Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Exploring Culture

In this class I have learned a bit about differences between American culture and Spanish culture.  The Spanish siesta was the most intriguing of the cultural norms that I learned about.  The idea of taking a nap in the middle of the day is not the most foriegn thing to me, but the idea of the entire workday revolving around it is.  The siesta causes the workday to end far later, but there is a long break in the middle of it.  The research into other cultures gave me a new understanding and appreciation for the cultures of other countries.

Engaging in Communities

When learning about a new culture and language, it is important to speak the language.  The best way to learn and understand a new language is to practice by talking and writing to a person who speaks and writes it.  One of my friends is hispanic, and I have taken time to talk to him about his culture.  I have also spoken to him in Spanish to learn more about it.  It has been easier to study with his help.  I have also been able to pronounce things more easily at Mexican restaurants when I go to them. 

Interpretive Listening

Understanding what someone is saying as they are saying it is an important skill in any language, not just in a new one.  The ability to listen to someone and respond back to people is the most important part of any language.  In a new language, this is difficult, especially with mask mandates that prevent people from lip reading.  The speaking portion of this class has helped me to learn critical skills for responding to people in a timely manner.  Remembering the differences in grammar between questions and answers has been one of the more difficult things for me in listening.  This link is to my conversation project. 

Interpretive Reading

Being able to place a word based on context clues was probably the most difficult portion of the homework for me.  It is a task that requires not only memorization of all the meanings of vocabulary words, but also the ability to place them in a sentence and conjugate them if needed.  Conjugation is not something that appears in English, which made it difficult to work with, but rewarding to learn.  The difference between saber and conocer tripped me up more than once.  This particular assignment required the use of context to figure out where traits had to go in a sentence.

Presentational Writing

Writing and speaking are two very different skills in language.  Writing is an invention by people, while speaking comes more naturally.  This makes writing a bit more difficult to grasp for some.  Writing forces you to think critically.  Below is a rewritten version of the first project we did in class.  The hardest part about writing versus speaking is the use of accent marks.  Each mark in every word has to be memorized, and it is a daunting task.  The writing projects helped me to learn these accents.

Me llamo Mandy Rector.  Tengo veinte años.  Mi correo electrónico es arect003@odu.edu.  Mi teléphono es 7573206242.  Mi fecha de nacimiento es veintiocho de diciembro de dos mil.  Soy tímida y simpatica.  No soy atletica y actíva.  Estoy cansada.  Tengo frio.