Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Exploring Culture

Taking SPAN201 further exposed me to values and attitudes in the Hispanic culture, much like the Spanish classes of previous semesters. By engaging via discussion board posts, videos, and projects I was able to get a closer glimpse into aspects of Spanish culture like art, ecotourism, and fashion. I hazard to say that I don’t believe my own worldview was challenged so much, only because I consider myself to be a very open minded person. Since taking Spanish classes at ODU, I’ve abandoned any stereotypes or misconceptions that I may have held prior due to how much I’ve learned.

Engaging in Communities

It is insanely important to engage with your immediate community and the global community. We, the people, have a duty to look out for each other. We, as neighbors, are all we have. In learning more about Latin American culture, it appears that their culture has more of a collectivist mindset than American culture. It is inspiring, and simultaneously, saddening to see. I think of our unit on ecotourism as a perfect example. I had never heard of the concept prior to this class, and it may be incorrect to assume that that isn’t a thing in the US, but if it is – it’s not talked about much.

Interpersonal Communication

This semester we were assigned two TalkAbroad conversations. Even though I haven’t done the second one yet, I did enjoy the first one. It was a different, but lovely, experience speaking with a native Spanish speaker. Stephany was funny, and she made me feel at ease while talking to her. I explained to her that while I have mastered quite a bit of Spanish, I still experience a considerable amount of anxiety when I have to speak. Stephany made me feel comfortable, and shared with me that I’m not the only one who experiences this. Many non-native speakers get nervous speaking, especially with native speakers for fear of saying things incorrectly or sounding silly. Although I recognize this, it is an involuntary response and something that I have been working on. I’ve since discovered that it is natural to get a little nervous, but that I’m not being judged and it is even expected for me not to know everything as it is a language I’m still learning. This has given me confidence, and it is something that I will continue to practice as I progress in my education, with Spanish or otherwise.

Presentational Speaking

We were assigned several presentational speaking activities throughout the semester. I would consider myself to have pretty good pronunciation when speaking in Spanish, however, when I have to speak on the spot in class I tend to clam up and forget everything I know. It is a major mental block that mostly stems from nervousness. One thing that I’ve been practicing is to take my time listening to what I’m being asked and simply think. Then, I try my best to take my time in responding. Also, in all of the speaking activities that we’ve been assigned, I have come to recognize how much more taxing speaking Spanish for an extended period of time is physically because it’s not something I’m used to doing. Where I am in learning Spanish, I may not be able to speak as quickly as I can in English. There is nothing wrong with speaking a little slower so that I don’t get fatigued.

Presentational Writing

We weren’t assigned too many presentational writing activities this semester, outside of discussion posts. I believe that my strength in learning Spanish is writing. When writing, I have more time to process what it is I want to say. Since taking Spanish classes at ODU, I have also made it a habit to try thinking in Spanish as much as possible. It has really helped with my writing skills. I believe that my Spanish writing skills will only continue to improve over time.

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Interpretive Listening

We did many interpretive listening activities throughout the semester, mostly in the way of Lingrolearning assignments. These exercises were great practice in listening in Spanish. They encouraged me to listen more slowly, and more closely. Also in interpretive listening, it encouraged me to use my context clues when trying to understand words that I wasn’t familiar with. These activities have helped me be a better listener overall, not only in Spanish, but in English too!