Write about a time you chose to learn about or make something on your own. Why did you want to do/learn this?
I love walking the Camino de Santiago--an ancient pilgrimage route in Spain. When I travel, I also like being able to communicate with the local people. So I decided I wanted to learn Spanish so I could talk to the Spanish people I would meet along the trail.What research did you do? Who and where did you get help from?
I researched the best ways to learn a language. I used the website Fluentin3months.com. I also went to a one-week language program in Nicaragua. And then I listened to language CD's in my car on my way to work each day. Finally, I spoke with friends who knew Spanish--we had numerous conversations in Spanish.
What struggles did you have as you were learning/making it? What did you do/learn/change as a result of those struggles?
My biggest struggle was during my time in Nicaragua. My teacher wanted me to memorize a lot of things that I didn't think would help me on my trip. I wanted to memorize phrases and sentences I would need. I wanted to focus on speaking--having conversations like the ones I might have in Spain. So I asked her if we could do more speaking, and she said yes. I learned a lot about her and her family and life in Nicaragua that I don't think I would have learned if we just kept going through the textbook.
What was the end result?
The final result was that I was able to speak enough Spanish to talk to lots of people I met in Spain! There were lots of things I didn't know, but I knew just enough to ask the questions I wanted and learn about the lives of the people I met.
What other things are you interested in learning/doing/making?
I would like to get better at speaking French. I would like to learn to draw. I also want to learn Tunisian crochet. And I want to learn how to get the pictures off an old phone I have.
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