Curso: Spanish 1000

Escuela: University of Lethbridge

Profesora: Diana Lucía Letts-Piedrahita

For example, I would say:
"Se escribe erre, hache, a, i, ele, ye, ene."

We also learned the verb ser (to be), which helped us form more complete introductions. Using ser, we practiced expressing:

• "Me llamo..." – My name is...

• "Yo soy..." – I am...

• "Yo soy de..." – I am from...

• "Yo soy estudiante." – I am a student.

Then, we were put into small groups and got the chance to introduce ourselves to one another. It was a good way to actually use the new vocabulary in real conversations. After talking in our groups, we picked one person to introduce to the class using a third-person sentence like:
"Ella es..." – She is...
or
"Él es..." – He is...

That part made it feel more real—we weren’t just practicing anymore, we were really communicating in Spanish, even if it was just the basics.

Looking back, Class 2 helped us move from learning about Spanish to actually using it. And that made it feel exciting, like we’re slowly becoming able to hold small conversations and share who we are—in a whole new language.

In our first Spanish class, I wasn’t sure what to expect—but we jumped right in with the basics, and it actually felt really fun and approachable. We started learning how to introduce ourselves and say hello, and even though the phrases were simple, it already felt like we were unlocking something new.

We practiced things like:

• "Hola, ¿Cómo estás?" – to say “Hi, how are you?”

• "¿Cómo te llamas?" – to ask “What’s your name?”

What really surprised me was how different Spanish can be from English—not just in the words, but in the way things are said. Like, "¿Cómo te llamas?" doesn’t literally mean “What’s your name?” It actually means “What do you call yourself?” That made me pause and realize that Spanish isn’t just about translating—it's about seeing things from a whole new angle.

We also learned three different ways to introduce ourselves:

• Me llamo... (I call myself...)

• Yo soy... (I am...)

• Mi nombre es... (My name is...)

It was cool seeing how many ways you can say the same thing depending on the vibe or how formal you want to sound. It gave me more confidence to choose what felt most natural for me.

Later on, we started learning the names of everyday objects around us—like libro (book), mochila (backpack), and silla (chair). I caught myself looking around the room and mentally labeling everything in Spanish. It felt like a small step, but also kind of powerful—like I was beginning to see my world a little differently.

Overall, that first class wasn’t just about memorizing phrases. It felt like the beginning of learning how to actually think in Spanish—and that made me excited for what’s ahead.

Starting with numbers—I already had some knowledge because I’m Filipino and grew up learning them. But I noticed the spelling in Spanish is quite different even though some of the sounds are similar.

For example:
20 in Filipino is spelled bente, but in Spanish, it’s veinte.

Next, we focused on how to identify feminine and masculine nouns. Some of the patterns we learned were:

• Nouns ending in -a, -sión, -ción, and -dad are usually feminine

• Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine

We also practiced how to use the correct articles:

• "la" for feminine singular nouns

• "el" for masculine singular nouns

• For plurals, we add -s to the noun

  • Feminine plural uses "las"

  • Masculine plural uses "los"

These rules helped us start putting together more complete and grammatically correct phrases. It made me more aware of how important it is in Spanish to match the gender and number of the noun with its article and adjective.

Overall, this class was grammar-focused, but it felt like a big step toward using Spanish more accurately. We’re slowly getting the tools to express more ideas—and ask real-life questions too.

The main focus of the class was learning the verb querer, which means to want or to love. We learned how to conjugate querer in the present tense:

• Yo → quiero

• Tú → quieres

• Él / Ella / Usted → quiere

• Nosotros(as) → queremos

• Vosotros(as) → queréis

• Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes → quieren

Using this verb, we practiced how to ask questions like:

• "¿Qué quieres hacer este fin de semana?" – What do you want to do this weekend?

• "¿Qué quieren hacer este fin de semana?" – What do you all want to do this weekend?

And we practiced answering with real examples, such as:

• "Yo quiero hacer deporte." – I want to do sports.

• "Yo quiero ir a Lethbridge." – I want to go to Lethbridge.

• "Quiero ir a Lethbridge este fin de semana." – I want to go to Lethbridge this weekend.

We also learned how to express affection or interest using "Yo quiero a..." for people or pets:

• "Yo quiero a (name)."

• "Yo quiero a mi (pet)."

The class also covered the differences between some small but essential Spanish words that are easy to confuse:

• ¿Por qué? – Why

• Porque – Because

• Por – By / For / Because of

• Para – For / In order to

• Con – With

• De – Of / From

• A – To / At

Understanding how these words function helped us build better sentences. We even used them to explain our motivations for learning Spanish, like:

• "Porque quiero hablar con mis amigos hispanos."

