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WOW!

Instead of posting comments on every post in the padlet, I thought I would share a few collective thoughts and post my own reflection here for everyone (and on the padlet!).

As we wrap up the semester, I’ve been so inspired reading through your submissions for the Tarea Semanal Showcase. The creativity and thoughtfulness in your responses—from watching Living on One to cooking sopa de res and switching your phone’s language to Spanish, to name a few,—show a real investment in not just learning the language, but understanding the culture and the people who speak it. These tasks were designed to go beyond vocabulary and grammar, encouraging authentic engagement with the lived experiences and values of Spanish-speaking communities.

It’s also been meaningful to see how different students took away different things from the same kinds of tasks. For native speakers, these activities often revealed how culture and language are inseparable, prompting reflections on resilience, belonging, and identity. Perhaps it gave a way to connect with one's own culture, that might otherwise be unexplored, or not as embraced due to the influence of american culture. For heritage or native speakers, these moments may have sparked personal connections, cultural pride, or even new ways of viewing everyday experiences that might otherwise go unnoticed.

For non-native speakers especially, these kinds of experiences offer something invaluable: a way to learn language that isn’t just about drills and memorization, but about context, confidence, and cultural fluency. Watching a film in Spanish helps develop listening comprehension and empathy. Cooking from a recipe builds functional vocabulary. Navigating your phone in Spanish sparks awareness of informal language and tech-related terms you encounter in your daily life, Living on one exposes you to a way of living that you may not have ever seen before, building tolerance, awareness and insight. Perhaps you learned a new app or tool that can help you in your own language journey where ever that takes you next. All of these are tools you can carry with you beyond this course, whether you’re traveling, working with Spanish-speaking communities, or simply continuing your own bilingual journey.

Thank you all for such wonderful reflections, and I do hope you understand that T/S, while not language centric, did hold a significant value for cultural understanding. That, in of itself, was why we did these activities!

-Sr. S

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McKenzie Matthews: Tarea Semanal Showcase

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McKenzie Matthews: Tarea Semanal Showcase

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This semester has been a great journey in learning Spanish and exploring Hispanic culture. One of my favorite activities was reading fairy tale stories (I read the three little pigs) in both Spanish and English. It was fascinating to compare how stories are told differently in each language, which helped me improve my vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure. I really enjoyed the Tarea Semanal activities because they all helped me in some way improve my Spanish skills and reflect on what I completed.

From these experiences, I gained not only language skills but also cultural insights. I learned about important cultural products like traditional stories, common practices such as storytelling styles, and perspectives that highlight the values and traditions of Spanish-speaking communities. Reflecting on these experiences has helped me become more aware of the connection between language and culture and it encouraged me to engage actively with the material. This has made my learning deeper and more meaningful.

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The week I liked the most was learning about the different animals and plants in Hispanic Countries. The Ceiba tree which is common in Cuba, Central America and Puerto Rico. They are considered sacred and seen as the "tree of life". The Andean Condor, found in Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Columbia. They are the national symbol of several South American nations. One of the largest birds with a wingspan of over 10 feet. Ofcourse the Cacao Tree, native to Latin America and where we get chocolate. The Aztecs, and Mayans used for ceremonies and currency. Lastly the llama, found in the Andes Mountains. The Inca's domesticated them for transport, wool, and meat. They are essential in rural economies. They are social, hard and have adapted to high altitude terrain.

I think the point of Sr. S assigning this project was to help us make a meaningful connection between language learning and culture. It isn't just about vocabulary or grammar; it was about understanding how language reflects the world around it. By exploring animals in the context of Spanish-speaking countries, I practiced my Spanish while also gaining global awareness and cultural appreciation.

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Frances Gaillard - Tarea Semenal Showcase

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Frances Gaillard - Tarea Semenal Showcase

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I thought the activities we got to pick from for our weekly assignment were all very thought provoking and immersive, and overall helped develop my ability to understand Spanish and its cultural significance. My favorite activity from this semester was changing the language in my phone to Spanish for a day. It was really different communication-wise: texting is very informal (and fast), so I had to adapt to that communication style. Additionally, it was honestly surprising to me to see how much remained in English (for example, song titles, apps, titles, etc), and it made me appreciate the fact that many native Spanish speakers naturally have to incorporate many English words into their daily lives.

