For me, one of the most influential Spanish classes that I have taken is probably Spanish 497SX: Spanish Syntax. I am currently in the class with Carole Cloutier. One of the reasons I love this class so much is because Carole is so passionate about what she’s teaching. I’ve taken two other classes with her and she inspires so much interest in the subject matter. She makes everything very clear and always listens to us, as students. Because of this, I decided to take 497SX with her this semester.

What’s so great about the course, for me, is that it not only helps to clarify complex grammar concepts, but it also allows us to visualize sentence structures. I am a very visual learner and have always succeeded with more hands-on classes, so this course really makes sense to me. We draw sentences “trees” that show the purpose of certain verbs, pronouns, adverbs, etc. and how they function linguistically in a sentence. The class has helped me to better understand certain grammar concepts (like direct and indirect object pronouns) and has expanded on ideas that were briefly mentioned in 311. We do a lot of practice, group work, and discussion; when there’s a problem, we work it out as a class.

For me, this class has really inspired me as a future teacher. I was always taught grammar in a very strict, formulaic manner and 497SX shows that there are always other ways to teach and learn material. For me, much of what we’ve done in this class has made Spanish grammar much clearer to me since it appeals to my learning style. I’d love to take some of the ideas we’ve discussed in this class and use them when I teach a class. What’s most important to me, though, is how the class is structured. Since we do so much group work and practice, we really get to work through what we’re learning and develop a full understanding. We are always seated in a semi-circle to stimulate discussion and team-based learning. I love that the classroom has a very relaxed, comfortable, and open atmosphere. This is something that I’d really like to transfer to my classroom when I am a teacher.

So really, this class is not only something that’s interesting for me, but it’s also a learning opportunity for my future in education. Since I want to be a teacher, I pay attention to all of these little things and it’s really an inspiring class to be in. I feel comfortable around my professor and I feel motivated to learn. We don’t have an excessive amount of homework because we work so much and so hard in class that most of what Carole teaches sticks with us. I know that when I have my own Spanish classroom, I’ll certainly be thinking of this class (and her other classes) so that I can model my teaching after hers.