• "Para aprender sobre la cultura hispana."

• "Por mi trabajo."

• "Porque es un requerimiento."

One interesting grammar point we covered was preposition contractions, specifically when a or de is followed by el (the masculine article):

• a + el → al → "Ellos quieren ir al cine."

• de + el → del

These little changes make Spanish sound more natural and correct.

We finished with more examples of using querer in different contexts, like:

• "Quiero vivir en México." – I want to live in Mexico.

• "Quiero dormir esta noche porque estoy cansado." – I want to sleep tonight because I’m tired.

• "Ella quiere nadar." – She wants to swim.

• "Ustedes quieren estudiar." – You all want to study.

Overall, this class helped us move from simple identity phrases to actually expressing desires, plans, and reasons. It made conversations feel more real and gave us the tools to talk about things that matter to us.

• My Reflection Feedback: Everyone collaborated effectively by engaging with one another and offering support in recalling key Spanish phrases and vocabulary. It was clear that the group had developed a strong understanding of how to hold a basic conversation in Spanish, as we were able to confidently and naturally during the activities. Each person contributed equally to the workshop, and the atmosphere felt supportive and inclusive. Ayesha and Paula were particularly helpful in bringing me up to speed on the lecture that I missed. They took the time to explain the objectives and helped clarify some of the concepts I had been struggling with.

From my notes, I remembered writing:

• “Yo estoy en la universidad” – I am at the university.
  This helped me understand that estar is used when you’re saying where something or someone is at a specific moment.

We also practiced how to ask and answer how someone is feeling.

• ¿Cómo estás? – How are you?
  Some possible answers were:

• “Estoy feliz” – I am happy

• “Estoy cansada” – I am tired

• “Estoy estresada” – I am stressed

• “Estoy agobiada” – I am overwhelmed

What stood out to me is that these expressions show how someone feels right now, and that’s why we use estar, not ser. We even reviewed the full conjugation of estar:

• yo estoy

• tú estás

• él/ella/usted está

• nosotros/as estamos

• vosotros/as estáis

• ellos/ellas/ustedes están

I also learned to make simple questions using estar, like:

• “¿Dónde estás tú?” – Where are you?

• “¿Dónde están ustedes?” – Where are you all?

Overall, this class helped me feel more confident using estar because I now understand the situations where it’s appropriate. Whether I’m saying where I am or how I feel, I now have the tools to express myself more clearly in Spanish.

From my notes, I learned that hay is used to express existence—it means “there is” or “there are.” What’s helpful is that hay doesn’t change no matter what the subject is. Some of the examples I wrote down were:

• “No, en Lethbridge no hay un río.” – No, there is no river in Lethbridge.

• “¿Cuántos ríos hay en Lethbridge?” – How many rivers are there in Lethbridge?

• “En Leth hay un río.” – There is a river in Lethbridge.

These examples helped me understand how to describe what’s in a place like a city, school, or home by using hay with things like numbers, un/una, or general nouns.

Then we worked with the verb tener, specifically tengo, which means “I have.” I used it to talk about personal belongings or relationships. In my notes, I wrote questions like:

• “¿Tú eres canadiense?” – Are you Canadian? (used with ser, but good for intro)

• “¿Cuál es tu nombre y apellido?” – What’s your name and surname?

• “¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?” – What is your phone number?

Then to answer and talk about what someone has, we used tengo:

• “Tengo una hermana.” – I have a sister.

• “Tengo una mochila.” – I have a backpack.

• “Tengo una casa en Lethbridge.” – I have a house in Lethbridge.

Using both hay and tengo in class helped me practice not just vocabulary, but also how to talk about my life and surroundings in Spanish. It’s getting easier to say what’s around me and what I have without always translating in my head first. I’m starting to feel more comfortable using full sentences with confidence.

We were told to prepare five questions ahead of time using the grammar and vocabulary we’ve learned so far—things like ser, estar, tener, querer, haber, along with numbers, names, and weekend plans. But when the time came, and everyone before me started asking questions, I got even more nervous. A lot of the questions I had prepared were already being asked, and I wasn’t sure what I could add that hadn’t already been said.

Even though I was anxious, I still paid close attention and took notes in Spanish about everything I learned from her. It actually helped me realize that I was understanding more than I thought. Here’s what I gathered about Luz Janeth:

• Ella es Luz Janeth Ospina.

• Su nombre se escribe: ele, u, zeta.

• Ella es de Colombia.

