Learning Spanish
In the beginning of this course I was excited to learn a new language. I quickly realized there are challenges I will face. The three core objectives are to read, write and speak the language. I found vocabulary pronunciation the most interesting. I struggled at times with thinking of what I wanted to say in a timely manner. The Language Learning Center provided great help in sentence formation and how to maintain fluid speech.
Below is my first oral presentation followed by my 5th oral presentation in Spanish 101. As you can see my vocabulary and fluidity have expanded. I also gained more comfort on digital forms of public speaking. I enjoyed learning new vocabulary and being able to apply it.
Reading I found to be the easier of the three goals. On the Lingro platform I easily navigated the practice assignments. Lingro allows more than one attempt but in the majority of the assignments I completed well on the first attempt. As you can see for this module my score was 99%.
Although reading practice went well I soon found timed exams to be a challenge with my highest exam grade being an 85. The mistakes were mostly simple and involved time management or writing.
In the writing portion some tasks I found easy such as verb congregating, and singular vs. plural subjects. I struggled with memorizing SER and ESTAR and when to use each. With more practice in the later modules sentence formation and the congegation of ser and estar became easier. The model of en la universidad, I found more challenging than the others. In reflection I feel like with more studying before hand I would have mastered this section with ease. This section involved more writing and irregular conjugation.
Saber and Conocer came a lot easier for me after increasing time studying .
In total I ran across challenges but with the aid of the Learning Center and some extra effort I feel like I have accomplished my goal of being able to read, write and speak in basic conversation in Spanish. I feel much more confident in my interactions using a second language. If I continue to use my new skills in Spanish I not only will become more fluent but increase my vocabulary beyond basic conversation.
Community and Cultural Expansion
After visiting the Language Center, I found having an unscripted conversation with another live person to be very helpful for me. I decided to reach out in my community. Twice a week I went to a restaurant named Don Pancho´s in my small community. There I met and became friends with the owner Angel. He happily provided conversation in Spanish and explanation of the language while I ate the authentic meals they serve.
Engaging in Communities
Angel explained different holidays in Mexico as well as traditional practices. A recent holiday that was celebrated was Good Friday and Passover in which they closed the restaurant to celebrate.
I also reached out to my local Spanish teacher in a more professional interaction. Ms. Neary and I conversed over email which employed reading and writing skills. She was raising money for her class to visit South America on a summer trip. Ms. Neary is from South America and travels home frequently. She has aided in pictures of authentic quizine and customs in the rural areas. She also provided a lot of information and visual representations of the geography of Mexico and South American Spanish speaking countries.
After entering beginning Spanish 101, I overcame challenges and met my personal goals. I took that information to explore my local community and make new Spanish speaking friends. I am excited to continue to learn more about their cultures as well continue to broaden my conversation and written skills. My next goal is to travel to see them in person. Our spring break vacation we traveled to Texas and got a little closer to the Mexican community. I found seeing and hearing Spanish spoken so frequently really helped to solidify vocabulary I had learned. Having foundations in Spanish definitely assisted in communication with people there. I cannot wait to continue my travels and continue learning a second language.
