Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication
Exploring Culture
Exploring different cultures throughout this semester was a major help in my Spanish learning experience. For each module, I was required to dive deeper in specific parts of different cultures during discussion board posts. These allowed me to connect with different parts of the world and better understand the traditions and lifestyles of people in Spanish-speaking nations.
One of the best examples I can provide is from Modules 8. In this module, I learned about different foods in Spanish-speaking countries. This helped me better connect with the information I was intaking during these weeks. During the discussion boards in the units, I was able to compare my life experiences with those in other countries and expand my world-view. One major takeaway from Discussion Board 8 was the knowledge that there are so many variations of foods throughout different Spanish-speaking countries. Here in the US, we experience a lot of Mexican food, but that is just the beginning of the exploration of Spanish foods. This allowed me to better understand what is eaten on a day-to-day basis in other countries.
Discussion-Board-8-SPAN-102Engaging in Communities
I was able to engage in communities at various times throughout this course. I believe this is quite possibly the most important part of learning Spanish to me. I want to be able to communicate with more people, expand my knowledge of the world, and immerse myself in different communities throughout my life and my career. I believe the first step to this is learning Spanish.
One of the things that helped me most was LingroLearning, specifically the Exploración cultural portions of the modules. In Module 8, we focused mainly on different types of food and the various cultural traditions surrounding food in Spanish-speaking countries. In the Exploración cultural section, we were asked to research typical dishes and beverages in a country of our choosing. I chose to explore Costa Rican food and have attached a PDF of my findings below.
Engaging-in-Communities-SPAN-102Interpersonal Communication
Throughout the semester, I completed two TalkAbroad conversations. In the second conversation, my partner and I discussed our favorite foods and how we stay healthy through exercise and nutrition. We asked each other questions and explained which foods were popular in our country.
This TalkAbroad conversation definitely challenged me in many ways. I had trouble filling the entire 15 minutes because of my limited vocabulary. If I were to redo this assignment, I would have prepared more questions in order to lengthen the conversation. With that said, I am proud of the way I described what my favorite foods were and I did think I asked questions that intrigued my partner. I enjoyed getting to know her life experiences and her nation’s traditional foods.
Presentational Speaking
At the end of each unit, I completed a Proyecto to display what I had learned throughout the module. After module 8, I made a presentation discussing my favorite dish to prepare and the steps it takes to make the meal. I also discuss the necessary ingredients for the pasta bake.
Without a partner, I was challenged to fill 3 minutes of video time discussing this topic. If I were to redo this project, I would most definitely make a longer video and go into more depth about the steps of making the dish. I do think I excelled at explaining the necessary ingredients. I also think I presented the information in an accessible way. I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses in my Spanish grammar and vocabulary throughout this project.
Presentational Writing
During Unit 9, I learned about maintaining a healthy body and mind. To show my knowledge on this topic, I created an infographic explaining how to combat seasonal depression. I explained symptoms, prevention, and treatment options.
Out of all my projects and assignments, I think I am the most proud of this one. I loved being able to creatively explain something in Spanish that has impacted my life. I do wish I would have gone into more of an explanation about the resources available at ODU, but overall, I am very happy with the end result. It was difficult for me to explain the mental health issues because of my limited vocabulary, but I think I excelled at presenting the information in an interesting and productive manner.
Proyecto-9Interpretive Listening
The discussion boards I interacted with in this course included many videos that challenged my listening skills. In the Unit 7 discussion board, I was required to listen and watch a video about the popular sports in Spanish-speaking countries. I then had to answer questions about the video and about my experience with sports.
As I have stated in the above sections, listening and interpreting has been a challenge for me throughout my Spanish courses. This difficulty followed me into this assignment and it challenged me to slow down and listen to the video multiple times in order to fully understand what was being said. I do think I did well in interpreting the video after I watched it a few times and my answers to the questions were thorough. My takeaway from this assignment was that I need to take more time to study and experience the Spanish language.
Interpretive Reading
Module 10 was the last module I completed in this course. In the Exploración cultural portion of the LingroLearning module, I read about different types of careers and the gender roles that keep influence career choices in Hispanic countries. I then studied one country and the careers that are dominated by different genders in the nation.
In this assignment, I had to really understand the different cultures throughout Hispanic nations and I had to apply the vocabulary learned throughout the module to understand the text. This was challenging as I had not had much time to become familiar with the career vocabulary. I enjoyed comparing careers here in the US to those in Costa Rica. I also think I understood the gender differences in careers which I was excited to learn about. I grew to understand the gender roles in Costa Rica much more clearly because of this assignment.
Exploración-Cultural-Module-10