Individual Activity

Journaling about personal use of Spanish in public space

This project is developed over the course of the semester in the Spanish classroom, preferably in the intermediate to advance levels of proficiency.

1. Students are asked to maintain an online journal of their use of Spanish in the public space – for example at supermarkets, coffee shops, government offices, etc. If this type of interaction is not possible in the students’ community, they may seek alternative language exchanges such as penpals, chats, voice messages, social media, or other environments where the use of Spanish is common. Ideally, there should be one documented interaction in Spanish per course chapter or unit.
2. After each verbal interaction in Spanish in the public space, students write a 300-500 word narration of the event. The narration of the interaction should be as detailed as possible, explaining where, when, how, about what, and with whom the student spoke. After describing the event, students should add an explanation of how they felt during the interaction, the linguistic or emotional challenges they faced, and what they would do differently in a similar situation in the future. Depending on the workload of the course and the proficiency level of the students, this activity can be carried out in English, Spanish, or a combination of languages.
3. At the end of the course, students present a summary of their journals in the form of an oral presentation, video (digital storytelling), podcast, poster, or dramatic sketch. If students are comfortable with sharing their experiences and reflections, the larger Spanish community can be invited to the journals’ presentations, and a Q&A can take place afterwards.