Social distancing has motivated me to pursue a new hobby, and in my case that is to brush up on my Spanish.
This way I can keep myself busy and learn something new in the process. I am a business major, but I decided to take Spanish, as well, this fall. It is the class I am most looking forward to this semester. I took Spanish in high school, but the language didn’t really stick with me.
Although I am taking Spanish as an elective to my major, I see it as a priority. I have class Monday through Friday, and at least an hour of homework every day, plus some weekend homework. If it were another class that I am not as interested in, I probably would complain all the time that there is too much homework. With this class, I look forward to completing my homework every day. I don’t look at it as a task, but as an opportunity.
Practically everyone in my family is fluent in Spanish, except me. I am the black sheep of the family. Imagine being at a family party and sitting at the dinner table hearing everyone talk among each other, but you cannot contribute because you don’t speak Spanish. Even my six-year-old cousin can speak more Spanish than me. I have to admit, it is frustrating. So, when I was looking through Whittier College’s class schedule for the fall, I knew I had to enroll. I need to challenge myself on learning a second language. I don’t expect to become fluent in one seven-week module this semester, but I do want to be able to carry simple conversations with my family members, as well as carry conversations with customers at my job.
I’m sure learning another language in person has more upsides, but my class spends a lot of time on an online learning platform for foreign languages called VHL Central. I can’t say we are losing much quality of the class by having Zoom lectures online. Overall, I'm very excited with what I have learned so far, and I am looking forward to learning more.
The class is very hands-on, and every day we practice speaking what we have learned through each chapter with groups and partners. There are oral interview quizzes with the professor and we get immediate feedback, which I think is the most helpful way to strengthen our communication skills in Spanish. This class will give me many opportunities in a social and professional setting beyond just receiving school credit.
I enjoy practicing with my family every day, and I'm thankful they can help me interpret words or sentences when I really need help. Now I can understand and respond in more conversations, which makes my family proud.
