This is the English version of my blog post.
Hi everyone! I can’t believe we’ve been in Costa Rica for a month. It’s been almost a month since I wrote my SMART Goals, so now’s a good time to reflect a bit on a specific one. One of my goals was to learn more Spanish, and I need to be honest with myself. In reality, I practiced a little each day with my friends, but as soon as I didn’t know a word, I immediately went back to speaking in English. For me, it has been a bad habit for every language I learn. My Spanish is not bad, but it’s not good either. It’s been two long years since I took a Spanish class, and I don’t remember much besides the basics.
You’re probably asking why this blog is completely in Spanish. Well, I felt guilty describing this experience in English. So, this is my punishment good opportunity for practice and compensation because I didn’t put in enough effort this past month. My goal is to talk more fluently by August, and I only have one more month. This blog is being written first in Spanish without using translators unless absolutely necessary (update: it was very necessary). In the end, I will copy all to Google Translate to verify. I read online that one of the best methods to learn a language is to write every day about your day. This way, you can use a vocabulary that applies to your normal life, specifically for you. Writing is my favorite part of learning a language because it is a valuable time to form sentences carefully and thoughtfully, as well as to look for some things I do not know. At first, I wanted to do this method, but I was lazy. There are many more methods to practice a language, including speaking with Spanish speakers, reading newspapers, watching television, or listening to music (which my co-worker recommended to me). Many of these seem obvious, but why don’t I do it?
A little is because I’m avoiding awkward and embarrassing moments, but if I’m with kind people who want me to learn, then I have nothing to lose. To learn a language, you need to have courage and a lot of motivation. This publication is my public affirmation and promise to myself to practice more actively.
There are many reasons I want to learn Spanish, but now it’s because my co-workers are taking the time to talk to me in English, although it’s difficult and imperfect. I can do my part to speak in Spanish, too. It will be difficult at first, and it will continue to be difficult in different ways as I continue to learn, and this is just something that I’ll have to deal with. In the future, I want to work in engineering to design medical devices around the world, and also at home in the States. Paraphrasing (a lot, because I listened to her speech two months ago) former astronaut Dr. Ellen Baker, “From space, the planet Earth has no visible borders, and nor should we.” I will not allow languages to be a barrier for me to share customs, thoughts, and ideas with others. In today’s world, this is most important.
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