Spanish 320 was a much more difficult class than my first spanish class. It was my first spanish class towards my spanish minor, which I decided to do my sophomore year. Spanish is a an entirely different way of thinking than my other science based classes. It requires constant focus, but also a lot of figuring out ways around words you don’t know. An example of this my analysis of El Laberinto del Fauno, or Pan’s Labyrinth.  This movie was a parallel of escapism and symbolism through the eyes of a child during the Spanish Civil War.

Our final paper, which was the analysis of a movie from a list given by our professor, was my first seemingly long paper in another language. This five page paper was very challenging and required me to look deeply into each symbol of the movie that represented the struggles and viewpoint of children during a war. This longer paper prepared me for the many other long assignments I would have throughout my journey in Spanish by forcing me to learn different ways to communicate an idea and problem solve when I didn’t know a word.

Learning Spanish has helped me use this alternative way of thinking in many of my classes. When I do not understand or someone does not understand me, I think of a different way to explain. Sometimes when I cannot think of a word, especially during a high moment of stress like exams or presentations, I can stay calm and find other words to explain what I am trying to say without that one “spot on” word I want to say. Also, I now have the ability to communicate with people from different parts of the country which opens many doors for me for learning and growth throughout my professional career.