Blog Review

I had a love-hate relationship with this blog. I felt stressed about it most of the time because we had to have 4 entries of each type; I sometimes felt like I would never come up with enough ideas. However, my classmates all had this fear, so we discussed it in class pretty often. This turned out to be pretty great because we all gave each other new ideas, and that was pretty exciting. I don't practice Spanish outside of class like I should, and this blog really helped with that.

Near the end of the semester, I had an amazing "Ah-ha!" moment when reading one of our assigned articles. It said something about students needing to make connections to the language they are learning in class to the real world, and this blog forced us to do just that. I never realized how much I encountered Spanish and could practice it, even in my own home.

I believe that this blog was a good idea, but it felt overwhelming at times. I mostly enjoyed the conversations that it sparked in class. It forced us to compare ideas and strategies. I plan on doing something similar to this with my students in the future, but I'm not quite sure how I would change it yet.

All in all, I can look back on this blog and appreciate the time and effort that I put into it. I feel that it helped me get over a little of my anxiety because I had to think outside of the box and do things that I normally wouldn't have (like attending international hour). I guess you could say that the love-hate relationship eventually transformed into a thankful love. :)

Sopa

Speaking is Spanish is the most difficult part of using the language--at least for me. I decided that in order to practice, I would find a recipe and relay what it said to a friend. I was hoping for brownies or cake, but I didn't find any with Spanish instructions. However, I found some fairly cheap soup and decided to try it. Although Megan is learning Spanish, she said that she is pretty unfamiliar with cooking terms because she skipped straight to Spanish 3 in college. I had to use lots of motions and pointing to get her to understand what I wanted. This task also allowed both of us to review commands. I thought back, once again, to the first week of class in which we discussed different theories. I thought of the one that said that exaggeration is necessary, and this is very true. I know that the more I practice this, the more comfortable I will be acting ridiculous.

My New Favorite Website

 I know this will give me more blogs than necessary, but I just had to share this website that I found. It's Duolingo and it is absolutely amazing. It's a free website to help you learn a new language. It gives you pictures and you have to type the target language translation. It gives sentences in both English and the TL and you have to translate to the other language. There are also questions in which it gives a word in the TL with multiple definitions below and you have to check all that apply. Sometimes it reads it to you, sometimes you have to listen with no reading, and sometimes you have to read with no audio accompaniment. When you first sign up, it lets you test yourself if you think you are above the lower-level lessons. It gives you three hearts, and if you miss three questions, then you must start all over. I can tell that I will be using this a lot because it is super easy to use and is pretty fun and challenging.

Making a List

Well, it's May...that means that in less than a month, I'll be on a plane and headed for Spain. I could not be more excited or terrified.One of the most difficult things for me (prior to the trip) will be packing. I tend to overpack, and I know that I can't do this because I'm going to want to buy all kinds of treasures while I'm abroad. I realized that there are some things that I should just buy once I arrive. Everyone tells me to buy a hair dryer overseas and just leave it there...then I realized that I had no idea how to say that, which would cause problems in locating one in a store. I decided that it was time to make a list, and it made sense to make the list in Spanish since that's how things will be labeled in Spain. I had to consult wordreference.com for a few of these things, but I did know most of them. My next project is to see if I can research how stores are set up overseas in comparison to the ones here. This is my list so far, but I'm sure I will think of more to add to it as the time gets closer.

Celular

Secador de pelo

Sello/estampilla

Champú

Acondicionador

Jabón

Medicina

I realized that this would be a good pretend project for my students when studying travel. I would also have them research the different types of products available; they may always use Tresamme shampoo, but is that available in their target country? I feel like this could grow into something quite large, so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. :)

Opportunities Abound at Wal*Mart

When I went home this weekend, I, as usual, talked my mother into buying a few things for me to take back to school. When we were in the pharmacy section of Wal*Mart, I spied a machine I hadn't seen in any of the other ones. It measured blood pressure, but also BMI and eyesight. I love new toys and technologies, so I ran right for it. I set it to Spanish just to take advantage of the available practice. This machine was pretty fantastic. I had to listen, read, and type in information. The reading part was the easiest, but the typing is what I really focused on because I rarely get to practice writing in Spanish. It was fun to tell my mother and brother what the machine was asking and what my responses were. It was also interesting to see them pick up on words that they didn't previously know. Because they know I'm as blind as a bat, they could pick out words from my vision results that they probably wouldn't have been able to figure out before. This let me know how important context clues and prior knowledge can be. While using this machine, I also thought about my thematic unit because it talked about daily health and eating routines. I may try to make a website or "game" that requires students to use the same skills that I had to when using this device.

