In high school Spanish, we learned “aretes” as the word for earrings, so when I asked for them at a museum gift shop, the employee grabbed them for me. But she also taught me that Spain says “pendientes” for earrings and “aretes” is mostly heard in South America.
When my friends and I were leaving Toledo, a man on the escalator waved hello and said a phrase we thought we recognized but couldn’t remember. As we debated the meaning, a girl in front of us turned to share that it was a compliment, very specifically used in Spain.
Everyday in Alcalá, and the other cities I visited in Spain, I learned something new. I thought the only teachers I’d have were Maca and Mercedes, but little did I know I’d meet teachers in every tienda, restaurant and bus station we visited. My constant growth throughout the month showed me how my greatest concern was actually the greatest advantage. Before Alcalá, I worried about coming to Spain as a student, and although I’m proud of my Spanish-speaking level, I knew that communicating with native speakers is different than writing papers or making slideshows. I worried about frustrating waiters when I didn’t know the right words or confusing train attendants with nonsensical questions, but every interaction I had reversed my concerns.
Being a student in Spain is the whole point of studying abroad! It’s so exciting to learn new words and phrases during 30-second moments with strangers. Instead of being embarrassed to say something wrong or use weird wording, I had fun piecing together words I knew to express myself and I awaited what new term or phrase I could learn from the interaction.
I spent many years as a Spanish student who was afraid to speak Spanish. Spain helped me wear down this fear and showed me that trying and making mistakes is the best, and most fun, way to improve. As I finish my academic career at Pitt, I plan on making more mistakes.
During my final semester, I’ll be student teaching and above all else, I want my students to make mistakes. The kindness and patience of my professors, waiters, store owners and strangers made me excited to try to communicate and be wrong some of the time. As I transition from a Spanish student to a Spanish teacher, my priority will be empowering my students to speak and express themselves however they can. I want to avoid the kind of anxiety around using Spanish that I experienced for so many years of my language education. In my classroom, I’ll share every story from Spain and every lesson I learned, especially those from beyond the classroom. My students will know that attempting to communicate in Spanish is worth every mistake and mispronunciation.
Spain has been the most special experience in my years of Spanish education. I am forever changed by the classes I took, friends I made, cities I visited and food I tried. As a future language educator, I feel profound appreciation for the opportunity to study abroad and recognize how essential the experience is for language learners. My approach to teaching will be deeply impacted by these four weeks and I look forward to returning to Spain and making more mistakes, because in every interaction, there is something to learn.
