Category: Spanish Language

Sánchez, (2005) claims: ‘The concern to improve language teaching is a common denominator in the history of man”. Regardless of the method … “all of them have always pursued the same objective: to make the acquisition of foreign languages ​​more efficient” (p 7). “The choice of an appropriate method for teaching Spanish as a foreign language is one of the basic questions that every teacher should ask him or herself” (Martín, 2009, p.61).

Respect to the Spanish language through time, it can be affirmed that: In the history of teaching Spanish as a foreign language, the University of Salamanca has always been a reference. The creation of the Studium salmantino dates back to 1218; the University of Salamanca is, therefore, the oldest institution of higher education in the Hispanic world. (Dominguez, Fernández, and García, 2016). Thus, in 1929, this university inaugurated what it considers the first Spanish language course for foreigners, of the modern era; 11 students of different nationalities enrolled in this course. In 2015, the number of students of Spanish as a foreign language was nine thousand, not counting the thousands of people that study the language at the distance. ( Domínguez et al, 2016).

About the 80s and 90s, it is said that the University of Salamanca revolutionized the teaching of the Spanish language as a foreign language by producing a diversity of texts related to that purpose; from beginner to advanced students. From the grammatical theme, to written practice, through training courses for advanced level students. Even in the nineties, the University of Salamanca itself produces a television content program dedicated to teaching Spanish as a foreign language, with versions for more than twenty different languages ( Domínguez et al, 2016).

Talking about the field of teaching the Spanish language as a foreign language, but earlier in time, we find Elio Antonio de Nebrija (1441-1522). Humanist, philologist and pedagogue. With his work by liberis educandis libellus, he is among the most important and prominent pedagogues of Spanish humanism (Martín, 2009). In 1492, he published his Grammar of the Castilian language, first grammar of a Romance language, and beginning of what we could define as the history of teaching Spanish as a foreign language.

The grammar of Nebrija tries to look for the regulation of a language that at that time was already quite extended. Nebrija indicates the importance of the study of Spanish, since it is in a great moment of diffusion, favored, no doubt, by the political conditions of the moment. (Martín, 2009, p. 57)

In 1845, Sears, a professor of classical languages published a book entitled The Ciceronian or Prussian method for teaching the elements of the Latin language. This was primarily about the teaching of Latin as a cultured language. It was based on grammar and translation. Subsequently, its application was also developed in the learning of other European languages. For this method, language is a set of rules that must be observed to train students in reading and analyzing the literature of the target language and focused primarily on the teaching of grammar (Martín, 2009).

On the other hand, Pérez (2018) states that: Current teaching practices, in general, mainly focus on the use of communicative approaches, in which communication is prioritized in real use situations and the student is placed in the center of the teaching learning process. Within these currents, we find numerous methodological proposals such as the task approach, the project-based approach, the problem-based learning … In sum, methods are sought that are able to increase student’s motivation and provide opportunities for autonomous practice of the language. (p. 388)

My linguistic constellation consists of Polish (L1), English (L1), Spanish (FL), and Hebrew (FL). The first two also appear in my dominant language constellation as I was born bilingual. My mother and her side of the family are Polish, so we use polish to communicate. I switch to English when speaking with my father’s side of the family, and when I’m at the university. Polish and English are my mother tongue that I use to function on a daily basis. In addition, I have been learning Spanish as my foreign language. During my “Matura” I took the B1 Spanish exam. I can deal with basic topics that would allow me to meet new people and “survive” during a holiday in Spain. I manage to write texts on many matters and understand standard speech. I also recognize the main points of many films, articles, and songs. In my free time, I like to talk to Spanish native speakers online. Apart from that, I used to learn Hebrew. The reason for this was that I attended a Jewish primary school for six years. I have been exposed to this language yet I am unable to communicate fluently in it. My knowledge of this language is basic. I know vocabulary connected to holidays, animals, food, hobbies, and family. In conclusion, I feel most comfortable using Polish and English as those are my two first languages. I use Spanish during my foreign language lessons and online when playing games. I don’t use Hebrew anymore, although, I do recognize it as a small part of my personality.