E-mails and Spell Check

Because I'm a teacher's kid, I always kind of blurred lines between teachers and students. I was never under the impression that they pulled a cot from under their desks to sleep when students left for the day. My afternoons and summers were spent at school, whether it was the Lower Elementary at which my mother taught, or the school in which one of my friend's parents taught. Teachers' kids were all friends, and we roamed the schools once everyone else left. Because the lines were always a little blurry, I treated my teachers like actual human beings. Now that I've gone all around the world, let me make my point. Most people move on after graduation and have to try their hardest to remember their 9th grade geometry teacher's name, but that isn't the case with me. My constant connection to the school environment allows me to keep a constant connection with my teachers of the past. One of my favorite teachers was my high school Spanish teacher. He was the best teacher I've ever had and when people ask why I'm going to teach Spanish instead of English (which I would excel at), I simply tell them that I want to create more people like me. That may sound pompous, but what I mean by that is that Señor Ramirez made me absolutely love learning. He showed how fun and useful languages can be and made me feel so accomplished and proud when I mastered something new. If taught correctly, new languages can change a person. Again, I'm rambling. Sorry!
Because I keep in touch with my teachers, I decided to practice my writing by emailing Señor in Spanish. He has not yet responded, but I know he eventually will and will add corrections and tips. If he allows me to do so, I will probably email him while I am studying in Spain. I started out my language-learning journey with him, so I'm very comfortable with writing to him. Speaking, however, is a different story--he knows exactly where I started and where I should be.

Anyway, here is what I sent him. Although I just said that I was comfortable writing to him, I'm still a perfectionist and hate to mess up, so I felt a bit self-conscious when writing this.

Hola Señor!

Voy a intentar escribir este e-email en Español, pero es un poco (o muy) difícil. :) Estudiaré en España el junio. Voy a vivir en Alcalá. Está cerca de Madrid. ¿Tienes consejos para mi? Mis examenes son el primer semana de mayo, etonces voy a ir a Destin con mi novio. Después de vacacion, visitaré tú en PHS y prepar para mi viaje a España. No puedo pensar más para escribir. Mi cerebro no funciona antes de mediodía.

Hasta pronto

Looking back on my email, I see that it's very rigid. At this point, my writing should be more conversational. This is something that I definitely plan to work on, both in writing and speaking. I would encourage my future students to write to people they actually know. It makes the conversation more realistic, whereas if I told them to write an email to a made-up person, they may feel a bit lost. This class, as well as this blog, has taught me the value of real conversations, and I know that real conversations are easier to have with people you have known for a while.

ESPN Deportes

When waiting to eat at La Terazza last weekend, we were seated at the bar area. Like every other bar, they had the sports channel on. However, unlike most bars, the channel of choice was ESPN Deportes. This immediately caught my attention and I began to watch and listen. They were just going over highlights of a few wrestling matches, which I do not keep up with at all. However, apparently there was a little controversy  bout one of the fighters, so the discussion was pretty heated. In addition to two news anchors, they called in several other people. Because they did this, I got to hear a few different voices and dialects. I understood most of what they were saying because it was pretty repetitive, but there were also subtitles and statistics to help me out. Having to wait and just happening upon this station made me realize just how accessible Spanish could be in my own home. I could easily turn on the TV or radio as I do chores or homework and just listen to it in the background. This would not only help me with my listening skills and teach me new words, but it would also help me learn to listen while doing other tasks like I do in English.

