Columnist Melanie Umbaugh writes about enjoying media in Spanish outside of her classes.
This semester, I'm taking some Spanish classes which are helpful, but the more interesting classes for me are my Latin-American literature and cinema classes, both of which are taught in Spanish, but don't focus on grammar at all.
Being able to talk about different topics and learn to express my thoughts on them in Spanish is tough but productive. I understand the class content well enough, but expressing more complex ideas in Spanish is still difficult. I like having non-language classes in my Spanish language so I can focus on ideas and content and worry less about verb conjugations and grammar. It’s also more interesting preparation for having actual conversations than grammar classes are. Who wouldn’t much rather talk about a good film they just saw than about the past-perfect subjunctive?
Reading things in Spanish is far easier for me than speaking in Spanish is, so I'm trying to practice on the side by reading articles or magazines in addition to the stories I read in class. It's frustrating when I can't understand something 100 percent or analyze it at the same level I can in English (especially since literature has always been one of my favorite subjects, and I like to think I'm pretty good at it).
But it’s also nice to know that I can do the things I enjoy doing in English in Spanish, too, just at a lower level. Before I left for Argentina, I was reading Jane Eyre. I definitely can’t do that in Spanish, but I’ve been reading Latin-American Vogue, and that’s proved to be the ideal reading material to accompany a cup of coffee before class.
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The extra focus required can be a challenge, too, even with movies. Usually when I watch a movie, it's no big deal if I zone out a little or scroll through Instagram while it's playing (I know, bad habits, but still.) Watching a Spanish-language movie, however, means I have to focus the whole time, and I really need subtitles to help me understand what's happening. I can't half focus while doing something else, I have to be engaged the whole time.
All the same, watching a movie or reading a story in Spanish is still fun, even with the added challenge. I'm enjoying discovering new Latin-American films and stories I might not have come across otherwise, which make the language factor seem almost like a bonus to the entertainment side of the experience. If you're learning another language, step outside the grammar and do something more enjoyable in your second language. Watch a movie, read a poem and don't get too hung up on the details you miss. Hang in there and you'll get the big picture.
Melanie Umbaugh is a sophomore studying theater who is studying in Buenos Aires this semester. Do you speak a second language? Email her at mu495313@ohio.edu.