Language and culture go hand in hand, and so I think the purpose of us doing these assignments was so that we could tie these together and learn to appreciate more about the Spanish world, and not just the language. Another excellent activity I did was watching the "Living on One Dollar" documentary. It was so fascinating to see the sense of community in that area (arguably better in many aspects than here), even though they all live in poverty. Language connects people, and these activities really helped me see and appreciate that.

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My favorite tarea semanal assignment I completed was where I found five different memes in Spanish. Other than this assignment, I also really enjoyed creating my own meme and learning a Spanish song. Researching memes in Spanish gave me an insight into how humor can vary based on culture and language. There were some memes I didn’t really understand because they were a pun on the Spanish language, but other memes were funny despite being in Spanish. Finding different Spanish memes displayed how native speakers use Spanish more casually and naturally in a humorous way and also showed me how humor in English and Spanish is similar yet different.

The point of Sr. S. asking me to do this was to provide my classmates and me with a different point of view on humor and to broaden our understanding of the Spanish language. As a native English speaker, I never really thought about how humor can be different depending on the language it's spoken in, but this assignment allowed me to see the differences despite how the formats of memes were often similar. While many of the memes were different, it also taught me that English isn’t so different from Spanish and that a lot of humor, aside from language-related puns, is universal, such as the one about reincarnating as a rat and when the teacher uses your name in an example. I really enjoyed having a laugh and learning more about Spanish culture in this week’s tarea semanal.

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One of the activities I really enjoyed this semester was watching the documentary titled Living on One. It followed four individuals who lived on a single dollar a day in rural Guatemala for the summer to better understand what life was like for locals in the region. While the documentary takes place in the context of poverty, its true focus was on human connection, resilience, and what we can learn from a culture rooted in community. What made this experience stand out was how clearly it demonstrated the importance of collective support in Latin American culture. The filmmakers came in as outsiders but quickly learned that community was at the heart of daily survival.

This activity allowed me to see how language is connected to culture, values, and daily life. I also gained insight into cultural practices like sharing meals, working together, and supporting one another through adversity. Most importantly, I learned about key cultural perspectives such as resilience, hopefulness, and the strong importance of community and mutual aid. The locals opened their hearts to the visitors and provided resources, built trust, and created a sense of belonging that deeply influenced and shaped the visitors’ cultural perspectives in Guatemala.

After watching this documentary, I learned that studying Spanish is not just about the language, it’s about understanding lives that are different from our own and recognizing the strength that exists in community-focused cultures. This deeper understanding is exactly why I believe Sr. S asked us to do this to remind us that language learning should go hand-in-hand with cultural understanding. Documentaries like this challenge us to think critically, empathize deeply, and connect what we learn in class to the real world.

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Makyna Grace Rouse - Tarea Semanal Showcase 

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Makyna Grace Rouse - Tarea Semanal Showcase 

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When I first found out about our tarea semanal's I thought they would be fun, but I didn't realize how much fun and interactive they would actually be. Every activity I took part in, I thoroughly enjoyed because I was able to immersive myself into not only the Spanish language but the culture. From listening to a Spanish playlist, to watching the documentary: Living on One Dollar, and recreating a piece of Picasso's art, I believe Señor Shafer's point of these activities were to give each us an opportunity to experience the Spanish culture in a new way. I was taken by surprise how many times the way I live and the way people in Spanish-Speaking countries live aligned. Throughout these activities I believe that the more you immerse yourself into both the language and the culture, the more you will understand and retain.

My favorite activity was watching the documentary: Living on One Dollar. This was my favorite because these guys went against the normal of seeing the touristy spots, they went to a small community called Pena Blanca in Guatemala. This community lived on one dollar a day and had to fight against all odds whether it was related to making money, saving money, having food on the table, and sending your children to school. After watching this documentary, my eyes were opened to the many of obstacles people have to face in their everyday lives. One additional thing that made this documentary so impactful, is that I had already watched it in my public health class. A key point we made connection with, is the people of Pena Blanca do not want loads of charity money. They want connections with people.

I have thoroughly enjoyed these activities and look forward to the many more opportunities I have to immerse myself into the Spanish culture.

