Spanish is the only language the I have learned in a classroom setting. I have taken Spanish courses throughout elementary school, high school, and here at Richmond. I would say that I have an intermediate grasp of the language. Learning Spanish has been an arduous yet rewarding experiencing.
What I have enjoyed most in learning Spanish is noticing how my proficiency in the language has improved. For instance, I recently completed LAIS 221, and I now have a much easier time understanding shows or newscasts on Spanish television channels. Additionally, I like when language learning builds on my ability to hold conversations in that language. Certainly it is important to understand a language; however, being able to properly communicate with others is crucial, and helps improve knowledge of that language.
The most frustrating part of learning a language is that a significant amount of time is always required. Usually, I find that I have to spend a good amount of time memorizing what I learn, understand it conceptually, and then I can apply what I learn to writing or conversation; this especially case with different tenses and conjugations. Furthermore, I tend to forget what I have learned rather quickly if I have not spoken the language, or learned more in terms of structure or vocabulary.
If I had to chose one aspect of the FIRE model to describe myself as learner, it would be "insightful." Through learning Spanish I have found that I retain what I have learned best when I am tasked with applying what I have learned (e.g. compositions, cultural readings, comprehension questions, conservation).
Considering my time spent studying Spanish, when trying to learn Farsi I think there are a couple of ways to expand my learning activities. Once I am able to get a basic understanding of reading and writing in the language, I think reading children's books would be a useful tool to reinforce what I have learned; they often use simple sentence structure and vocabulary. In addition, I should take the time to watch programs and listen to music in Farsi to help increase my knowledge; I found this to be something very useful in learning Spanish, but I only recently took advantage of it during LAIS 221.
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