International Hour

Last Thursday, I attended International Hour at the BSU. This is an event that they hold once a week. Students from all over the world who are currently attending MSU go to the BSU and fellowship with one another. This provides a great opportunity for those who are learning a new language to practice with a native speaker. Because Ruth goes often, she guided me around and introduced me to Spanish-speakers from various countries. We all had fun goofing off, talking in both Spanish and English. While we were eating, I asked for a few keys words that I knew I would definitley be using while I'm in Spain in June. I learned that ranch isn't translated at all---they simply say "ranch." I feel that little bits of information like that will make life abroad a little bit easier. I plan to continue going to this because it is a very relaxed atmosphere and I have friends who are learning to speak Spanish there to sympathize and help me along. I'm not sure how I could arrange for my future students to talk to native speakers face-to-face, but I do know that this is something that every language learner needs to do in order to get over their fear and anxiety of speaking in the target language.

Leer Una Revista

 

To practice reading in Spanish, I looked at a Spanish magazine. I had a few, but I chose this one but it wasn't a translation of an American magazine, so it seemed more authentic. When doing this, I realized that magazines are beneficial for many reasons. I was reminded that prices (as shown in ads) are written differently than in English. I also realized that magazines can be used to explore a nation's culture. The top stories, design of the ads, and even the recipes included in the magazine can all tell more about a culture than I previously would have imagined. From what I saw, magazines do not typically use very many "big words," so even those who are not fluent in the language can understand the message that is being conveyed. The pictures that go along with most of the articles are also a great help to the understanding of them. 

Por Telefono

As the semester is coming to an end, everything is piling up. As always, I have an oral exam in my Spanish IV class as part of the final. This time, it is a paired exam. Since my professor is so fantastic, we got to pick our partners. This not only eases my nerves because I get to pick someone who I can depend on, but it also makes studying and practicing easier. As usual when it comes to Spanish, my friend Megan and I are together. She encourages the use of Spanish as much as possible, so I called her to discuss when we would practice instead of just texting about it or discussing it in class. This was a great way to get some speaking down, and I mostly felt comfortable because it was a friend. Her enthusiasm is quite contagious. This conversation was very helpful because Megan wasn't afraid to correct me. I have a tendency to over-conjugate, like saying "necesitamos pracitcamos" instead of "necesitamos practicar." Megan, although she hasn't taken any education classes yet, has picked up on recasting. When I made that mistake, she said "Es verdad! Necesitamos practicar pronto!" She and I decided that we should have more phone conversations about everyday things in Spanish. We do try to speak mostly in Spanish when we're in class together, but to willingly use it outside of class is something that I believe will greatly improve both our fluency and our overall comfort in using the language. I'm not sure how I could have proof of my future students having conversations on the phone in Spanish, but I do believe it would be a good thing for them to do because I don't think that scripted or in-class pretend conversations would lead to the same results. 

El Mariachi

Every time I go home, I go to our local Mexican restaurant and have lunch with my best friend. It's a tradition we have kept up with for a while now, and I realized that I could use this to my advantage. Because we are there so often (and live in a very small town), the workers know our names and faces. We have a nice camaraderie, so I felt very comfortable asking them to order in Spanish...and that's what I did. My order is simple, so I didn't struggle much. However, I did have to ask how to say "sour cream." My waiter told me that it's "crema agria," but I don't know if this is the universal term for it. That is something I will have to look into before my trip to Spain.

This is definitely something I could do with my future students, as my high school Spanish teacher did with us.  I know that students love any reason to get out of school, so taking a mini field trip to a local Mexican restaurant would be a great incentive to have them practice their speaking skills in a real-life situation.

Hola, Charlie Brown

To practice both my listening skills and catching on to visual cues, I watched Charlie Brown videos in Spanish. Because this is a show directed at children, the topics are something that most speakers on the intermediate level will be familiar with. I will definitely use this in my future classroom. It's a good idea to center the videos around what is being studied in class. "Feliz Navidad, Charlie Brown" is great for studying about Christmas and holidays, while "The Manager" would be appropriate when studying sports and exercise vocabulary.

I really found these videos helpful because the characters overexaggerate all of their emotions and actions. This made it easier to understand what was being said (or not said). I realized that that was exactly what Krashen was saying with his Input Theory---students can "pick up" on the lesson and words when there are cues to go with them.

