Gracias Valerie por compartir tu historia con nosotros! Estamos tan contentos de tener la oportunidad de ayudarte con tu español y ser parte de tu hermosa aventura!

What do you like the most about learning Spanish?

I love learning about the Hispanic culture through the Spanish language. I also enjoy hearing the rhythm of Spanish and the trilled “r” sound.

Can you describe what you remember about your first contact with Spanish? Was it at school, traveling, or friends? How did you feel about being in situations where you had to be around people from other cultures?

My first contact with Spanish was in 11th grade in my Spanish one class. My teacher inspired me to keep learning Spanish with her great attitude while teaching. She had lupus and yet taught and worked in the Hispanic bus ministry. From then on, I never wanted to give up on becoming fluent in Spanish.

Then I decided to major in Spanish at High Point University. There I learned about the Hispanic culture and I loved my pronunciation class because this class seemed to unlock the secret to speaking more like a native speaker. I have studied abroad for short periods (like 2 weeks or less) in Hispanic countries: Granada, Spain, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Quito, Ecuador, Atacama Desert, Chile, and Costa Rica (my honeymoon). To me, learning and experiencing other cultures is what makes my world go round. Interacting with people from different cultures is what makes life wonderful. I used to practice Mexican folklore dance with the Ballet folklórico Mexican Tradition of Julio Ruiz and attend a Hispanic church where I could use my Spanish.

What does your Spanish learning routine look like? How many days/hours a week, times of the day, favorite rituals?

I try to read local newspapers such as Hola! Noticias and Qué Pasa 2 times every 2 weeks. I love to watch videos on Mokovi at least 3 times a week. I am enrolled in a Medical Interpreting Program and have weekly quizzes on bilingual medical terminology. I also have to listen to doctor-patient scenarios in a doctor’s office setting and interpret them. I do this by listening to an audio track. For example. I pause the audio after the doctor speaks and I have to interpret and do the same thing for the patient’s line. Also, I teach English as a Second Language 3 days a week so I get to hear my Hispanic students talk in Spanish during their break. I’m going to be starting my medical interpreting practicum this week at a clinic where I will shadow an interpreter and at the end get to interpret on my own. I’m so excited and nervous at the same time!

What do you like most about our platform? Do you have a favorite type of video or activity?

I love the featured Latino Community and Talking Points videos. I enjoyed the Rosca de Reyes and Panadería Royal videos. I also enjoyed the City Festival video interview with the flamenco dancer under Storytelling. I enjoy the updates posted about the latest resources such as the guide to YouTube Spanish Channels.

I also appreciate Valería´s translations and subtitles at the end of her videos. These features facilitate learning Spanish.

What are some of your favorite learning resources? Feel free to include textbooks, apps, websites, podcasts, YouTube channels, etc.

I enjoy reading local newspaper articles about culture and the latest news in Hispanic countries. I also enjoy learning Spanish through songs with subtitles. I´ve never listened to a podcast but I would be interested in trying to learn Spanish from one maybe. 

What do you think is the most difficult thing for you when learning Spanish? Do you have any strategies that you have used to overcome this particular obstacle?

For me, listening and understanding Spanish can get difficult. For example, if someone reads me an article in Spanish then my concentration will go down after 45 seconds and it will get harder to follow. When Hispanic speakers speak very fast then it gets harder for me to understand. Also, sometimes idioms are hard for me to understand. For me, Cubans can be extremely difficult to understand when they speak Spanish.

Maybe to overcome this, I could listen to songs from each Hispanic country with subtitles at the end. Or maybe if I watch cartoons in Spanish it would help me.

In a perfect world, after you get to the level of Spanish that you think is good for you, what would you be doing with your Spanish skills? We love (and support!) big dreamers, so feel free to go into as much detail as you want!

In a perfect world, I would love to be fluent enough to be a Legal or Medical Interpreter. This job would make me feel important. My goal would be to serve as a bridge of communication and help improve the lives of people with LEP (limited English proficiency).

If tomorrow you find out that you are the lucky winner of a one-month trip (all expenses paid, of course!) to a Spanish-speaking country, where would you go and how would you spend your time there?

I would love to go to Peru because I’ve dreamed of visiting Macchu Picchu and seeing the Nasca lines. My husband and I took dance lessons to learn the national dance of Perú which is the Marinera. It would mean a lot to me to be able to see that dance live. Peruvian food such as ceviche sounds delicious. Being a former owner of a golden hamster, I don´t know if I would be able to eat the guinea pig dish.

Is there anything else that you would like to add that we didn’t ask?

I appreciate this website and look forward to mastering my Spanish fluency with the very interesting and interactive videos!

Thank you Valerie for sharing your experiences and tips with us! Good luck with your medical interpreting practicum!