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Tarea semanas have allowed me to explore and learn many new things that I may have not known before. My favorite activity was baking a Latin dessert. The dessert I decided the bake was Tres leches and found a recipe after researching online. The cake I made took a while to bake, but totally worth it in the end. throughout the whole process, I gained a lot of new knowledge from this experience. I was able to obtain new culinary skills, while immersing myself into a new culture. I also found a good new dessert to bake!

There are a few cultural products, practices, and perspectives that I gained. After researching Tres leches a little bit, I was able to gain more background information of the history and stronger meaning behind this tasty dessert. I was able to see how Tres leches is used for celebration practices, and gain a better insight into the processes and products used in crafting this dessert, in which I did not know previously. Sr. S wanted us, his students to create and gain new experiences of a different culture by giving us the opportunity to deep dive in Latin and Hispanic culture.

Here is the link to the fantastic recipe... I recommend trying it out sometime! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/tres-leches-cake/

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Alejandro Martinez- Tarea semenal showcase

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Alejandro Martinez- Tarea semenal showcase

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This semester, I really enjoyed the activities that helped me practice Spanish in ways that feel useful and real. One of my favorite things we did was making sopa de res. It was cool to cook a traditional Hispanic dish while learning all the new vocabulary related to ingredients and cooking steps. It made the language feel more alive and showed me how food is such an important part of culture.

Besides learning new words and grammar, I also gained a better understanding of Hispanic culture — like their food, music, and how they value family and community. I think Sr. S asked us to do this reflection so we can connect what we’ve learned in class with the real world and see how language and culture go hand in hand. It helped me realize how much I’ve grown this semester and how important culture is when learning a new language.

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I had a blast in this 8-week summer semester taking SPA 211--particularly choosing which objective I will complete weekly for Tarea Semanal. The first one I ever did was make a playlist filled with Spanish songs. Retrospectively, my first activity happened to be my favorite activity. I love music. Chances are, I'll always love music, and there's nothing more riveting than discovering new music to enjoy. I used Spotify to create my playlist because it would give me a wide variety of recommended songs to choose from afterward. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of creating said playlist; I even transferred the playlist to Apple Music—my main source of music—and added some of my favorite songs to my collective playlist.

My first assignment aside, I gained a newfound understanding and respect for Spanish/Latin culture. There are so many ways to express your appreciation; the options we were given for Tarea Semanal are just one of thousands. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I learned something new every week. I won’t elaborate further, but last week, I learned just how crucial it is to read the instructions of a baking recipe. If you know, you know.

Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong way to express your appreciation for a given culture. That’s what I took away from five weeks of completing Tarea Semanal. I also gathered that it’s okay to step out of your comfort zone doing something you might not have ever thought of—like using an app with Spanish subtitles to learn Spanish. I never knew that was a thing until taking SPA 211, but I’m grateful for the experience nonetheless. I think that’s what Sr. Shafer wanted us to learn from this experience; that there is always something new to learn, even when it feels like there isn’t.

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My favorite of the activities I did was picking a news article to read in Spanish and seeing how much of it I could understand. One of my favorite things to do outside of class to test my Spanish abilities is finding articles like this or going through the Hispanic aisle of the grocery store and reading the product descriptions to see what I understand. I specifically chose an article about a current pop culture topic to make it even more interesting. I also really enjoyed the meme related activities, because I think incorporating humor into assignments and activities is a great way to make the language stick better. I think the purpose of Sr. S asking us to do this is to provide us with a fun an interesting way of learning the Spanish language and culture, and I like that he gave a wide array of options for the activities. I also like the documentary he chose to provide as an option, which I chose to watch one week. This assignment in particular was very culturally eye opening and a good way to incorporate learning about the language with the culture.

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The assignment I enjoyed the most was learning about animals and plants from different Hispanic countries. The carpincho, or capybara, is a lovable rodent that has become famous for being friendly and as a symbol of Argentinian leftist ideologies. The blue anole is a beautiful but, unfortunately, very rare species of lizard that is incapable of changing its bright blue color like other anoles. The smoky emperor moth is a primarily black moth that ironically hunts during the day, unlike most other moths. The chocolate cosmos flower is a flower that smells like chocolate, despite not being related to cacao in any manner. Lastly, the monkey puzzle tree is the official tree of Chile and has been endangered for over thirty years.

