What a person gains from learning a foreign language can be quite amazing. I’m only able to speak from my own experiences, which have been extremely positive in almost every aspect. I have studied Spanish at a number of American schools, as well as at schools in Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico. I have also studied independently and continue to do so as time allows. I have found that foreign language study is so much more than learning to communicate in a new way; it is an opportunity to learn about others and open your heart and mind to different cultures.

I took my first Spanish classes at a junior college(1) in 1996 only because it was a requirement to transfer to a university. To my surprise, the classes were very stimulating for me; I actually enjoyed studying grammar and I found the Latino culture fascinating. I had professors that were native speakers from Spain, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico, so I not only had the opportunity to learn from a variety of teaching styles, I also learned about a variety of cultures within the Spanish speaking population. This foreign language experience inspired me to pursue Spanish further, so I signed up for a study abroad program in Costa Rica.

In 1998 I traveled to Costa Rica and stayed with a host family who didn’t speak English. This forced me to speak Spanish, although at times it was difficult and frustrating because the language was still new to me. I had to find creative ways to communicate which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I attended classes at a local school(2), but they were not always well structured. In fact, my teacher stopped coming at one point so we had a substitute for the remainder of the course. The class was small (about five students) so we received a lot of individual attention, but overall I learned the most from my host family. They made me feel like part of their family immediately and I still communicate with them to this day.

In 2001 I traveled to Spain, where I was exposed to a very different culture from that of Costa Rica, as well as an accent I was not familiar with. Again I stayed with a host family, but I never felt like part of the family as I did in Costa Rica. I didn’t have as much interaction with locals in Spain; the people were not as friendly and seemed to be less open to conversation. On the other hand, the classes I took at the University of Salamanca(3) were excellent. The professors were serious (but fun), very knowledgeable, and had high expectations for their students. The classes were more structured and broken down into sections of grammar, practical use of language, and culture. I thought my foreign language experience in Spain was very well-rounded, but it was certainly less personal than my experience in Costa Rica.

More recently I traveled to Mexico to continue studying. This was a marvelous trip because I found the people to be hospitable, friendly, and fun. I again chose to stay with a host family rather than in a hotel or dorm in order to challenge myself and gain more practical use of the language. I took classes at a private language school in Guanajuato(4), where the teachers were extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and they would not allow English to be spoken in the higher level courses. I thought this was great because the classes were made up of students from all over the world and the only common language was Spanish. This particular program also offered optional cultural lessons about popular Mexican movies, literature, cooking, and dancing at no extra cost, which was a nice addition to the regular courses. I enjoyed the program in Mexico, and learning was fun because of the variety of themes and techniques that were used throughout the course.

I continue studying Spanish on my own and I plan to study abroad again in the future. Each experience has opened my window to the world a little wider and I love the view! My foreign language experiences have not only been enjoyable, but enlightening. I would like to help guide others in having such positive experiences, which is my purpose for taking the TESOL certification course. I can only hope to do as good a job with my students as my teachers and professors have done with me.

References:

• Elementary Spanish- Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, Washington, USA. 1996-1997.
• Mixed Level Spanish- Centro de Idioma, San Jose, Costa Rica. Summer 1998.
• Intermediate Spanish- University of Salamanca, Spain. Summer 2001.
• Advanced Spanish- Don Quijote Language School, Guanajuato, Mexico. December 1995.

Kelly Jensen