Everything About Spanish II: Proyecto Final by Monica Varona Macedo

What things are you now able to express in Spanish that you have learned in Spanish II?

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:13:19 UTC

I am now able to discuss things that I have done in the past using the correct conjugation for each verb I use.
I am able to compare subjects or items using the correct Spanish comparison formula.
I am able to describe my daily life in Spain using new and more complex vocabulary.
I am able to write complex sentences that include both preterit and imperfect conjugations.
I am able to correctly depict what a trip to Spain would be like suing the Cultural Activities in the beginning of each Unit.

What differences have you seen between the Spanish language and your native language?

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:17:08 UTC

I am able to express as many negatives in a sentence as I’d like. (The rule of double negatives doesn’t exist in Spanish.)
Apostrophes are not used in Spanish. If you are trying to describe possession of something, you do not use an apostrophe in Spanish. Rather, you structure your sentence differently. (Ejemplo: Maria’s pencil is blue-------> El lápiz de María es azul. )
Another example of how punctuation is different is that Spanish includes exclamation points or even question marks at the ending and at the beginning of a sentence.
Even though it is sometimes tricky, some Spanish nouns have gender. You can usually identify what gender something is if you look to the article found in front of the noun. In example, el mapa, “the map” would be a male noun.
Adjectives used to describe something come after the word, not before. (Ejemplo: La camisa rojo------> The red shirt)
And of course, accent marks! This is a major difference between the English and Spanish language.

What do you hope to learn if you continue to study the Spanish language?

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:25:37 UTC

I wish to continue learning how to correctly express my thoughts in Spanish. I think Spanish I and II served as good basis courses, and I feel I am ready to continue expanding on the concepts I learned here. Since writing posed more of a challenge, I definitely want to focus more on my writing. I want to specifically learn more grammar rules such as accent mark rules, rather than trying to remember which words have them and which don’t. I want to learn more about the places which have adapted Spanish as a primary language because I truly enjoyed learning about all the things Costa Rica and Spain had to offer.

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:31:56 UTC

¡Español! Digital image. Spanish Class. Burleson ISD, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2017. .

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:34:43 UTC

What did you find interesting and exciting about the Spanish culture?

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:39:52 UTC

I loved learning about the different ways in which the Spaniards made their food. I am currently begging my mother to make paella, a dish we learned about in Unit 6. I also loved learning about the popular tourism spots, which included some antique and wonderfully architecturally designed buildings, which really caught my eye because I plan to make architecture my major. But what I love about Spanish the most is being able to express myself in two languages.

Talk about your experience with learning Spanish in an online class.

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:52:30 UTC

Online learning has it's advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on the time management skills, motivation, and willingness to learn that a student has. Personally, my time management skills needed to be better. A big portion of an online class is dedicating the adequate amount of time to your assignments and to the Required Live Classes that are in conjunction with this course. However, I loved that I didn’t have to be stuck in a classroom all day and that I could work at the pace that was right for me. I didn’t have to turn in some assignments in right away, which means that I had extra time if I needed it. The important thing to remember is that this isn’t meant to be taken advantage of; assignments can snowball out of control this way.

What did you like about the course? What did you not like and/or could be improved?

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 16:53:00 UTC

My favorite thing about this course is how easy to navigate it was. I liked that I could breeze through a Unit because all of my assignments were together and I could always easily find them again. I liked that we had Live Classes because other online classes that I've taken didn't have them. I liked that I was also reminded of the assignments I had due because my User DashBoard would send me notifications. Quite honestly there is nothing I did not like about this course.

What things did you do that helped you learn Spanish in this course? What things can you do to improve your own Spanish learning in the future?

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 22:59:53 UTC

I took A LOT of notes. I also made flashcards with the words and their conjugations that I wasn't sure about, and had a family member test me. I also wrote scripts for the speaking assignments so that would flow much smoother. I also used the supplemental website, http://www.spanish411.net/, which had tons of practice and activities. Additional things that I could do to improve my own Spanish learning is subject myself to more scenarios in which I have to use the Spanish language. While I did take a decent amount of notes, I'd like to organize them better so that I could find the concepts I'm looking for quicker.

What things did your teacher do to help you with your learning? Was there anything that your teacher didn't do that would have helped you? (in English)

monicav142 — 2017-01-13 23:06:46 UTC

My teacher constantly left great resources and review in the daily announcements, which usually took care of answering any small questions I had. She would also leave feedback on my assignments, which I could go back and look at any time and improve from. She was also very patient with me and I liked that it was very easy to communicate with her. She was also very great in explaining concepts in the Required Live Classes, so most of my questions would be answered in the span of that hour.

monicav142 — 2017-01-14 02:38:33 UTC

¡Bienvenidos! Digital image. Saint John Vianney Catholic School. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2017. .

How are your school, apartment, family, hobbies, food, shopping experiences, and community in Spain different compared to those in the United States?

monicav142 — 2017-01-14 02:46:07 UTC

Mijatovic, Aleksandar. Waving flag of Spain and USA. Digital image. ROYALTY FREE STOCK PHOTOS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2017. .

monicav142 — 2017-01-14 03:40:15 UTC

Write an essay in Spanish describing your experience in Spain (during this course).

monicav142 — 2017-01-14 04:16:08 UTC

Mi escuela en España estaba en el centro de Madrid y tuve que tomar el metro para llegar. También tuve que llevar mi uniforme azul con zapatos negros. Las clases que tomé también me gustaron mucho. ¡Mi clase de cálculo y de geometría eran muy divertidas! Luego tenía que ir a la clase de química y era muy difícil pero la maestra era muy energética. Mi escuela es muy grande porque es internada, pero a mí no me gusta quedarme allí. Yo regreso a mi apartamento al fin de escuela que es a las cuatro de la tarde.
Mi apartamento estaba muy mal cuando primero lo encontré. Había basura por todo el piso y las paredes tenían bastante polvo. Para limpiarlo tuve que comprar mucho jabón, trapos, y esponjas. ¡Me tomó tres horas para hacer todos los quehaceres! El apartamento tenía una cocina grande, pero mi cuarto y la sala eran muy pequeños. Mi apartamento también estaba cerca de mi escuela en un piso muy tranquilo.En el edificio también vivían mas estudiantes. La estación de policías y el hospital estaban a dos cuadras de mi edificio. La comunidad donde vivia era muy tranquila en general.
Siempre había algo que hacer en España. Los domingos, a mi me gustaba ir a los mercados a comprar la comida. No me gustaba gastar mucho dinero y en los mercados siempre encontraba buenas gangas. Me encantaba ver todo tipo de frutas y vegetales, y siempre tenía que comprar mi favorita helado de la heladería que estaba muy cerca al mercado. Cuando iba al mercado los fines de semana, yo iba a comer con mis amigas de la escuela o con mi familia anfitriona. Usualmente íbamos a los restaurantes que servían pescado porque el pescado es mi favorita comida aquí en España. Me encantaba mucho como lo preparan.
Me sentía muy mal cuando me tuve que ir de españa. Mi familia anfitriona me llevo al aeropuerto y me despedí de todos. Mi papá, un señor muy alto y reservado, me dijo que le hablara si un día regresaba a España. El era un maestro de idiomas en una escuela cerca del centro de Madrid. Mi mamá era una secretaria en un hospital que estaba en las afueras de Madrid. Ella era muy delgada y cocinaba muy rico. También me despedí de mi hermana anfitriona. Ella y yo íbamos a la misma escuela y siempre íbamos de compras en la hora del almuerzo. Nunca voy a olvidar mi tiempo en España.