In this paragraph, I am going to present my strengths in the main fields of the English language. Firstly, my vocabulary control is satisfactory, at the C2 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 112). I have great power over jargon and I’m good at implementing adequate terminology to express finer shades of meaning. Another asset of mine is pronunciation or phonological control which I consider to be at the C1 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 117). I’m able to place sentence (or word) stress correctly, and I know what difference pronunciation makes in specific cases. My sociolinguistic appropriateness is also at the C1 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 122). I use many colloquialisms, idiomatic expressions, and slang. I am flexible and comfortable in this aspect, especially in social situations. My only downfall is that I sometimes need to reassure myself in certain circumstances, as I don’t live in England and the local language keeps evolving. For example, I was taught to use formal language because this was the way my father communicated. Nowadays, as I was told by my uncle, English has become more “relaxed”. For instance, I’ve learned that they would prefer to use the form “me and my Mum” instead of “my Mum and I”. In conclusion, vocabulary, pronunciation, and sociolinguistic appropriateness are my strengths.

I have three main weaknesses in the main field of the English language. First, and most serious one, is orthographic control (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 118). In my opinion, it’s at the B2 level. I read and write a lot but I do not think it is enough. After starting online education I have become more dependent on technology, which corrects my spelling and punctuation errors. I would also rate my coherence and cohesion at the B2 level, as it is somewhat lacking (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 125). I use a plethora of linking words to connect ideas but in particular situations, my sentences may become “choppy”. My grammatical accuracy is to a high degree but once in a while, I have difficulties with it (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 114). After some time of self-observation, I have realized that certain grammar exercises cause me to overanalyze and make mistakes, hence I rate it to be at a not-so-perfect C1 level. In short, orthography, coherence and cohesion, and grammatical accuracy are the skills with which I tend to struggle.

In comparison to my English, which is one of my first languages, my Spanish profile is inferior. The reason for this is that it is my foreign language, so I have not acquired it in the early stages of life like I have with English. In addition, I have been learning Spanish for only three years. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I do believe that, after my Matura exams, I have become a bit lazy. Apart from that, the pandemic and online education have been overwhelming for me, as it is the first time I’ve ever studied this way. It takes a lot of discipline to maintain daily activities when no one is supervising. I have found myself lacking thein my motivation to do anything let alone revise vocabulary. Thus, my Spanish level is rough.

As I have mentioned before, I took the Spanish B1 Matura exam which means I am an independent user (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 24). One of my strengths in this language is my vocabulary range (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 112). I quickly learn new words and try to use them as soon as possible. I have enough lexicon to express myself and things that are connected to my everyday life such as family, work, school, travel, and hobbies. I do recognize, though, that B1 vocabulary is not enough to become fluent, hence why I try to watch more films with Spanish subtitles. Another advantage of mine is B2 phonological control (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 117). In my opinion, I have really good hearing, thus I learn rather quickly in this department. I feel comfortable reading aloud and speaking. It seems safe and natural. The rhythm and catchiness of the language are one of the many reasons why I’ve decided to learn it. My grammatical accuracy is at the B1 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 114). I know many tenses and forms of expression. I’m able to describe my daily routine, current situations or actions, past events, and plans. I also use a separate past tense to tell stories. The only problem is that at the moment I have no way of using all of this. At the university we have started from scratch, so we haven’t gotten to this point yet. To sum up, my main assets are vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.

Apart from my strengths, I also have weaknesses in the field of the Spanish language. Firstly, I tend to struggle with orthographic control (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 118). Writing clear and comprehensible text is not an issue but spelling mistakes sometimes occur. This problem usually arises in situations when certain letters in words are silent. Another dilemma is punctuation with which I am not well-acquainted. I do believe that it’s not a massive obstacle, hence why I would evaluate my orthographic control to be at a “weak” level B1. Sociolinguistic appropriateness is also not my specialty, as I do perceive it to be at the A2 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 122). I can handle a short exchange of information, respond to requests and express my opinion but Spanish is my foreign language, thus I sometimes get stressed out and I am unable to react appropriately. In addition, I make sure to use polite forms of address, although, I have recently found out that the Spanish natives are not so formal and have a tendency to talk to strangers in the second person singular. Another downfall of mine is coherence and cohesion (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 125). In writing, I use simple “connectors” to link words and sentences. My written texts are not as nice to read as they are in English. In conversation, my sentences are a lot more disconnected and chaotic. I rate this skill to be at the A2 level. In conclusion, I must work on my orthography, sociolinguistic appropriateness, coherence, and cohesion.

