Latino Language, Pedagogy and Culture Immersion Institute in Puerto Rico

7/28/09

Last night, we had the pleasure of joining the President of the University and our professors for a beautiful and delicious meal. We ate inside the President's house, which is located right on campus. Our dinner was served on their back patio, with the tropical fauna making for an incredible setting. After we enjoyed our flan and espresso, we were invited to take a brief tour of the campus. Lydia, a professor at the university, guided us to a few close destinations. She has written a book about the history of the campus and is extremely passionate about it. It was nice to learn more about the place we will be studying at for the next two weeks.

Today was the first day of Spanish class! Everyone is placed in a class based on their level of experience. I was placed in the intermedio or intermediate class. Of course I would prefer the advanced level and I love a challenge, but the truth is that it would have been over my head. I have minored in Spanish and lived in Spain, but I still struggle so much with the language. I honestly think I could earn another degree easier than I can learn this beautiful language. The process of learning, speaking, and thinking in another language is extremely long and tiring, but in the end rewarding. It is in my pursuit to learn this language that I have learned more about myself and other cultures. I also believe it has made me a more compassionate and understanding educator. I consider myself lucky that I know as much Spanish as I do, but I will not be content until I am fluent. This is also a challenge because I know I will never be fluent until I live and breathe in a Spanish speaking place for over a year.