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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.