I came to live in this country when I was ten years old. My father got a job at Dartmouth. It was a temporary semester appointment, but we came to visit him, and all the family fell in love with the beautiful New England winter. I had never seen snow before, and I can still remember the awe and the thrill of sliding down those immense hills in Hanover. However, the real experience came from actually moving here a year after. I entered 5th grade without knowing any significant English. My teacher at the time, Mr. Stone, asked to speak with my parents because he lacked the experience of teaching an international student. After that initial complaint, the school was great, and they sent me with a teacher who was really qualified to help me. She had a Ph.D. in language acquisition and was very helpful with my transition.

In the beginning, I only had one friend, the only one that spoke Spanish. His name was Moises, and he was a sort of translator of the assignments and general instructions from anyone. However, it was also challenging to explain the nuts and bolts of the academic requirements. After one month, I was able to communicate in English to understand better the expectation of the teacher and the everyday conversations. I was able to mingle with other students outside the classroom. The first book that I read in its entirety was in English, not in Spanish, and I still remember the prize that I got for finishing it. When I went back to my classroom, the teacher’s assistant gave me a delicious blueberry doughnut.

As a Spanish major, I know the incredible journey behind learning a new language and the importance of re-learning your own language. My household is predominately Spanish speaking. It wasn’t until my college years that I started to read and appreciate Latin American and Spanish authors, like José Martí, Federico García Lorca, and Carlos Fuentes, among others. I was also able to understand the Spanish Civil War better. This has been really important for me since my grandmother had to flee her home and the war. I now understand that you are always learning a language, that it’s a never-ending story: new words, new usage, unique cultural nuances, and new slang as-well. I also understand that you can learn about a culture from a highbrow poet and a popular singer.

It is the same for my mother tongue, Spanish, as for my second tongue, English. I am still learning when I watch a movie when I interact with my friends, read a book, or even by taking a class in linguistics. Language learning will remain for me as an incredible adventure.