Jake was our first student to ever achieve a Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, showing advanced-level proficiency in English and Spanish. He is also currently our only non-native speaking recipient of the Seal with Distinction! Read his testimonials in his own words in Spanish and English below.
Hablo el español y he empezado a aprender un poco del italiano. No soy hablante nativo de ninguno. Yo empecé aprender el español en la escuela media pero no me gustaba para nada entonces. Al principio de mi segundo año en escuela secundaria me di cuenta de que las idiomas son divertidos, y que abren puertas a culturas distintas para conocer. Eso me hizo querer aprender mas para poder experimentar a España un día. Ese verano mi familia y yo fuimos allí, y ese viaje solo aumentó mi amor por esa cultura. Como que me gusto tanto, decidí comenzar el Italiano, que son tan semejantes que se puede comunicar en ambas lenguas. Soy italiano, entonces me parecía guay trabajar hacia experimentar esa cultura también.
I speak Spanish and I have started to learn a little Italian. I am not a native speaker of either one. I started learning Spanish in middle school but I didn't like it at all back then. At the beginning of my second year in high school I realized that languages are fun, and that they open doors to get to know different cultures. That made me want to learn more in order to experience Spain one day. That summer my family and I went there, and that trip only increased my love for the culture. Because I like it so much, I decided to start Italian, since they are so similar that you can communicate easily in both languages. I am Italian, so it seems cool to work towards experiencing that culture too.
Hay tantas razones para aprender otra lengua, y la mayoría dependen el la persona, como el poder de hablar con familia extranjera, experimentar una cultura, o tener una diferente vista al mundo. La que yo no esperaba ganar era el aprendizaje de la gramática nativa. Siempre era horrible con mi propia gramática, pero cuando empecé aprender el español yo pude verla de una perspectiva mas clara. Cuando se ve como otra se organiza, es mucho mas fácil comprender su propia gramática.
There are so many reasons to learn another language, and the majority depend on the person, like being able to talk to extended family abroad, experiencing a culture, or having a different worldview. What I didn't expect to gain was the knowledge of my native grammar. I was always horrible with my own grammar, but when I started to learn Spanish I could see it from a more clear perspective. When you see how another language is organized, it's much easier to understand your own grammar.
A los estudiantes que quieren seguir aprendiendo otra lengua, creo que lo mas importante que pueden hacer es hacer el proceso agradable y divertido. Si se estudia en una manera que te aburre, querrás dejar de hacerlo.
To the students who want to continue learning another language, I think the most important thing you can do is make the process enjoyable and fun. If you study in a way that is boring to you, you will want to stop doing it.
Después de graduarme yo voy a Westfield State para estudiar el español y la educación o la economía. Mientras allí, espero viajar con el programo de viajo extranjero a España y quizás Italia.
After I graduate I am going to Westfield State to study Spanish and education or economics. While I am there, I hope to travel with the study abroad program to Spain and maybe Italy.