I Am Here To Learn!
The Spanish language and Hispanic Cultures major is in fact my second major. Originally, I was a student in the Computer Science department. To an extent, jumping to the Spanish major was a means of lessening the burden of having too much schoolwork, but also relying on skills I gained in high school. Several factors that may or may not have been due to the level of difficulty I had during my time in that major factored into me transferring to a different major. In all honesty, I believe it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in regards to academics while attending CSUMB. In this major the atmosphere is way more welcoming, and I actually have a grasp on the topics from having taken several Spanish courses in high school. I am proud to be a member of such a warm and respectful group of individuals!
During my time in this major I have learned a lot about the history of several Spanish- speaking countries. Essentially, I have learned how they came to be and how their traditions have lived in and influenced their countries in the modern era. I have also gained a larger understanding of who I am. Many, if not all, of the linguistics courses that I have taken under the instruction of Dr. Rebecca Pozzi has shown me that there is nothing wrong with the Spanish I use. That there is generally no correct way of speaking any language that as long as we can use the basics of language to have a normal conversation, it should be sufficient enough for most situations. The way the Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures major is separated into specific parts of Hispanic culture, such as history, linguistics, culture, etc help out a lot in having one course teach a certain topic rather than have everything all jumbled into one class. The idea to not just use physical books and to buy online books as well, using a number of reliable sources, has also been a major boon throughout my time here. This flexibility allows for a greater usage of our time and gives us viewpoints as to what professional writers and researchers do in order to have their claims backed up.
I believe the areas that I am most proud about, which I have learned from this program, is my undertaking of linguistics. In essence I am passionate about why someone speaks the way they do, what influences that manner of speaking, what regional area that form of speaking is common in. I have also come to understand what has been done to diminish the idea that if they speak one way that they are lesser than someone who learned the language in a more formal setting. Many courses, depending on literature or history, helped improve my analysis skills in order to dive in deeper as to what the author was sitting on or what occurred during certain time periods of a nation. I also have really enjoyed the emphasis a majority of Spanish courses have in regards to being proud of which culture you come from, and to not be afraid to bring up any experiences you’ve had in it. It is important to look farther beyond the community you were raised in is what your parents or grandparents experienced while living in their home countries. The opportunity to learn about a second culture was also really enlightening about how we use our own pool of information to form a protective system in other nations and make sure we can maintain our cultures long into the future. Those views can either help understand that culture better or may be shattered when given a chance to have a closer look at how others live their lives. During my time in service earning I was placed in a situation where I had to interpret for a monolingual Spanish speaker, that put me in a tough position because I’ve only had to use my bilingual skills for family members and such. So this experience helped motivate me to try to improve upon my interpreting skills and not simply be left in a position where I believe I can do nothing.
In regards to my academic and personal life the areas that I wish to develop are my use of Spanish when speaking and my writing style. My Spanish, while viable in most situations, still lacks in some areas, mainly that in many situations I can’t seem to find the right word for one specific action or event. In some cases I still can pull off my rolling “r” for words like “perro” and any other words that have a rolling “r” in them. My form of writing has had some issues that are brought up now and then. For instance, I tend to leave incomplete sentences that I can add more onto. Sometimes I also include confusing sentences in my writing that do not sound well at all when spoken aloud. I also wish to develop my translating/interpreting skills. Previous situations that I have been placed in have helped me figure out what I should do to not get stuck in certain words or take so long to find the right word for every occasion.
During my time in this major I have learned a lot about the history of several Spanish- speaking countries. Essentially, I have learned how they came to be and how their traditions have lived in and influenced their countries in the modern era. I have also gained a larger understanding of who I am. Many, if not all, of the linguistics courses that I have taken under the instruction of Dr. Rebecca Pozzi has shown me that there is nothing wrong with the Spanish I use. That there is generally no correct way of speaking any language that as long as we can use the basics of language to have a normal conversation, it should be sufficient enough for most situations. The way the Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures major is separated into specific parts of Hispanic culture, such as history, linguistics, culture, etc help out a lot in having one course teach a certain topic rather than have everything all jumbled into one class. The idea to not just use physical books and to buy online books as well, using a number of reliable sources, has also been a major boon throughout my time here. This flexibility allows for a greater usage of our time and gives us viewpoints as to what professional writers and researchers do in order to have their claims backed up.
I believe the areas that I am most proud about, which I have learned from this program, is my undertaking of linguistics. In essence I am passionate about why someone speaks the way they do, what influences that manner of speaking, what regional area that form of speaking is common in. I have also come to understand what has been done to diminish the idea that if they speak one way that they are lesser than someone who learned the language in a more formal setting. Many courses, depending on literature or history, helped improve my analysis skills in order to dive in deeper as to what the author was sitting on or what occurred during certain time periods of a nation. I also have really enjoyed the emphasis a majority of Spanish courses have in regards to being proud of which culture you come from, and to not be afraid to bring up any experiences you’ve had in it. It is important to look farther beyond the community you were raised in is what your parents or grandparents experienced while living in their home countries. The opportunity to learn about a second culture was also really enlightening about how we use our own pool of information to form a protective system in other nations and make sure we can maintain our cultures long into the future. Those views can either help understand that culture better or may be shattered when given a chance to have a closer look at how others live their lives. During my time in service earning I was placed in a situation where I had to interpret for a monolingual Spanish speaker, that put me in a tough position because I’ve only had to use my bilingual skills for family members and such. So this experience helped motivate me to try to improve upon my interpreting skills and not simply be left in a position where I believe I can do nothing.
In regards to my academic and personal life the areas that I wish to develop are my use of Spanish when speaking and my writing style. My Spanish, while viable in most situations, still lacks in some areas, mainly that in many situations I can’t seem to find the right word for one specific action or event. In some cases I still can pull off my rolling “r” for words like “perro” and any other words that have a rolling “r” in them. My form of writing has had some issues that are brought up now and then. For instance, I tend to leave incomplete sentences that I can add more onto. Sometimes I also include confusing sentences in my writing that do not sound well at all when spoken aloud. I also wish to develop my translating/interpreting skills. Previous situations that I have been placed in have helped me figure out what I should do to not get stuck in certain words or take so long to find the right word for every occasion.