In this paragraph, I am going to outline my plan of action, both for English and Spanish learning. The former will be a lot easier as I am already studying this language at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities. My aim is to become a sworn interpreter in the field of law, medicine, and the European Union. I intend to learn to translate text and conferences. In my opinion, the major I chose is the ideal path to go with, to reach my goals. Any activities and content that the professors provide or recommend I plan to use to my advantage. Regarding Spanish, the aims are more complex. Firstly, I would like to work on my speaking in social interactions, as I am not so confident in this language. Continuing my foreign language classes with a native speaker at the University will help but I also will try to push myself to talk to people in online games. In addition, traveling to Spain would allow me to develop my spoken fluency (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 129). My dream is to be able to communicate in Spanish without any hesitation. As for the content, I try to use a series of books that has been recommended by my native speaker, which is Aula Internacional 1 (J. Corpas, 2015). Furthermore, after finishing my studies at the B2 level, I want to continue learning Spanish in our University’s language school. In the meantime, I will also aid myself with media. There are many accounts on YouTube that provide podcasts depending on one’s language level. One of my favorites is “How to Spanish Podcast”. Nowadays, we also have access to films from around the world because of Netflix. This website allows me to watch films in my foreign language with subtitles so that I can also learn more vocabulary, expressions, and pronunciation. I believe that traveling, meeting new people, and immersing myself in the culture are the most natural forms of learning a language. In conclusion, I attempt to work hard to reach my goals and develop my language skills, as this is my field of interest.

Bibliography

1. Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. chapter 3 p.24, chapter 5 pp.101-130
2. J. Corpas, E. G. ( 2015). Aula Internacional 1, Nueva Edición. Barcelona: , Difusión .

My linguistic constellation consists of Polish (L1), English (L1), Spanish (FL), and Hebrew (FL). The first two also appear in my dominant language constellation as I was born bilingual. My mother and her side of the family are Polish, so we use polish to communicate. I switch to English when speaking with my father’s side of the family, and when I’m at the university. Polish and English are my mother tongue that I use to function on a daily basis. In addition, I have been learning Spanish as my foreign language. During my “Matura” I took the B1 Spanish exam. I can deal with basic topics that would allow me to meet new people and “survive” during a holiday in Spain. I manage to write texts on many matters and understand standard speech. I also recognize the main points of many films, articles, and songs. In my free time, I like to talk to Spanish native speakers online. Apart from that, I used to learn Hebrew. The reason for this was that I attended a Jewish primary school for six years. I have been exposed to this language yet I am unable to communicate fluently in it. My knowledge of this language is basic. I know vocabulary connected to holidays, animals, food, hobbies, and family. In conclusion, I feel most comfortable using Polish and English as those are my two first languages. I use Spanish during my foreign language lessons and online when playing games. I don’t use Hebrew anymore, although, I do recognize it as a small part of my personality.

In this paragraph, I am going to present my strengths in the main fields of the English language. Firstly, my vocabulary control is satisfactory, at the C2 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 112). I have great power over jargon and I’m good at implementing adequate terminology to express finer shades of meaning. Another asset of mine is pronunciation or phonological control which I consider to be at the C1 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 117). I’m able to place sentence (or word) stress correctly, and I know what difference pronunciation makes in specific cases. My sociolinguistic appropriateness is also at the C1 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 122). I use many colloquialisms, idiomatic expressions, and slang. I am flexible and comfortable in this aspect, especially in social situations. My only downfall is that I sometimes need to reassure myself in certain circumstances, as I don’t live in England and the local language keeps evolving. For example, I was taught to use formal language because this was the way my father communicated. Nowadays, as I was told by my uncle, English has become more “relaxed”. For instance, I’ve learned that they would prefer to use the form “me and my Mum” instead of “my Mum and I”. In conclusion, vocabulary, pronunciation, and sociolinguistic appropriateness are my strengths.

I have three main weaknesses in the main field of the English language. First, and most serious one, is orthographic control (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 118). In my opinion, it’s at the B2 level. I read and write a lot but I do not think it is enough. After starting online education I have become more dependent on technology, which corrects my spelling and punctuation errors. I would also rate my coherence and cohesion at the B2 level, as it is somewhat lacking (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 125). I use a plethora of linking words to connect ideas but in particular situations, my sentences may become “choppy”. My grammatical accuracy is to a high degree but once in a while, I have difficulties with it (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 114). After some time of self-observation, I have realized that certain grammar exercises cause me to overanalyze and make mistakes, hence I rate it to be at a not-so-perfect C1 level. In short, orthography, coherence and cohesion, and grammatical accuracy are the skills with which I tend to struggle.

