(A revised and shortened version of a previous free write.)
En la clase de Español 3, nosotros leímos un libro que se llama El Ekeko: Un misterio boliviano. Este es un cuento sobre un chico que se llama Paco. Él vive en Bolivia, en El Alto. Su familia es pobre, y Paco necesita zapatos nuevos, pero tiene una vida bien. Por dinero para su familia, es un lustrabotas en La Paz. Un día, Paco encuentra una muñeca extraña en su armario. La muñeca tiene un poder misterioso. Paco necesita este poder, pero…necesita usar el poder solo para el bien.
In Spanish 3, we read a book called El Ekeko: Un misterio boliviano. This is a story about a boy called Paco. He lives in Bolivia, in El Alto. His family is poor, and Paco needs new shoes, but he has a good life. For money for his family, Paco is a shoe shiner in La Paz. One day, Paco finds a strange doll in his closet. The doll has a mysterious power. Paco needs this power, but...he has to use it only for the good.
Paco, con el Ekeko.
Review:
Es un buen libro para aprender mas espanol, porque tiene palabras nuevas y familiares. El libro tiene personajes muy adorables y un buen mensaje. ¡Me gustó El Ekeko!
It's a good book (with which) to learn more Spanish, because it has new and familiar words. The book has very adorable characters and a great message. I liked El Ekeko!
Me sorprendió...el poder, y la leyenda, del Ekeko en el libro.
I was surprised by...the power, and the legend, of the Ekeko in the book.
Yo no sabía que...hay muchos mineros en Bolivia.
I didn't know that...there are many miners in Bolivia.
Me gustó aprender de... los cholitas y la comida de Bolivia.
I liked learning about...the cholitas (indigenous women) and the food of Bolivia.
Yo quiero aprender más sobre...Tupac Katari, y los conquistadores en Bolivia.
I want to learn more about...Tupac Katari, and the conquistadors in Bolivia.
Esto es mi Ekeko!
End of Year Reflection
Una muneca extrana y yo.
In general, how has Spanish 3 gone for you this year? This year, Spanish 3 went very well. I have always been skilled in language, and this class allowed me to expand my knowledge of Spanish even more. Despite the challenges of online learning, I never felt behind or confused. I do regret not being able to take the class in person, as it meant I missed out on interactions with my classmates in a physical classroom. However, overall this year in Spanish was still a good learning experience and a lot of fun!
What were the most powerful lessons you learned? Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned in Spanish this year is that there will always be something more to learn. Of course I knew that I had more to learn about Spanish, as I am by no means anywhere close to fluent, but after a month or two of taking this class I assumed that this material would all just be easy for me. Though I was never completely lost or confused, I did end up running into challenges along the way- humbling reminders that overestimating myself was not wise. Learning a language is no easy feat, and humility will get you much farther as a student than overconfidence.
What were your biggest challenges? How did you (or did you not) overcome them? Since the material wasn't difficult for me, my biggest challenge this year was procrastination. This has been a constant struggle of mine throughout at-home learning, and I continue to fight it today. Over time, I created a routine for myself, with designated times to do my work. A schedule such as this helps greatly, as I am more motivated when I'm organized and know what I have to do.
What were your biggest successes? Academically, writing in Spanish was a lot more difficult than reading, and so I am very proud of all the free writes and other Spanish written content that I produced. Though not all of them are perfect (I'm still working on my grammar!) they did improve over the year, and it was a pleasure to finish a free write with a higher word count than the last. Writing was the hardest part of this class for me, and it was all the more satisfying to complete.
What are your personal short term and long term goals regarding language learning? I don't want to give up on Spanish after this year, so I will certainly take it again. While I'm getting better and better at intake (reading, listening), I also would like to work on my output (speaking, writing) and conversational skills. Once restrictions lift a little more, I have considered picking up Latin lessons again, and I hope to regain some level of proficiency in the Latin language as well. In the long term, I may not be fluent in two languages or even one, but I hope, at least, to end up with sufficient skills in both.