• Ella habla inglés, francés y español.

• Tiene sesenta y un años.

• Ella vive en Lethbridge desde hace diecisiete años, y ha vivido en Canadá por veinticinco años.

• Ella es profesora.

• Su nacionalidad es colombiana.

Sobre su familia:

• Tiene una hermana que se llama Alexia.

• Su hermana es la menor y ella es la mayor.

• Su hermana vive en Montreal, Quebec y tiene cincuenta y nueve años.

• Su esposo se llama Alejandro.

Sobre su fin de semana:

• "Vamos a ir con mi esposo y unos amigos al Chinook Lake."

Sobre sus gustos:

• Su color favorito es el verde.

• No tiene mascotas, pero tiene muchas plantas.

• Su comida favorita en general es la sopa.

• Quiere leer, nadar y compartir con su familia y amigos.

• Su animal favorito es el caballo.

• "Esta noche voy a comer un pescado frito."

• "Me gusta (quiero) bailar, pero no sé bailar."

• Su esposo sabe bailar muy bien.

Sobre la música:

• Su canción favorita se llama “Los Caminos de la Vida.”

• Recomendaciones de música: música española

• Cantantes recomendados: Natalia Lafourcade, Lila Downs, Carin León y El Legado.

Y finalmente, su número de teléfono es 403-795-3217.

Even though I was nervous, I’m proud that I pushed through and was still able to understand and write down so much. This experience showed me how far I’ve come—and gave me a better idea of what to expect next time.

First, we practiced tener que to talk about responsibilities and obligations. Some examples from my notes included:

• “Tengo que limpiar mi cuarto.” – I have to clean my room.

• “Tengo que mercar.” – I have to get groceries.

• “Tengo que estudiar español para tener éxito.” – I have to study Spanish to be successful.

It helped to use this with everyday things I actually say, like needing to call, clean, or study. We also reviewed regular tener for things like age, family, and expressions:

• “Yo tengo hambre.” – I’m hungry.

• “Yo tengo un hermano.” – I have a brother.

• “¿Cuántos primos tienes?” – How many cousins do you have?

• “Yo tengo éxito con mis amigos.” – I’m successful with my friends.

Then we moved on to preferir, which means to prefer. We practiced asking and answering questions like:

• “¿Qué prefieres, té o café?” – What do you prefer, tea or coffee?

• “Yo prefiero el té.” – I prefer tea.

• “¿Qué prefieren, salir de compras o dormir?” – What do you all prefer, going shopping or sleeping?

• “Mi mejor amiga prefiere la pasta.” – My best friend prefers pasta.

We also practiced verbs with similar patterns like cerrar, pensar, comenzar, entender, which helped us see how many verbs follow the same kind of change (e → ie).

To end the class, we read a short article called “Número Pequeño.” Using tener, I described the character like this from my notes:

• “Él tiene una abuela y un abuelo.”

• “Él tiene que contar hasta cien.”

• “Él tiene una tía.”

• “Él tiene mal olor.”

• “Él tiene cinco años.”

The story was a fun way to use everything we learned—especially combining tener and tener que in a real description. Overall, this class helped me practice how to talk about preferences, obligations, and personal details all in one session. I’m starting to feel more confident using these in real conversations.

After that, we reviewed how to describe what we are wearing using the verb llevar. This was useful because it helped me combine colors, clothing vocabulary, and grammar. Some examples we practiced included:

• Yo llevo una camisa blanca. – I’m wearing a white shirt.

• Tú llevas un pantalón negro. – You are wearing black pants.

• Ella lleva una chaqueta roja. – She is wearing a red jacket.

• Nosotros llevamos zapatos marrones. – We are wearing brown shoes.

• Ellos llevan camisetas azules. – They are wearing blue t-shirts.

I also practiced how colors and clothing nouns change depending on gender and number (like una blusa verde vs. unos pantalones grises), and it helped reinforce earlier grammar rules we learned.

Later in the class, we moved on to talking about weather (el tiempo) using only the verb hacer, which was surprisingly versatile. Some examples from my notes:

• Hace frío. – It’s cold.

• Hace calor. – It’s hot.

• Hace sol. – It’s sunny.

• Hace viento. – It’s windy.

• Hace buen tiempo. – The weather is nice.

• Hace 25 grados. – It’s 25 degrees.

• Hace menos cinco grados. – It’s -5 degrees.

• Hace mucho frío en el invierno. – It’s very cold in winter.

I found it helpful to connect these expressions to seasons and temperature in real life, like describing what the weather is like in Lethbridge. It made the vocabulary more meaningful and practical.

