Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Instructions

Exploring Culture

The majority of products and practices that I have used to learn and understand Spanish culture have been by listening to Spanish music, watching movies, and by the Spanish class video assignments themselves that give brief explanations on greetings, places, and sports.

One of the ways Spanish music helped me to understand Hispanic culture is that in most Spanish music, (especially practiced from generations) the instruments being used, the way Spanish people dance to their music, and the way they sing, have influenced my learning of the culture. In Spanish movies, for example, the film Selena is a movie about the life of a Mexican singer that grew up creating songs along with the help of her family.

Engaging in Communities

In English, give a brief description of the value of, and importance of, engaging in your immediate community and the global community.

It can be useful for gaining even more understanding of the Spanish culture and learning to speak Spanish. It can also help for gaining job opportunities, friends, and traveling opportunities to Spanish-speaking countries.

Though I have had experience in Spanish classes, including the one I’m currently taking, I have been to a birthday party for my cousin a few years back. I remember that many of my family members were speaking Spanish and were going to dance. I forgot the names of the dances, but I remember they were all Spanish-related. I was always quite shy about it, but I did end up dancing a bit (My sister dragged me in). I still remember that day, despite the fogginess of the memory.

Interpersonal Communication

TalkAbroad basically talks about the cultures of Spanish-speaking people, particularly in more specifics toward certain events, certain people, and places. In the discussion board painters we a major part of this to me. I also learned through Aventuras.

Aventuras, though it was difficult to understand some of what they were saying, was helpful not only because it brought in cultural aspects of Spanish, but also because it helped me to get used to understanding what they were saying the more I listened to it. Talkabroad also had some moments even when they were speaking in English that I had a difficult time finding answers for and had to research for the answers. There wasn’t any difficulty in learning about the painters having gotten information about them from art history class.

Presentational Speaking

I have had oral interviews with my teacher and other students. The oral interviews made me nervous, partially because I didn’t get to study a good amount to do the best I could in the oral. However, I do feel as though the interviews helped me to remember Spanish words while thinking. I also, in most of the oral interviews, had an easier time answering questions more than asking the questions.

I believe that I just need to study more, that’s all there is to it. More specifically I may try a different tactic of repeatedly writing down questions and answers a multitude of times until it sticks into my head. Especially since I enjoy writing and drawing a lot. Flashcards were definitely helpful though and something I will continue doing.

Presentational Writing

I have done one for an oral presentation with a student twice. The second time I was in this presentation I was very tired I hadn’t gotten to study enough to memorize all of the questions and answers, and I already had to deal with other homework for my other classes on that day too. I had also completed a written composition and to be truthful I missed the second one and forgot to do that one, again due to other assignments I was working on. The composition helped me a lot actually for thoughts and memorization for oral practice along with writing practice.

I think that I have grown a lot despite the troubles, especially learning punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. I still have to get used to it more and especially when I have more free time I could really get into it. I have taken Spanish classes before this one and to me I felt that this Spanish class helped significantly more than my previous Spanish classes.

Peymon Aleagha

Spanish

2/24/2021

Composition/Brainstorm

Hola, me llamo Peymon Aleagha. Estudió arte e historia en la Universidad de Old Dominion. Me gusta pintar y dibujar. Deseo viajar a muchos lugares para pasar el tiempo con mi miembros de la familia. No me gusta cantar pero me gusta escuchar y ver a la gente cantar. Escucho música cuando estoy estudiando para un examen o prueba. Yo no trabajo en el momento pero pienso trabajar más tarde en el año.

Interpretive Listening

In English, give a very brief 2-3-line description of interpretive listening activities you completed this semester for or related to your Spanish learning. (See Modes of Communication link for description and examples).

I’ve done a few assignments on listening and many of them have to do with the adeventuras videos. I placed one below as a link.

Then, write a short reflection paragraph that includes the different things you listened to/heard this semester inside and outside of class or in the Language Learning Center or its website. Find a recording and add it to this section; be sure to cite it. What was unclear or challenging for you? How did you overcome this difficulty? What did you find most interesting or compelling? What was your takeaway from the listening experience? How have you grown with each activity?
https://m3a.vhlcentral.com/sections/1033171/activities/111350

Interpretive Reading

For reading, I’ve done a few reading activities, one of them below. There were three others I’ve done. One was on families, another on universities and the other was on Las Ramblas in Barcelona.

When it comes to reading I’ve had a few problems understanding at some point but for most of the case I understood the majority of what was being explained in the activities. Guia, to me, got my attention the most because of its explanations on artists, one being a photographer and the other a singer, as well as the buildings and what they are both used and famous for. For every activity I’ve read so far I have improved even more with reading and understanding sentence structure.

For reading I have also read about a Spanish painter and his paintings. His name is Salvador Dali and he is a Surrealist painter. He was an art student in Madrid and Barcelona and first drew a landscape and his family at a beach. As he grew up he began to find his own style in painting from 1929 to 1937. Once of his famous art pieces is called the Persistence of Memory.

                The Persistence of Memory, oil on canvas by Salvador Dalí, 1931; in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

Reflection

Overall, this semester has helped me to truly get to know a lot more about the Spanish culture and language. Though at some points, times were tough, even now, I do believe that I will be continuing to learn more about both the Spanish culture and the language itself. I have learned from the start pronouncing Spanish letters to know speaking Spanish in sentences which I find to be quite an accomplishment over a semester. There were a lot of fun times in class as well that made it different from a lot of other classes. I know that, because of the pandemic, everyone including me had more of a difficult time, especially since the last springtime. I will be taking my second Spanish class over the summer and then I will move on to studying Spanish on my own and make characters that speak Spanish in my stories. I will very much enjoy these times.