just that – differences – and that they can be appreciated and celebrated.
Engaging in Communities: I recognize the value and importance of engaging in both my immediate and global community and I understand how it can change my perspective of the world as I know it. I worked at a dealership for 2 years in a predominantly Hispanic area and a huge part of my job was to work with mechanics who were mostly Hispanic. They would talk about where they were from, and teach me Spanish phrases, and even went as far to let me try Hispanic food. I made great friends and learned so much about them and their traditions by engaging in these communities, I was able to expand my cultural knowledge, develop new friendships, and learn about global issues affecting different communities.
Interpersonal Communication: I completed various interpersonal oral and written communication activities to improve my Spanish language skills this semester. These included Talk abroad conversations, discussion board posts, and writing and reading activities. Through these activities, I improved my ability to communicate spontaneously in Spanish, learned new vocabulary and grammar structures, and gained confidence in my Spanish writing abilities.
Presentational Speaking: I completed several presentational speaking activities to showcase my Spanish speaking skills. One of these activities was an in-class Spanish interview with the professor on thing I like to do. My challenges were trying to audibly understand Spanish. However, I excelled at on my Spanish verbs. In the future, I plan to practice more to become even more comfortable with publicly speaking Spanish.
Presentational Writing: I completed a few presentational writing activities to improve my Spanish writing skills. I wrote compositions, stories, and articles related to different topics in Hispanic culture, and also created flyers and pamphlets to promote cultural events at a school I worked for. Through these activities, the student improved their grammar and spelling, learned new vocabulary, and gained experience in writing for a specific audience.
Interpretive Listening: This semester I started to do interpretive listening activities, such as listening to Spanish music, interviews, and news broadcasts. One example is a news podcast on current events in Latin America. I found the speed of the news anchors’ speech challenging but was able to improve my comprehension by listening carefully and taking notes. I found it interesting to learn about different perspectives on global events and gained confidence in my ability to understand spoken Spanish.
Interpretive Reading: I completed various interpretive reading activities, such as reading articles, books, and websites in Spanish. One example is our Spanish homework. I found some of the vocabulary and sentence structures challenging but was able to improve my comprehension by using a dictionary and reading actively. I found it fascinating to learn about different aspects of Hispanic culture and gained confidence in my reading abilities in Spanish.
