I originally majored in Spanish because while I was good at a number of subjects, languages were what interested me most in high school. English, Latin, and Spanish were my favorite classes. I spent hours reading whatever I could get my hands on, at times even begging teachers to give me extra books from the closet where they kept the textbooks. My brother thinks in numbers and circuits, but I live in a world of words. I chose the Spanish major solely because of my passion for words and languages.

Now that I’m a junior and expecting to embark on a study abroad trip in the near future, I’m trying to decide what to do after I graduate.  In addition to the gen-ed requirements and the Spanish major requirements, I’m studying Italian for the fun of it, and I’ve recently decided to pursue a minor in Education. If time permits, I also want to start learning German in my senior year. Also, I’d like to look into courses about translation. And this summer I intend to go study abroad in Salamanca, Spain. The program will allow me to finally visit the country I’ve been fascinated by for years while enriching my understanding of its language and culture. I think my courses this semester in particular (specifically Spanish Phonetics and Luis Marentes’ study abroad prep course) have prepared me well for the trip.

I have two ideas as to what I want to do with my major. The first is considered a little boring, while necessary. I’d like to teach one of my languages to other people, be it English, Spanish, or Italian to native speakers of any of the above or maybe even a different language, depending on where I end up. It is because of this path that I’ve chosen to start taking Education courses in pursuit of a minor. The second option is to do written translation work. My reading and writing skills are superior to my speaking skills, and I enjoy pondering the differences between emotional truth and literal truth when it comes to literature. The issue of dual meanings is particularly important to consider when translating from one language into another. Then there is also the interplay between meaning and structure when it comes to translating music and poetry. A poem loses something when it is given an entirely meaning-based translation. It loses the poet’s intended structure, which can ruin the feel of the poem as a whole. Yet, if one focuses entirely on capturing the structure, the meaning and sometimes the tone are completely lost. These ideas and issues interest me, and I’d like to explore them more fully. 

Another reason I’m studying foreign languages is that being able to understand each other is harder than it seems, between language barriers, false cognates, translation errors, and gramatical mistakes. By learning and using (and perhaps teaching and/or translating) multiple languages, I’m helping to bridge the gap we face when trying to communicate with each other.

I’m still not sure which of those two paths I’m going to choose in the end, but at least I now have two ideas as to what I can do with my major. Hey, maybe I’ll find a way to do both in the end. At any rate, the IE prep class has helped me think differently about why I’m here, and has provided me with more options and resources than I knew existed. I’m looking forward to continuing to explore my options as my time as a Spanish major at UMass progresses, and as I move out into the larger world with my newfound knowledge and skills.