I think that the point of assigning this project was to simply learn about the Spanish-speaking world. In the case of this assignment, it was centered on learning about the environment and the unique creatures within it; Meanwhile, the other assignments focused on language, art, history, and a variety of other things that were all related to Hispanic culture. It's a freeform type of learning that encourages the repetition necessary for learning a language, but without the clinical approach that's common within typical language lessons. It's less efficient than regular lessons; however, it also provides a sense of variety that's necessary to keep people engaged, which keeps everything balanced.

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The Tarea Semenal week that I enjoyed the most was week two where I took on the task of finding and deciphering five Spanish memes. Finding Spanish memes was not a particularly challenging of a task, and neither was deciphering them, but it was fun to look through memes from a different cultural perspective than what I’m used to. It was interesting to see that some memes are no different than what you would see in English, whereas some came from a perspective that was clearly influenced by a different cultural dynamic. This could be seen pretty clearly in memes relating to family or family dynamics. Overall scouring internet memes can be an amusing past time no matter what language they are written in.

The primary purpose for the Tarea Semenal assignments were to give us a reason to seek out new ways to interact with the language while not forcing us outside of our particular comfort zone by giving us the freedom to decide what tasks to complete, a sort of choose your own adventure form of homework. Overall I think all of the assignments I completed for this were very valuable experiences, from memes to news to lyrics training, each assignment forced to me to interact with the language in a different way than I expected which helped with my comprehension of the materials in each of the modules. I would say this was my favorite homework assignments for this semester, especially given the freedom to customize the experience for myself.

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The best activity was creating a meme that highlights a common challenge in learning Spanish—understanding the difference between words that look almost identical but have different meanings because of accents. From this experience, I gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of accents in Spanish and how they can completely change the meaning of a word. The cultural products I engaged with include the Spanish language itself and popular American TV culture (using The Office). The practices involve language learning and humor as a tool to make concepts more memorable. The perspective I gained is that small details, like accent marks, are crucial in communication and can be tricky even for advanced learners.

Creating the meme also helped me reflect on how language learning is not only about memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules but also about understanding cultural nuances and everyday usage. By combining a familiar TV show scene with Spanish language content, the meme bridges cultures and shows how humor can be a universal way to learn and connect. Sr. S likely asked me to do this to encourage creative thinking and active engagement with the language, which can deepen understanding and make challenging topics more accessible and fun. This activity also emphasizes that language learning involves paying attention to details, practicing regularly, and finding personal ways to remember tricky concepts.

Additionally, this activity made me realize the value of using multimedia and popular culture in education. Incorporating memes and TV references into language learning makes lessons more relatable and enjoyable, which can boost motivation and retention. It also shows how language exists not just in textbooks but in everyday interactions, media, and humor. This connection between language and culture enriches the learning experience and helps develop a more holistic understanding, which is essential for truly mastering a new language.

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I really enjoyed the Tarea Semanal assignments that we had this semester! My favorite was definitely watching the "Yes Theory" video about the billionaire paradise in Honduras. It was very interesting to learn about the groundbreaking science taking place in this bizarre area while also considering the potentially negative impacts that this small city has on the locals. I also was interested in reading the BBCmundo article about the new regulations that the Trump administration has placed on various nations. They will significantly affect many people as they severely impact the ability of people from certain countries to come to the US to visit family members or study or for other reasons. I think that learning the language is only one part of learning Spanish and that learning about the culture is equally as important. These activities have really helped deepen my understanding of the Spanish world, especially as it relates to the interplay that it has with countries like the United States.

One of the most interesting things, in my opinion, was reading how a Spanish source like BBCmundo reported on the controversial actions taken by the Trump administration and examining how that differed from how American sources (like the NYT) reported on them. These activities helped me view this through a new lens and granted me the ability to view the situation from a new perspective that is unique from my American one. These activities were intended to allow us to explore Spanish culture beyond the more simple glimpses that we get in the regular assignments in this class. I think that the Tarea Semanal activities were successful in this regard as I feel that I have a much deeper appreciation for the cultures that I interacted with through these assignments. Sr. S likely wanted us to complete these to expand our understanding of the Spanish-speaking world beyond grammar and vocabulary.

