December: Learning Spanish outside of the Classroom

I've been taking Spanish language classes since Kindergarten. Up until middle school, we didn't learn much more than colors and some animals, but the sixth grade curriculum started to ramp up. As a middle schooler, it was hard (and very frustrating) to try and learn a second language. But in 9th grade, I took a GIP trip to Cuba. After visiting, for the very first time, a Spanish speaking country, I viewed the Spanish language through an entirely new lens, and I became newly intent on trying to learn as much of it as I could. In my AP Spanish Lang class, we're reading works by Julio Cortazar and Jose Marti. What we read is beautiful and mystifying, but I still find myself missing out on some of the harder vocabulary or disguised symbolism. Thus, I've tried to push myself to make Spanish a priority outside of class, too. I'm not too strict about it, but there is a lot of Spanish film, art, and other media that's interesting and fun to watch, as well as being educational. Caso Cerrado is a perfect example. Caso Cerrado is like the Spanish version of Judge Judy, but with so much more drama. I'd be lying if I said I didn't sometimes watch it with Spanish subtitles, but I also occasionally try not to, and I've probably watched upwards of 25 full episodes. Slightly more academic than Caso Cerrado are the 5 mini Spanish documentaries that The New York Times just posted to their Op-Docs site. Those films are all in Spanish, as well, and all five of them give a different look into life in Mexico. The cinematography is exquisite, and the narratives are so compelling. If, though, I'm feeling more dramatic, I'll switch on Narcos Mexico. The characters talk very fast, and curse often, but I still feel more comfortable to try and speak in Spanish myself after a full episode. Outside of film and TV, I try to speak with Spanish-speaking natives as much as I can, nerve-wracking though it may be. Every Wednesday, I tutor Alexis, a 3rd grader whose immigrant parents speak no English at all. Even though it sometimes takes me awhile to get all the right words out, it's always really rewarding being able to communicate with Alexis's mother in her native tongue. As for music, I try to incorporate Spanish into that, too. My favorite bilingual artist is probably Kali Uchis, who's originally from Colombia. Her song "Nuestro Planeta" is the first (and so far only) song I've memorized in Spanish, and I still play it on repeat.

I'm far from being fluent in Spanish, but I know that learning a language takes work and immersion. I also know that doing little things outside of school can make a big difference, and someday I'll thank my future self for putting in the effort now!