I was placed in an ESL (English as a second language) class in third or fourth grade. I was unaware at the fact that I was going to lose my ability to speak the Spanish language fluently. I learned grammar rules, wrote essays and conversed with the teacher in English. I eventually became “proficient” in English and was placed in regular classes with monolingual children.
At the beginning of Fall semester 2018, I met with my advisor about studying abroad in Spain, Salamanca. (I was currently taking the 240 Spanish course.) She said to me in Spanish, “Why are you taking that Spanish course? You already know Spanish.” I was embarrassed to tell her that I barely knew anything about the grammar rules in Spanish. I spoke back to her in Spanish making sure to avoid making any mistakes, afraid that she would figure me out. She proceeds, “you can easily take the Spanish proficiency test and receive all the credits you need because you are a native speaker.” I believed her and made the appointment to take the test the following week. (My family speaks Spanish; I attend a Hispanic church and I can do what I call “defend myself” in conversations.) Continue reading →