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One of the best activities I completed this semester was attending the MexTour soccer game at UNC, which I chose for our Un festival internacional assignment. Being surrounded by fans from many different backgrounds, hearing Spanish chants, and seeing how passionate people were about the game made the experience feel like much more than just a sporting event, it felt like a true cultural celebration. I took in the energy, the music, the food stands, and how the community came together to support their teams. It was eye-opening to witness how sports can unite people and express cultural pride.

From this experience, I gained a real-world connection to the products, practices, and perspectives of Hispanic cultures. The event featured traditional foods, fan gear, and music (products), the act of attending and supporting a national team, and a deeper understanding of how sports represent identity, national pride, and shared history (perspectives). I believe Sr. S asked us to do this to push us to engage outside the classroom and see how the Spanish language and culture are alive in our own communities. It helped me realize that learning a language isn't just about speaking—it’s also about connecting and understanding.

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One of my favorite activities this semester was creating a Spanish-language music playlist. I had so much fun exploring songs from different countries, genres, and emotional tones, like salsa, reggaetón, and heartfelt ballads. Music made the language feel alive and expressive. It helped me hear how vocabulary and grammar show up naturally in real life, while also connecting me to the emotions, values, and stories of Spanish-speaking cultures. Songs like “Vivir Mi Vida” and “Dos Oruguitas” reminded me how much meaning can be carried through rhythm and lyrics, and I now associate certain words or phrases with melodies that help me remember them.

What made this whole project even more enjoyable was the freedom to choose which activities we did each week. I appreciated that Sr. S gave us flexibility to explore what interested us most, whether it was art, tech, food, stories, or music. This freedom made the learning feel more personal and motivating. I gained cultural insights through Products (like songs, memes, and apps), Practices (like creative expression and daily language use), and Perspectives (how language reflects identity and values). I think Sr. S designed this to help us see that Spanish isn’t just something to memorize, it’s something to experience. These assignments reminded me that language learning should be meaningful, creative, and fun.

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The best activity I completed was "¡Los memes!" ¡Interpretación! I enjoyed this activity because I was able to find memes I thought were funny and take a deeper dive into the spanish language. I enjoyed how it shows that both cultures and languages share a similar sense of humor and laughter. While researching spanish memes, I was able to gain the knowledge that even though the memes were written in a different language, once I was able to understand what they were saying in Spanish, I thought they were funny.

The cultural products, practices, and perspectives I gained were the understanding that we are all human and share similar feelings and emotions. One of the memes I chose was a tired minion with a cup of coffee in his hands, and it said lunes. Even though we speak a different language, it doesn't mean we can't relate to how this minion is feeling and looks. The point of Sr. S asking us to do these activities was for us to understand that the spanish culture may be different from the English culture but we all share similar emotions and laughs.

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This was my favorite activity this semester. Reading this article about the impact of immigration on the Latin community really resonated with me, even though the content was disheartening. I appreciate the opportunity to learn how I can make an impact on the community by reading about a family's suffering. The article discusses Esvin Juárez and Rosmeri Miranda-López, a Guatemalan couple who were deported from the U.S. after 22 years, despite having a business and raising their four children in Florida. Their children are now using social media to seek help from President Trump to bring their parents back due to an old deportation order. It's disheartening to see such situations in real life. Reading articles like this leaves a hole in my heart, especially knowing many undocumented people; it hits close to home because they are not a threat to anyone.

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Los 4 hermanos que piden a Trump el regreso a EE.UU. de sus padres deportados y han conmovido a millones en redes sociales - BBC News Mundo

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Esvin Juárez y Rosmeri Miranda-López fueron expulsados a Guatemala después de más de dos décadas de vivir en Florida. Los videos con los que sus hijos le piden ayuda al mandatario estadounidense cuentan con millones de visualizaciones.

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One of my favorite activities done for Tarea Semanal was the activity for creating a playlist of Spanish-speaking artists. This specific activity was my favorite due to it being able to still reflect my personal taste in music and show how versatile music can be. My playlist contains many popular alternative artists that all have created strong reputations in both English and Spanish-speaking communities.

This activity shows that even though it's the same medium, the cultural background of music is something consistently unique to each artist in how one's environment affects the art created. The alternative music of Spanish-speaking communities compared to the alternative music heard in English-speaking communities tend to have much more lush productions that go even further in terms of the incorportation of a sub-genre. For example, Arca, a Venezuelan artist, heavily incorporates aspects of the production of industrial music much more in her music than her commonly compared English-speaking peer, SOPHIE. Even though the two are easily within the same caliber, their external cultural influences can be heard through their music.

