How An IB Course Launched My YouTube Project

As I moved into my junior year at Sturgis, I prepared myself for a course which promised to be as challenging as it was open, as demanding as it was liberating: Spanish Language A. The rigor of the course stems from its style of learning, which functions identically to our Sturgis English classes. Rather than studying Spanish grammar and vocabulary, I would be tackling Spanish literature and analyzing it in written and oral essay format. The freedom of the class was that I would be able to pick which works I read and discussed, a very attractive idea. Taking on an additional responsibility and academic outlet was the last thing I expected to do as I plunged into an IB literature course in a second language; but of course, expectations exist to be defied. 

Well over a year ago (some 500 days, according to my Google search), I uploaded my very first video to the YouTube channel NicoSiHabla. This channel is of my own creation, as are the thirty-one Spanish videos and livestream recordings to which it is home. This weekend, there will be thirty-two. Those who read Spanish will  know that the channel’s name translates to, “Nico does speak!” (Nico is my Spanish name, as Kayden is hard to pronounce in an accent.)

And speak Nico does. On an upload schedule of once every two weeks, I discuss alone or with friends what I’m reading and watching lately; books, movies, plays, and videogames receive loving examination in less-than-perfect Spanish. Part of the channel is a podcast, Tontos a Sabios (“fools to wisemen”), wherein my friends Josiah Girardin and Dennis Moraga converse on such topics as religion, language, and the passing of seasons. Everything is on the table, and it’s an excellent way of practicing our Spanish. 

I’m also able to connect my channel to my other classes, reviewing books I’ve read in English such as Their Eyes Were Watching God and touching on Theory of Knowledge concepts in a presentation on scrap-collectors in Barcelona. The latter video’s production had me discussing the social issue with professors in Barcelona, and one Eva from Barcelona commented their thanks for sharing information on the problem. Never before had I felt so connected to something so previously remote--the platform of YouTube eliminated the massive Atlantic between Spain and Cape Cod as an obstacle to cross-culture contact and learning.

I have the Language A course and my Spanish teacher Sr. Mendez to thank in part for the initiation of NicoSiHabla. The class’s focus on self-directed learning and Sr. Mendez’s enthusiasm for personal growth and action motivated me to put myself out there for the whole internet to see, and the results have been touching. To actively and openly pursue what you love, whether it be a language, a sport, an art, or even a videogame, is an immensely rewarding experience that I would recommend to anyone. NicoSiHabla has taught me initiative, discipline, and exploration; what doors might a channel on your favorite thing open for you?