2 minute read
From classroom learning to daily routine: Celebrating my passion for foreign language |
Allie Gillman ’23 Buisness Manager
Swiping blindly at the buzzing phone on my nightstand to silence my 6:30 a.m. alarm, I roll over to check my phone and am greeted with “desliza hacia arriba para usar Face ID o ingresa el código” (swipe up to use Face ID or enter password). While I drive to school, Siri rattles off text messages and news alerts aloud in Spanish. Having used these language preference settings long enough, I have become very comfortable navigating my phone completely in Spanish and dictating commands to Siri in quick, instructive sentences. Now, I prefer my Spanish-speaking phone to its choppier English counterpart.
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I will soon transition into college with the intention of studying International Relations. When adults ask me what career I want to make out of IR, I typically do not know how to satisfy them with a neatly packaged answer. But I do tell them one thing for certain: my career will be directed by my passion for learning languages.
I have been taking foreign language classes since elemen tary school. In my experience, current primary and secondary foreign language education does not go far enough to set us on a track to fluency. This contrasts starkly to schools in Europe and Asia or American bilingual schools, where many students are taught to speak at least two languages fluently from a young age.
Frustrated that I did not feel adequately challenged by my school and interested in achieving fluency, I sought out other resources to make the jump from classroom learning to experiential learning. I watch television shows and listen to music in Spanish to adjust my ear to the rhythm and sounds of the language. I make an effort to chat conversationally with Spanish speakers in my life, from family friends to teachers. And I have even been fortunate enough to immerse myself in the language several times through trips to in truly making progress and building confidence in a second language. The acknowledgment that I am becoming adaptable, not limited solely to interacting through the perspective of the culture in which I grew up, is a gift that language learning has brought me throughout high school and a goal to which I plan to dedicate myself in the future.
Language learning bridges the gap for me between abstract classroom learning and integrating a subject into my daily life.
By throwing myself into conversations with native Spanish speakers and developing a preference for speaking Spanish with them, I not only feel empowered, but also realize my interactions can be more authentic in a way that cannot be simulated in a classroom context.
Of course, the ability to speak two languages comfortably can open doors for the career path I will pursue. At a simpler level than that, however, taking language learning to a practical level has turned me into a linguistics nerd, and
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ing of childlike glee when talking about their interest. From the vast pronunciation differences between Spanish and Portuguese, to the rhythmic differences between Igbo and English, to the sing-songy tone of “Chilango” accents (inhabitants of Mexico City) as compared to other regions of Mexico, I could talk about languages without fail for hours.
Language learning bridges the gap for me between abstract classroom learning and integrating a subject into my daily life. I have discovered the humanity in speaking multiple languages—by expanding my capability to communicate, I find myself having more respect and empathy for more people. My interactions speaking different languages challenge and enrich my brain in a way that fuels a desire to keep learning more about my second language, as well as pursuing new languages, without the inhibition and fear of making mistakes. This is how finding a passion has defined itself for me as I prepare for the next chapter in my education, and I encourage my peers to search for this feeling of fearlessness as they open themselves up to the possibilities of their post-high school experiences.