In comparison to my English, which is one of my first languages, my Spanish profile is inferior. The reason for this is that it is my foreign language, so I have not acquired it in the early stages of life like I have with English. In addition, I have been learning Spanish for only three years. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I do believe that, after my Matura exams, I have become a bit lazy. Apart from that, the pandemic and online education have been overwhelming for me, as it is the first time I’ve ever studied this way. It takes a lot of discipline to maintain daily activities when no one is supervising. I have found myself lacking thein my motivation to do anything let alone revise vocabulary. Thus, my Spanish level is rough.

As I have mentioned before, I took the Spanish B1 Matura exam which means I am an independent user (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 24). One of my strengths in this language is my vocabulary range (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 112). I quickly learn new words and try to use them as soon as possible. I have enough lexicon to express myself and things that are connected to my everyday life such as family, work, school, travel, and hobbies. I do recognize, though, that B1 vocabulary is not enough to become fluent, hence why I try to watch more films with Spanish subtitles. Another advantage of mine is B2 phonological control (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 117). In my opinion, I have really good hearing, thus I learn rather quickly in this department. I feel comfortable reading aloud and speaking. It seems safe and natural. The rhythm and catchiness of the language are one of the many reasons why I’ve decided to learn it. My grammatical accuracy is at the B1 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 114). I know many tenses and forms of expression. I’m able to describe my daily routine, current situations or actions, past events, and plans. I also use a separate past tense to tell stories. The only problem is that at the moment I have no way of using all of this. At the university we have started from scratch, so we haven’t gotten to this point yet. To sum up, my main assets are vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.

Apart from my strengths, I also have weaknesses in the field of the Spanish language. Firstly, I tend to struggle with orthographic control (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 118). Writing clear and comprehensible text is not an issue but spelling mistakes sometimes occur. This problem usually arises in situations when certain letters in words are silent. Another dilemma is punctuation with which I am not well-acquainted. I do believe that it’s not a massive obstacle, hence why I would evaluate my orthographic control to be at a “weak” level B1. Sociolinguistic appropriateness is also not my specialty, as I do perceive it to be at the A2 level (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 122). I can handle a short exchange of information, respond to requests and express my opinion but Spanish is my foreign language, thus I sometimes get stressed out and I am unable to react appropriately. In addition, I make sure to use polite forms of address, although, I have recently found out that the Spanish natives are not so formal and have a tendency to talk to strangers in the second person singular. Another downfall of mine is coherence and cohesion (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 125). In writing, I use simple “connectors” to link words and sentences. My written texts are not as nice to read as they are in English. In conversation, my sentences are a lot more disconnected and chaotic. I rate this skill to be at the A2 level. In conclusion, I must work on my orthography, sociolinguistic appropriateness, coherence, and cohesion.

In this paragraph, I am going to outline my plan of action, both for English and Spanish learning. The former will be a lot easier as I am already studying this language at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities. My aim is to become a sworn interpreter in the field of law, medicine, and the European Union. I intend to learn to translate text and conferences. In my opinion, the major I chose is the ideal path to go with, to reach my goals. Any activities and content that the professors provide or recommend I plan to use to my advantage. Regarding Spanish, the aims are more complex. Firstly, I would like to work on my speaking in social interactions, as I am not so confident in this language. Continuing my foreign language classes with a native speaker at the University will help but I also will try to push myself to talk to people in online games. In addition, traveling to Spain would allow me to develop my spoken fluency (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 129). My dream is to be able to communicate in Spanish without any hesitation. As for the content, I try to use a series of books that has been recommended by my native speaker, which is Aula Internacional 1 (J. Corpas, 2015). Furthermore, after finishing my studies at the B2 level, I want to continue learning Spanish in our University’s language school. In the meantime, I will also aid myself with media. There are many accounts on YouTube that provide podcasts depending on one’s language level. One of my favorites is “How to Spanish Podcast”. Nowadays, we also have access to films from around the world because of Netflix. This website allows me to watch films in my foreign language with subtitles so that I can also learn more vocabulary, expressions, and pronunciation. I believe that traveling, meeting new people, and immersing myself in the culture are the most natural forms of learning a language. In conclusion, I attempt to work hard to reach my goals and develop my language skills, as this is my field of interest.

Bibliography

1. Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. chapter 3 p.24, chapter 5 pp.101-130
2. J. Corpas, E. G. ( 2015). Aula Internacional 1, Nueva Edición. Barcelona: , Difusión .