On Nov. 20, Park Spanish club members had the opportunity to talk with students from a school in Colombia via virtual breakout classrooms. Park students discussed holidays they celebrate in the United States, and also learned about the holidays students in Colombia celebrate.
Club advisor Hanna Anderson said the virtual exchange was a great chance for students to practice their Spanish and learn more about Colombian culture. According to her, it’s also helpful for students to talk to Colombian students who are learning English.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students, not only to practice their Spanish, but to learn about traditions and cultural celebrations in Colombia, and learn firsthand from students from another university who are getting a chance to practice their English,” Anderson said. “Students also get to see what it’s like for other people who are learning English (and) what their English is like and how they can communicate.”
Junior Abby Carlson said during this exchange, she learned about the Colombian students’ holidays and the cultural nuances that come with them.
“I learned they celebrate different (holidays) on different dates, (and) I learned a lot of new things about how they celebrate their holidays and whom they celebrate (their holidays) with,” Carlson said. “(I learned) how there are cultural things within all the traditions and holidays they celebrate.”
Freshman Simone Kuendig said she was shocked by the commonalities in the holidays and celebrations she and the other students discussed, despite the physical and cultural gaps between the countries.
“(I was) surprised by how similar some of the holidays were (to mine), even though we’re in different parts of the world, (and) how similar our cultures can be, even though we’re so different,” Kuendig said.
Anderson said she enjoys when students stray from the topic and form genuine bonds with one another. According to Anderson, in the past, students have connected through social media, video games and music.
“When students get off topic, (and) when the students finish their presentations, they start sharing music, and all of a sudden they’re like, ‘this student from Colombia shared this song, and now I’m listening to the song’ or, ‘I was playing this video game with this student in Colombia.’ Those personal connections are my favourite,” Anderson said.
According to Carlson, this exchange was beneficial for her Spanish-speaking skills and her confidence surrounding her Spanish abilities. She said she appreciated getting to know a person from a foreign country whose culture differs from her own.
“It was helpful because I got to learn about different cultures, and learn about someone from a different country,” Carlson said. “I feel like I haven’t really been exposed to that a lot in my life, so it was interesting and helpful. It also introduced me to new Spanish and made me more confident speaking in Spanish to native speakers.”
According to Kuendig, this experience helped her enhance her knowledge of celebrations and life in Colombia. Kuendig said it was valuable to practice thinking fast to respond and ask questions, which is more difficult to do in Spanish for her.
“I improved thinking off the top of my head (what to respond), because that can sometimes be difficult to do in Spanish, and coming up with good questions (to ask the other student),” Kuendig said. “It was (also) helpful because it informed me more about the general life and especially the celebrations that happen in Colombia.”
