The Spanish department implemented the use of Talkabroad, an online service that allows students to connect with Spanish-speaking professionals around the world via video chat, this year. I was in a second level Spanish course this semester so I was required to complete two, thirty minute conversations for the class. The people pictured above were my conversation partners this semester: Alejandra from Colombia and Rubén from Peru. At first, I was nervous to attempt to have a conversation with a stranger that doesn’t have the same native language as I do but it ended up being a great learning experience. Not only did I uncover tips for getting your point across in a different language, I also got to learn little bits of cultural information from my partners.
I completed my first conversation during week 5 of the semester and then my second one during week 10. It was great to see how much I improved from my first trial to my second one. First of all, I was much more relaxed and prepared the second time around. I found ways to make my sentences flow by using things like transitions and connecter words. My vocabulary had also expanded by week 10 and I had more meaningful questions to ask. I believe that practice makes perfect and that is why Talkabroad has been and will continue to be a crucial part of my Spanish education.