The point of this specific assignment is to show the connection that language has to music and the cultural implications of it. With music being such a geographically diverse medium of expression, music is something that can easily be used to highlight the differences of the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking world culturally.

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Changing my phone from English to Spanish.

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One of my favorite activities that I performed this semester was changing the language settings on my phone from English to Spanish. At first, it appeared like a little change, but over the course of time I had exposure to it, it forced me into contact with Spanish regularly and naturally. From reading notifications to navigating apps, I was acquiring new vocabulary & verb conjugations.

My favorite part was the real-life application exercises. These were what integrated textbook knowledge and actual use. I also adored learning songs and watching videos in Spanish, which revealed a whole cultural universe to me.

Through these interactions, I developed experiential language skills and the confidence to use Spanish in real life. I also gained an understanding of cultural Products like Latin American music and Spanish media, Practices like informal texting conventions and greetings, and Perspectives like the importance of family, tradition, and geography in Spanish societies.

Sr. S asked us to do these exercises not just as a form of vocabulary or grammar practice but as a means of understanding that language is a living, breathing part of culture. By engaging with it in a real way, we are made more empathetic, skilled, and global citizens. These exercises made Spanish less school-based and more of a useful life skill.

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The best activities I did through this summer semester was these weekly tarea activities because I got to explore the Spanish culture in the real world by going out of my way to notice these things in our daily lives that we can do in order to incorporate different cultures. I especially enjoyed it if food was involved! I gained a sense of understanding from these assignments because I would interact with native spanish speakers and have to use what I know from these classes and incorporate it for their better understanding of me. I also gained a lot of interest in how authentic spanish food tastes and is made compared to non traditional dishes. I think the point of Mr. S making is do these assignments is for our better knowledge to get to understand cultures and how much they are around us in our daily lives yet we somehow get lost and forget there is so much beauty within each person you encounter because we all come from different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions that will only inspire.

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I really enjoyed this class. Not only did I learn Spanish but I learned a lot about the culture through the tarea semanals. I like listening to music so I would have to say my favorite activity was creating a Spanish playlist on Spotify. Another activity that I enjoyed was turning my phone language into Spanish. It made it harder to navigate my phone but it was cool to see how all my apps had changed. I was able to learn a lot of new things. Before I took this class I only knew a few basic greetings in Spanish and how to count to ten so this class helped me learn so much more. I think that Sr. S made the learning experience fun and entertaining by including things like SpongeBob and other movies. Some cultural perspectives that I gained were learning more about their culture and music. These tarea semanals helped me to learn something new about the culture every week. Sr. S wanted us to do these tarea semanals so that we could get involved in the Spanish culture and learn more about it. He also wanted us to do this reflection so we could see how much this helped us to learn more about the culture. I wanted to take Spanish since I was going into a career field that required me to communicate with people and I by learning Spanish I would be able to communicate with more people better. This class has helped me learn more Spanish and how to speak it.

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This semester in Spanish class represented a whole series of new experiences, lots of laughs, challenges, and learning. One of the best things we did was the interactive role-plays in class. Role-plays like ordering food at a restaurant or asking for directions made the process feel very real and build my confidence speaking Spanish out loud in front of someone. Another method was watching Spanish videos and music. That exposed us to genuine accents and how people very much speak, so that was great for supplementary material beyond a textbook. Through these experiences, I did not just learn vocabulary, the grammar side of the language, but I learned how to communicate in Spanish, even when I don't know every single word. I learned to work my way through confusion, use context clues, and not be afraid to make mistakes. Culturally, I learned aspects concerning products (traditional foods, music, holidays), practices (greetings, mealtimes, celebrations), and perceptions (values like family, community, hospitality) that are relevant to Spanish-speaking countries. It dawned on me that language learning is more than just words; it is about life and understanding people. Sr. S made us use these activities to push us out of our comfort zone, wondering what our language even felt like. That's why we did music videos, memes, and real conversations thelanguage itself is alive, and culture is part of that.

