I should have started taking Spanish earlier.
To my surprise, I genuinely enjoyed the class.
The class was quite different from my past experience. It was immersive, interactive, and centered around real communication. I really appreciate the fact that the professor used simple Spanish consistently throughout the class, which helps create a natural learning environment. I found myself picking up words/ the pattern of the tunes and flows during the class without actively trying to memorize them. What also stood out was the interaction with my classmates. In most of my previous courses in math and computer science, there was little to no interaction beyond group projects. But this class fostered constant engagement, which is amazing. I got to know my classmates well. I remembered all their names within two weeks, something that never happened in my other classes. I genuinely appreciated the opportunity not only to learn Spanish but also to connect with each other and build a sense of community. I found myself greatly enjoy practicing spanish with them and reading their shared intercultural journals on Language Portfolio. It kept reminding me that behind every student is an interesting individual, and language learning becomes more meaningful when shared with others. I think human interaction is essential when learning a new language or culture, because we need to have curiosity towards each other and know that we are not alone in both our passions and struggles.
Throughout the semester, I set both short-term and long-term goals for myself. Well, to be honest my long-tern goal is to reach near-native fluency in Spanish so I can enjoy literature in the language and travel with greater ease. Among my short-term goals, the first was to speak more confidently and naturally in Spanish. While I’m not fluent yet, I have become more comfortable speaking and have made noticeable improvements in pronunciation and tone. I would say I definitely made some progress compared to the beginning of the semester. My second short term goal was “come up with a sentence more quickly in spanish”, “be more active during the class”. Inspired by Ema, I realized I needed to take initiative, practice consistently, and push through the anxiety that comes with speaking in front of others. I took some actions such as raising hands and attempting to actively answer the questions during the class, and using more phrases during the practice conversations with the classmates and etc.. I’m quite an introvert, so I was glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone during the process. I was also quite surprised and moved when received the encouragement from the professor through ARC emails.
Writing in Spanish was another challenge I set out to address. I struggled to connect setences and create coherent paragraphs in Spanish. While this remains a work in progress, I now approach writing differently. I try to write on my own first and then use Large Language Models for feedback and corrections. The key is to keep writing, as much as I can, in my own ways, so that I can build my own understanding and stimulate Broca’s area (the brain region responsible for language production). By actively producing, even poorly, I learned faster.
Listening used to be my biggest challenge. Early on, I noted that I could only catch isolated words like amarillo and girs and had to rely on deduction. I was frustrated, and Silvana reassured me: “At least you used logic to solve the question.” That comment stuck with me. It shifted my perspective from seeing listening as a test of instant comprehension to seeing it as a puzzle I could solve, just pick up as much as words I can hear, put them together, write them down, and bridge the gaps between. Later on, by using a mix of learning strategies, such as listening to some YouTube channels and podcasts like Notes in Spanish, I believe my listening skills improved a lot since then.
In terms of vocabularies, I have to say the online textbook exercises were helpful. Basically by taking notes on new vocabulary and expressions whenever they appeared, one can pick up more natural and native usage of the language, while also reinforcing grammatical structure. But sometimes it became quite time-consuming and I gave up doing that.
I explored Spanish-speaking cultures on my own outside the class. I read Las venas abiertas de America Latina (of course not in spanish), a book I strongly recommend. I can write a whole essay about that but perhaps for now let’s not shift the focus. I also revisited One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I first read in middle school, and I discussed its themes with my instructor during our tutoring session. I recently began watching the series adaptation on Netflix and am currently on episode three. I saved a Spanish music playlist someone made. It’s the kind of background music you’d hear in a cozy little bar. I played that list whenver I was working on my journals, spanish homework, reading others’ journals; sometimes also for my other course projects. Apparently it adds a relaxing and immersive layer to my study routine.
I think people can tell that I really enjoyed writing my intercultural journals. I’ve always enjoyed writing, thinking, and reflecting in general, but what surprised me was how easily and intensely memories could resurface through language learning. During one class discussion about the food, a random mention triggered the memory of a spicy coffee I had in a Mexican Starbucks. That one sensory detail opened the floodgates. Suddenly I was back in those winter days: with Sophie’s family, blowing bubbles in the park, laughing over meals, and holding Arnold. It amazed me how memory works, how a single detail can unlock an entire timeline. By the way, just a side note, I know I once mentioned that I had a notebook full of spanish swear words Sophie taught me, but the truth is, the first words I actually learned from her were te amo and tqm. I kept seeing tqm in the comments on her instagram posts when I followed her instagram and had to ask her what it meant when we first met each other. Ok, another funny moment from that trip: one day we accidentally walked past a sex shop, but neither of us realized it at first. We genuinely thought it was an edgy boutique selling some kind of avant-garde leather fasion, especially since her mon had just dropped us off right in front of it. We ended up stand there staring for a very long time. I ended up deleting those parts from my journal draft because, after rereading it, I thought, wait a minute … this just sounds super… eh… gay. Which, in hindsight, was not inaccurate. One of our classmates had actually messaged me after reading the journal, asking what ended up happening between me and Sophie because… apparently it read like we were dating. Well I was glad they figured it out that I’m part of the community, but awkwardly Sophie was just a friend of mine, and my ex-girlfriend was someone else.
My Intercultural Journal became a canvas for these strange, funny, personal moments, where I could record not just what I was learing, but how I was living alongside the language. I tried to not limit myself to a single theme on my intercultural journals. I think some of my entries were funnier to read, others explored more serious ideas, and a few were deeply personal. I also used the journal to share tools and strategies that helped me learn Spanish effectively. What I came to realize is that language never exists in isolation. It’s always wrapped up in context, emotion, memory, and culture. The journal gave me the freedom to explore all of that.
I had initially expected this semester to be less demanding, since I only took one course related to my major (capstone 2). That assumption turned out to be utterly wrong (which gave me a headache). I was extremely busy and occupied toward the end of the semester. During weeks 13 and 14, I averaged only three to four hours of sleep per night, juggling projects, experiments, paper writing, and occasionally Spanish. In the end, I didn’t get to study Spanish as much as I had hoped. Maybe I could have done better.
Over the summer, I hope to join a Spanish learning program, ideally in Latin America or Spain, where I can deepen both my linguistic and cultural understanding. I also intend to watch Spanish-language films regularly, starting with subtitles, and eventually without them. I’ll seek out conversation practice through language exchanges and online platforms. I’ll keep updating my Language Dossier on my website as a way to track progress and reflect on what works. My broader goal is to reach B2 proficiency by the end of next year. I’d also like to revisit Latin American literature. More than anything, I want to use Spanish in real life: to connect, to listen, to laugh, and maybe someday, to tell my own stories in someone else’s language.
This class was one of the most enjoyable and meaningful parts of my semester. I appreciated every lecture, tutoring session, and field trip. I’m truly grateful I had the chance to be part of it. Like I said at the beginning, this class reminded me that language is not just about practicing words and grammar. It’s about people, about connection. About understanding others and ourselves. I’m glad that my last semester in NYUAD ended way. I’ve learned to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve learned to be curious, brave, and open. And most importantly, I’ve learned how joyful it can be to connect with people across cultures.
Gracias por todo.
