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Would
you make the same decision again?
Hablas espaol? Do you speak Spanish? A simple question, yet my mind went blank.
Back home, alone, I could answer that question with ease. But standing in Costa Rica, face to
face with a local, I was at a loss for words. Some rudimentary Spanish tumbled out of my
mouth, and the man nodded, but I knew I sounded like a preschooler. I wanted to shout Im not
stupid! I know what Im trying to say! It was the first time Id ever struggled to express exactly
what I want. It made me feel powerless, frustrated, and honestly, a little stupid.
I took that trip to Costa Rica as a learning expedition with my sophomore class. It was
the first time Id traveled to a Spanish speaking country, and after that experience, I gained
some insight into how foreigners must feel when they come to America. They arrive surrounded
by Americans who think fast and talk even faster, and their formation of personal connections is
hindered by the language barrier. I paralleled this barrier to my own trip, and wondered how my
While there, we also learned about EARTH Universitys Spanish immersion program.
Students who speak another language arrive in San Jos three months before school begins to
live with a host family, and by the time classes start, they are proficient enough in Spanish to
take college level courses in their non-native tongue. This made me question why Id been in
Spanish class for four years and still wasnt at the fluency level of those university students who
My frustrations peaked during my junior year. I was taking AP Spanish IV, and class
consisted of perfecting grammar and answering analysis questions over random passages. I felt
misguided, and I doubted the practicality of those AP skills in a real world environment like
Costa Rica. I realized that authentic Spanish cannot be learned effectively while preparing for a
Spanish AP Test. The idea that students can improve their language skills in such a technical
classroom setting is just wrong. Whats the point of getting a five on the AP Exam if I cant
converse with a native Spanish speaker and form those personal connections that make
traveling so special? Why are we stuck in Spanish classes for most of our academic lives, yet
Spanish class that wasnt already offered at my school, a class taught for application in the
world, not on a test. After discussing my idea with the Spanish department head and the school
counselor, I searched for a teacher who would agree to instruct the course and rallied up twenty
student signatures. By the end of junior year, my counselor confirmed that my class would
Now its senior year, and my school offers one period of Spanish V Conversation.
EARTH University taught me about Spanish immersion, and I decided that the most important
aspect of the course would be to speak Spanish at all times. Instead of taking a quiz on the
preterite tense, we discuss our goals in Spanish. We read the news in Spanish, play games in
Spanish. We understand each other, we learn from each other, and we dont need a textbook.
Our teacher and other fluent students support us and engage us. We are replicating Spanish
immersion to the best of our abilities, and its working. I have never felt more productive in a
Spanish class. And although I wont be taking the Spanish Literature AP Exam in the spring for
college credit, Ill be doing something more valuable: Ill be learning how to understand an entire