This is my favorite tarea semanal activity that I participated in. I had a great laugh at this one. It was very confusing, understanding spanish grammar at first, but now I have gotten the hang of things.

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My favorite thing this semester was listening to Spanish songs. I liked La Vaca Lola, Feliz Navidad, and Way Maker in Spanish. When I listened, I wrote down words I knew and said them out loud. I learned new words too, like Yeshúa means Jesus and Mesía means Messiah. It was fun because I got to sing, listen, and learn at the same time.

I learned that songs help me remember words. When I hear the words a lot, I can remember them better. I learned that Feliz Navidad means “Merry Christmas,” and vaca means “cow.” The gospel songs talked about love and faith. The kid songs helped me learn easy words.

Sometimes the songs were fast, and that made it hard to understand. I listened again and again until I could hear the words better. That helped me learn how Spanish sounds.

These songs showed me that music is very important in Spanish-speaking places. People sing at Christmas, at church, and for fun. I think Sr. S wanted us to do this so we can see that Spanish is used in real life, not just in class. Listening to music made Spanish fun and happy for me. It made me want to keep learning more songs and more Spanish words.

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The best activity I completed was when I made a Spanish Playlist and I immersed myself in the music of artists like Bad Bunny, Marshmello, and Alvaro Soler, and exploring a wide range of their songs. Through these experiences, I gained a deeper understanding of the nuances within Spanish music, especially the diversity of Bad Bunny's work. I also improved my engagement with the music by trying to understand the lyrics. In terms of cultural products, practices, and perspectives, I learned about the cultural impact of Spanish music, the global influence of artists like Bad Bunny, and how their music reflects themes of love, identity, and social issues. I also saw how collaborations between Spanish artists and musicians from other parts of the world bridge cultures. The point of Sr. Shafer asking me to do this was likely to broaden my horizons, appreciate the richness and diversity of Spanish music, and understand its cultural significance.

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Some of my favorite activities I've completed were the memes, the Spanish playlist, and the slideshow of Spanish animals. I chose these activities because they were the most enjoyable to create and the most engaging. The Spanish playlist opened me up to many different styles of music and got me out of my comfort zone. My favorite song on my playlist was Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony. This song really stuck with me because it's a really upbeat song, and it keeps me focused on what I'm doing. It also gives me a sense of nostalgia because I used to hear this song every day before my siblings moved out. I really like the memes activity because most of the memes I found really cracked me up and after understanding the meaning behind them it made me realize what native Spanish people go through in their daily lives. My favorite meme out of the five I found was the wet hippo. Lastly, I liked the Spanish animals slideshow activity because it was very interesting to research these special animals. My favorite animal to research was the Iberian Lynx. I found this one the most fascinating because I found out that someone took a picture of a very rare and endangered species of its kind. The picture was of a white furred Iberian Lynx. This is because of a rare phenomenon called Leucism. Leucism is a genetic condition that causes a partial or total lack of pigmentation in its skin, although not in the eyes. The reason why Mr. Shyfer had us do this was to expose us to the culture and help us relate to native Spanish speakers. These also try to persuade us into trying Spanish foods, products, and experiencing the culture for ourselves.

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Iliana Alston LE2: Tarea Seminal Showcase

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Iliana Alston LE2: Tarea Seminal Showcase

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My favorite Tarea Semanal that I did was making a playlist with Spanish songs. This was one of my favorites because I love music, I can’t go a day without listening to music, and I love to make playlists based on different moods or genres. Some other activities from the weekly tarea semanal that I have done were the 5 memes and the language change from English to Spanish on my phone for a day. I really enjoyed the meme one as well because I love memes and the memes that I found were really funny (to me at least..). From these experiences, I have gained a lot of strength towards learning Spanish, as well as other things. The Spanish playlist helped build my Spanish vocabulary with the lyrics of each song, as the playlist also helped me expand my music taste since I had to discover a couple new songs (and reunite with some songs I had forgotten about). These activities also helped me learn Spanish easier because of the vocabulary increase, but as well as the formation of sentences in Spanish. Some cultural products that I have gained from these activities include different Spanish songs and Spanish memes. Sr. Shafer asked us to do Tarea Semanals every week so we could apply our Spanish class to our current lives. I think that doing tarea semanals is a really good idea to help students learn Spanish not only a bit easier, but also to make it seem more fun.