Overall, this class helped me grow in multiple ways—communicating with classmates, using tech tools like AI, and learning how to describe what I wear and what the weather is like. It felt like everything we’ve been learning is starting to come together.

From my notes, I practiced phrases like:

• Hace viento. – It’s windy.

• Hay tormenta. – There’s a thunderstorm.

• Hay niebla. – There’s fog.

• Está nublado. – It’s cloudy.

• Está lloviendo. – It’s raining.

• Está nevando. – It’s snowing.
  We also used expressions like “Hace el mismo tiempo que en Lethbridge” to compare weather between cities. It was useful to notice that when we’re describing weather in the moment, we use estar, hay, and hacer, but when describing facts, we use ser — like in “El verano es caluroso.”

After the weather review, we revisited the verb llevar (to wear) and practiced describing clothing in different seasons. We answered questions like:

• ¿Qué llevas en el verano?
  – Llevo pantalones cortos, gafas de sol, y una gorra.

• ¿Qué llevas en el invierno?
  – Llevo un abrigo, bufanda, guantes y botas de cuero.

We also practiced vocabulary related to clothing materials and colors. For example:

• una blusa de color rosado y blanco – a pink and white blouse

• unos pantalones de color negro – black pants

• seda, algodón, sin mangas – silk, cotton, sleeveless
  It helped reinforce how gender and number affect both clothing nouns and their colors.

Next, we practiced the verb gustar (to like). I reviewed how to say what I like using phrases like:

• Me gusta tu sombrero. – I like your hat.

• Me gustan las plantas. – I like plants.

• Nos gusta estudiar. – We like to study.
  We also looked at stronger versions like encantar, amar, and adorar for expressing deeper preference:

• Me encantan los gatos. – I love cats.

• Adoro a mi familia.

Finally, we welcomed our second guest speaker on Zoom. Just like with our previous speaker, we had to prepare and ask questions using the verbs we’ve learned — like ser, estar, tener, querer, and now gustar. We listened closely and wrote down notes about their answers in Spanish. Compared to our first speaker, I felt much more confident and prepared this time. I was proud of how I handled the activity—especially because I had written out 33 questions in advance. I think the structure helped too, since we were each allowed to ask only one or two questions, which meant no one ran out of things to say or felt rushed. I understood more of what Ileana said and had an easier time listening and taking notes in Spanish.

Here are the things I learned about Ileana during our conversation:

• Ella se llama Ileana.

• Ella tiene dos apellidos: el primero es García y el segundo es Ortegón.

• Ella tiene 29 años.

• Ella es mexicana y es de México.

• Su color favorito es el verde y a veces el rosa.

• Ella tiene muchos tíos, como veinte tíos.

• A ella le gustan las películas románticas.

• Ella prefiere los dos: el café y el té.

  • Café en la mañana y té en la noche.

• A ella le gusta más el verano.

• En México, hay 20 grados centígrados.

• Ella prefiere los perros.

• Tiene un hermano.

• Su película favorita es The Lorax.

• Su profesión es filántropa.

• Ella tiene muchas plantas.

• Ella prefiere la playa.

• Ella prefiere la pizza.

• Ella habla español, inglés y un poco de francés.

• Ella enseña filantropía en la universidad.

• Su temporada favorita es el otoño.

• A ella le gusta escuchar música jazz y pop.

• Ella no canta.

• Su dulce favorito es el chocolate.

• A ella le gustan las canciones de los Gipsy Kings.

• Ella prefiere el verano porque hace calor.

• Ella planea hacer jardinería este fin de semana.

• Depende de su día, pero a veces le gusta salir con amigos y otras veces le gusta dormir.

• Uno de sus lugares favoritos en México es Campeche.

• A ella no le gusta el hockey.

This activity made me feel really accomplished. I was proud of how much I understood in Spanish, and that I could keep up with the flow of conversation. It also showed me how useful our class vocabulary has become—especially with gustar, tener, preferir, and weather expressions like hay 20 grados or hace calor. I’m grateful we had this experience and they're helping me build both language skills and confidence.

Every time I sang along, I paid close attention to how the words were pronounced—especially the vowels and the endings of each word. I also noticed how the rhythm helped me speak more naturally, instead of in a robotic way. Singing helped me feel more connected to the language, and it gave me confidence to speak out loud without being afraid of making mistakes.

This song made learning pronunciation fun and meaningful for me. I wasn’t just studying—I was feeling the music and using it as a tool to improve. I feel proud that I can now sing it with better pronunciation, and it motivates me to keep practicing Spanish in creative ways.