Overview of My Learning Strategy

Hola amigos,

now that we are acquainted I would like to share my overall Spanish language learning strategy. Just like  a personal fitness strategy might include diet, weight training and cardio, my Spanish language strategy includes:

Formal grammar and vocabulary training
     I attend classes at the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute (tfli.org). I also took Spanish classes in junior high and high school.  I don't trust myself to learn correct grammar and pronunciation without having a real person to correct me when I am wrong. However, some people might be able to fulfill this part of the strategy independently with books or online courses.

Informal exposure to Spanish from listening to Spanish speakers
     This part is really fun for me. I love watching movies in Spanish. I also love to talk to children and adults in Spanish at my school when appropriate (I do not give therapy in Spanish). In Nashville there is a Spanish conversation group (www.meetup.com/spanish-570).

Exposure to written language
     So much of adult language is learned from reading. No one speaks with perfect grammar in real life and no one uses as many different words while speaking as are included in books. Whenever I am in an airport I check the magazine racks for Spanish language magazines and newspapers. I also have my iPhone set on Spanish so that it says things like "mensajes" for "messages." I even read children's books in Spanish.

I think it is important to note here that I don't know if this strategy will work for anyone. I don't even know if it will work for me yet. I just wanted to let you know what I was doing and why. All children need formal instruction, exposure to printed material and a chance to listen to spoken language in order to become literate, functional speakers. I try to give myself the same well-rounded language environment in Spanish.

Please share any comments or personal strategies that you have used to learn Spanish!

Setting Goals and Sharing Strategies

Welcome! 

I am so glad that you have chosen to join me on my journey towards becoming a bilingual speech language pathologist (and person)! This journey started in earnest when I started my job working at an elementary school with a large Hispanic population in the fall of 2010. When I look back to my childhood I realize that my interest in other cultures and languages started practically from birth. These and my goals once I achieve "near-native fluency" in Spanish:

• To accurately diagnose bilingual Spanish/English speakers with language, fluency and speech disorders.
• To support teachers of bilingual and multilingual students. 
• To help bilingual, multilingual, Spanish and English speaking families to better support the growth of their children in a multilingual world. 

I am positively addicted to goal-setting and this really doesn't cover every little thing I hope to do. I think it summarizes my long-term professional goals right now. 

I was lucky enough to travel to Ecuador this past July to work and study Spanish. This was a huge turning point in my study of Spanish language and the culture of Ecuador. Unfortunately, I could only stay for a month this time, but, now I have to find a way to integrate Spanish language and Hispanic culture into my day-to-day life. It will be a challenge but I know we can do it! Please feel free to ask questions, comments and your own strategies and goals. 

Thanks! 

Mikah