Ir de Compras

While home this weekend, I went to Walmart with my mother. The one we went to just recently opened and as most new ones do, it had self-check registers. I raced my mother to one so I could set it to Spanish. I love doing everyday tasks in Spanish because it gives me the opportunity to see words, phrases and commands that are very practical. Although I understood everything that the machine said, it was fun to see my mother, who hasn't taken Spanish since she was in high school, quickly pick up on the machine's commands because of the visual cues.

Although it would be unrealistic to bring students on a field trip to Walmart, activities similar to this would be helpful to teach students how to take advantage of visual cues as well as how to form and use commands.

Intrevista

Today, I listened to an interview with Sharika in Spanish. I found one that had English subtitles and decided that it would be the most helpful. Because both the interview and the interviewee are native speakers, I knew that they would be speaking very rapidly and subtitles would come in handy. I could easily use this in my future classroom when talking about music, or even awards (because Shakira has won many). I believe that this is a great example of an authentic text, and most of the words are familiar.

Las Noticias

Because of certain class projects that have been on my mind, I decided to look up the news in Spanish. I started out by just typing "las noticias" into Youtube, but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I eventually ended up on CNN and found a link for "CNN en Español." Here, I found an abundance of videos and news articles in my target language. One titled "El paso del asteroide por la Tierra" caught my eye. This article was about the asteroid that recently passed over the earth. 

Here's an excerpt:

“Existen muchos asteroides que estamos estudiando y que no hemos descartado que puedan impactar la Tierra, pero todos ellos tienen una probabilidad de impacto que es muy muy pequeña”, dijo Don Yeomans director de la Oficina del Programa de Objetos Cercanos a la Tierra en el Laboratorio de Propulsión de la NASA en una conferencia de prensa.

La NASA también informó que los observatorios de todo el mundo trabajan en estudiar este fenómeno en su paso cerca de la Tierra y que la noche de este viernes tendrán más información sobre la velocidad y tamaño del cuerpo.

I realized that although I did not know all of the words, I could understand most of it because I had prior knowledge of the event. Without this background information, the article would have been more difficult to read. I believe that if I were to use that discovery in teaching, I could easily show my students articles from the past, possibly even about major events, so that they could use their background knowledge to have a better understanding of what they are reading. 

Musica

Today, I listened to a few Spanish songs on Youtube. I quickly learned that if I do not have the lyrics in front of me, I cannot focus on or follow the song. I believe that this may be due to the fact that I do not have much experience listening to native speakers. I realized that I should try to interact with native speakers more, even if it's just by listening to music. 

The song I have attached is Despierta Niña. I chose this song because, after much research, it seemed to be one of the more popular and simpler songs in Spanish. Although I did not understand the song in its entirety, I gathered that it was a very sad love song. 



Listening to a song is very different than just listening to a conversation. The tone of voice is essentially the same throughout the song, whereas in a conversation, you can gather cues by changes in tone/pitch. If I were to teach listening using a song, I would find one that was very simple--repeats the same phrase over and over with a few variations. I also know that I would have to play the song multiple times. I feel that it would be beneficial to give them part of the lyrics, but leave words out so that they would have to listen carefully to understand what is being said. Even if they did not hear the missing word, they could use clues in their written lyrics to try to make a guess as to what the word was.

I do not know if listening to an interactive conversation would help me, so I may try this out in the near future. 

Leyendo en Español

This week, I attempted to read El Autobús Mágico. This is a Spanish translation of The Magic Schoolbus. 

This was very challenging because there were a lot of words I had never encountered. However, with a little effort and with the help of context clues and pictures, I was able to figure out most of the words. I realized that I can apply context clues to any situation in which I don't know just a few words. If I were to say that the way I read and figured out the words matched a certain theory, it would probably be i+1. I read something that was just a little above my level and was able to work through my issues and be successful. 

Texting in Spanish

For my first task of using my second language outside of the classroom, I decided to text my friend Megan Grice about our Spanish class and the homework we were assigned in it.

This assignment was both fun and challenging. I questioned almost everything that I typed because I hate making mistakes. However, because I was texting a friend, it wasn't awkward at all when she did have to correct me. I felt comfortable talking to her because she is on or near my level, so that took off some of the pressure and made it less intimidating. After doing this, she and I decided that we will text in Spanish whenever possible. It helped me with writing, obviously, but I found myself speaking through my thoughts before typing them, so I feel as if it may help me orally, too.