Artifacts

Here we see me speaking in a flip grid discussion post to classmates at the beginning of the semester. Here I am discussing my majors, my family, and what I like to do in my free time. Reviewing the footage I can hear where I struggle to say certain words like ” Sociología” and I have since learned the “g” is more of a “he” sound when speaking. I have a hard time not sounding so “rigid” when speaking and I am working on being more fluid when speaking Spanish.

Interpersonal Communication

We participated in two 15 minute talk abroad conversations with other adults in different countries. This experience allowed us to showcase our skills that we learned over the last two semesters and also be able to broaden our cultural experiences. In this experience we discussed our families, what we liked and didn’t like to do for fun, and what some of our favorite dishes were from our native countries. I was able to speak with a lovely woman from Mexico who had a large family, loved food, and also loved nature like I did. I really enjoyed speaking with her and learning more about her and her country through her language. I really enjoyed this experience and this was probably my favorite activity we did in the class. Below are pictures of the work sheet we completed for the Talk Abroad assignment where we filled out new words used and questions we asked our partners. These pictures were from both sessions.

Presentational Speaking

We had the opportunity to have formal conversations with our instructor in Spanish. I struggle at times with speech problems and memory issues due to certain health conditions, so I found that to be a struggle. I also found that if I got to stuck in my own head and stuck on a word it would mess up my entire train of thought. If I let the conversation flow naturally though I was able to hold a conversation much easier. I have also learned as long as I continue to study as if Spanish was my first language I will

continue to get better. In the picture below; you will see a screen shot of a recording I did in our Lingrolearning text discussing a title of my dream professions, tasks needed to do the job, and reasons why this would be my ideal career. I also have pictured a screen shot of me doing an alphabet speaking assignment that had to be completed at the beginning of the semester. We were to listen to the word or letter sound in Spanish and repeat it on video. This helped me to understand the letter sounds much better in Spanish language.

Presentational Writing

We would showcase our skills of this through our exams and through discussion boards. I would build sentences with words that I knew to explain likes, dislikes, etc. Such as “Me gusta correr en mi tiempo libre.” or “Mi familia le gusta ir a Disney World.” and ” Para la cena me gusta comer pollo con arroz y pimientos.”

In the first picture, it is a discussion post discussing a video we were asked to watch that was a video spoken in Spanish. We were asked if we could understand what was being said and to answer a question related to the video. In the video they were discussing what their favorite sports were and then we were asked to discuss what our favorite sports were.

In the second picture we were asked to read an article discussing how Hispanic family dynamic is and compare it to our own family dynamic or culture. In Hispanic cultures, family is very important to people and they are very involved in family gatherings and events which isn’t so much the case here in American cultures. That is one thing I really enjoy about Hispanic culture is how involved in family they all are.

Interpretive Listening

During this semester we had a chance to do interpretive listening through talk abroad discussions, flipgrid conversations with class mates, and speaking with our instructors. This activity really helped to showcase what we really learned and understand throughout our lessons. In the picture below, you will see a screen show of an assignment from our Lingrolearning text where we had to listen to the question in Spanish and answer questions about it.

Interpretive Reading

For interpretive reading we were able to demonstrate our skills in this through our exams and our discussion boards. Some parts would prove to be a challenge; but as you do in English; I would use context clues and find words that I knew to figure out the meaning of the rest of the text. Below you will find a screen shot of an assignment from our Lingrolearning text where we had to read the question in Spanish then find the correct answer.

Overall, I can see my growth in being able to barely speak and understand Spanish language to being able to speak, understand, and use words appropriately over the last two semesters of taking Spanish here at ODU. The formal speaking portions both with my instructors and with the Talk Abroad community were really helpful and helping me to see my weaknesses but also my strengths. It really was a very useful and wonderful experience and I hope to continue to grow and expand my skill of Spanish speaking in the outside world. I feel this skill will be extremely useful to me in the work force and in life in general. I think it is important to try and learn other peoples cultures and understand their way of lives and that includes their native language and cultures as well.