Exploring Culture

Spanish 102 has definitely increased my awareness of the Spanish culture and history on both continents, especially through the readings/videos in VHL, discussion boards, SCC and in TalkAbroad. Spanish 102 has been very challenging, enlightening, fun and sometimes confusing and frustrating…but so worth it.

Spending my time reading about the Spanish culture such as Machu Picchu and the Inca civilization, the mercados al aire libre, el Caribe, and foods of Spain and Latin America helped me became more aware of the rich Spanish culture not just in other places but here in my home town. The local tiendas such as Jessy’s which is just blocks away from my home, the Spanish language signage in stores where I shop and on street signs, listening to shoppers speaking Spanish as I shop for food or clothing…the Spanish language and culture is all around me. I also enjoy watching Spanish series and movies on Netflix. The videos in VHL Adventuras, which I watched over and over, were a great insight into the Spanish lifestyle and vocabulary… greetings, food, money, vacations and more.

Engaging in Communities

Since the Spanish community is all around us, it is so beneficial to engage in the opportunities to communicate and participate. I am fortunate to have neighbors who moved here from Barcelona. They always appreciate my stilted efforts to converse with them in their native language and encourage me, correct me and help me to improve my language and writing skills. I also get to enjoy the occasional paella or glass of Cava at their home. Que rico! One thing I have observed about them is their enjoyment of gathering around a meal in their kitchen with family and friends. Quality time! The world is getting smaller and also more global, so being open to new cultures and experiences is vital. Being a part of the language studies in ODU is also an important component in engaging in community and growing in language skills. Gracias!

Interpersonal Communication

Talkabroad, SCC, and the Entrevistas were such a valuable opportunity to put my language skills to practice. Though I was very nervous before each conversation, afterwards I was always encouraged and learned something new to help me in my next experience. I will always try to think of Yoda when I am formulating my sentences.

Presentational Speaking

Outside of our Module assignments , SCC and TalkAbroad, I also recorded a Zoom video presentation which is attached below. I spent hours recording and re-recording…sometimes losing my voice along the way…and though there are definitely some mistakes… like saying jugo instead of juego, por ejemplo, I am fairly satisfied with the final result. It was quite the learning experience and I now have a nice memorized script to build on for future conversations.

Presentational Writing

Each Module provided writing opportunities though discussion boards , VHL and compositions.  I definitely think my Spanish improved through my writing assignments. I was able to spend time studying the material and research phrases and learn from my mistakes. I really enjoyed the discussion board posts and enjoyed reading the other students postings.

Interpretive Listening

Listening is a skill that I need to practice more. At my current level, it is essential to focus on the sentence structure and listen for learned vocabulary. Sometimes I find myself zoning out because I hear a word I don’t recognize and lose my train of thought.

Interpretive Reading

Interpretive reading activities were practiced often in VHL. It was very interesting and educational to read about a subject, either in English or Spanish and respond to what was read.