Cultural Reflection

Intercultural Knowledge

Before the course:

I was at an advantage for this course because I had previously lived in Switzerland and knew about Spanish culture thus I did not have a culture shock. I had been to Madrid in February 2012 and Mallorca in July 2012 and had always wanted to explore more of Spain. I have fond memories of having churros con chocolate with my grandmother and visiting the Palace Gardens and seeing peacocks in the Parque Retiro. In high school I was in correspondence with a penpal friend in Zaragoza and kept in contact with her in case I'd come to Spain. She and I got along well and would Facetime to practice my Spanish and her english. Since I was in Spain a week before my course started, I went to Zaragoza to visit her. The same year a guy from Barcelona had just transferred to my chemistry class and did not know any English so I volunteered to help translate in class. He gave me many suggestions for Barcelona and I had gotten used to his accent in both Spanish, Catalan and English and thus made my transition of hearing those three easier. Lastly, when I lived in Switzerland, I had made a friend who was from Madrid and promised to give me a tour of the city again. She met me in San Francisco last year and just missed each other in Madrid by a few days. She did offer me recommendations and have practiced my Spanish with her as well.

The Language

Just as any country origin and it's colonized countries have differnt accents, even withing borders accents and dialects of a language flourish. Spain has one official language, Castilian Spanish, three co-official languages, Catalán, Basco, Gaillego. Castillian Spanish is the main language speak and is the root of Spanish spoken in Central and South America.

I learned various Spanish languages are influenced by the bordering countries: Castillian is influenced by France and Morocco and Gaillego is influenced by Portugal. Catalán is also a blend between Castillian Spanish and French. This makes it both easier and challenging for me since I know French as well, I would get my languages mixed up.

During/ After the course

I feel more confident in my Spanish speaking skills. I learned new words, phrases and cultural references. I feel much more comfortable speaking Spanish. I want to continue using my Spanish skills into my fieldwork and into my career. I enjoyed this immersion in Spain as I grew more comfortable with the language and can express myself and hold conversations no problem. I hope in the near future I can learn more medical Spanish and practice OT in Spanish as well.

Traditions

Sieta (Nap): La sieta fue para que los campecinos tenieran tiempo para

Comida like Paella, Patatas Bravas, Gazpacho, Salmonejo, Sangria, Jamon Iberico.

disfrutar de la vida--> fiesta, paseos, tapear con amigos, en familia etc

Social Responsibility

1. RotaCare- medical Spanish
2. I hope to attend the OT course in Mexico to learn more medical Spanish and hope to do another fieldwork in a Spanish speaking country.
3. Providing my services in Spanish- used to lead campus tours in Spanish