Category Archives: Spanish and Health

My Journey with Spanish

Being multilingual is important to me and relevant in this continually evolving and ever-diversifying country. No one in my family speaks another language besides English, except for myself of course. I speak 4 languages in total, and my passion for languages started with Spanish back in the third grade when Spanish instruction became a mandatory component of my school district’s curriculum. Not only did the prospect of learning another language intrigue me, but the entire language-learning process proved seamless to me, and I picked up on words very quickly for not having had any prior education in Spanish. At nine years old, the instructor and even other students were shocked by my comprehension of the language and my little “authentic” accent. Over the years, Spanish classes of course became more complex, but the language’s difficulty to me remained consistent: easy. When it came time to take AP Spanish Language and Composition in high school, I was a bit apprehensive, but I worried for nothing because I received an A in the class and passed the College Board exam with a score of a 5.

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Working at a health clinic with ISA Cusco, Perú

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I volunteered in a health clinic, Santa Rosa, which targeted poorer populations. Here I aided the community through folding gauze (depicted above), rolling cotton balls, recording patients’ information, and communicating with patients. This experience humbled me in teaching me how to work with such few resources while also meeting each person’s medical and emotional needs. I was able to ask questions, form relationships with doctors and nurses, learn about the Peruvian culture, medical system and medical views, all the while practicing my Spanish speaking skills. This program was perfect on many levels. I recommend living with a host family, here you will learn about culture, eat amazing home cooked meals, and learn about Cusco from true Peruvians. In addition, I only volunteered on weekdays, leaving the weekends free to travel. Cusco is the heart of Peru. There is so much Incan history and incredible landscapes to visit. I have never felt more connected to the environment and myself. Every weekend I was there, I traveled to a new tourist attraction. Overall, this experience was like no other. I was able to submerge myself in the culture, learn so much about Spanish and myself, and strengthen my Spanish speaking both in everyday life and in medical settings. After this experience, I am more confident in my cultural competence, my abilities to help a Latinx patient feel comfortable an understood. Continue reading →

If you’re Brazilian, why aren’t you a Portuguese Major?

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I would get this question a lot every time I told someone I was a Spanish major but that my mother country is Brazil. At first, I did not know the answer to that question myself.

Here’s a little back story about myself that I believe is essential to my journey at UMass. I was born in the metropolitan city of São Paulo, Brazil, and is where most my family currently lives. When I was five years old, my dad got offered a job as the manager for a company plant, however, this would be a long-term position in China. Yes, China! My mom sacrificed her musical career in Brazil because she knew living in China would ultimately bring us to the U.S. at some point in the future, which would give me a better education than in Brazil (she’s my ultimate role model). So we packed our bags and moved across the world to a country I had zero connection to. Little did I know that I would be spending 11 years of my life abroad. While living China, I attended a British international school and this is where I learned fluent English and (not-so-fluent) Mandarin. As I got older, I was given the opportunity to learn Spanish, which I quickly picked up and loved to learn. Because my school was so small, they did not offer Portuguese classes, so my parents decided to speak to me in Portuguese at home so that I would not lose my mother tongue. And I am so grateful that they did because now I speak 4 of the most spoken languages in the world, which means I can converse with 4 different groups of people around the world. When I got to high school, I decided to drop Chinese and focus on Spanish instead. This is one of my major regrets in life because now that I’m in college I do not have time to take it up again and I wish that I could speak more than just the basics of conversational Mandarin. I have met so many Chinese speakers here at UMass that I hear Chinese being spoken all around me: in the dining halls, in the library, in the dorms, and it makes me long for the beautiful language and culture I once knew so well. I have learned from my unwise decision, which is why I am so determined to continue Spanish and to become fluent in it. Continue reading →

Finding an Internship Abroad

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Studying abroad was absolutely the most incredible experience I’ve had thus far in my life. Never have I had the opportunity to let go of the responsabilities I had back in the US and the make my time in Madrid about discovering myself and delving into Spanish culture and language. As a relatively international city, being in Madrid as a Spanish language learner is difficult when it is easy to fall back on English and get too comfortable with your study abroad peers. I knew this coming into the program and was absolutely determined to tailor my experience in order to find a smaller local community and further my Spanish language competency. Continue reading →

The Spanish and Portuguese department wants you to succeed

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At UMass, I am in an interesting position of being a part of two very different colleges. One is CNS for my biology major, and the other is HFA for my Spanish major. Beyond the obvious differences within the classes and material, over the past three years I have been able to observe some wild differences between the advisors and professors. In CNS, it can be very difficult to make a connection with my teachers, as in the majority of my classes, I am one of two hundred students sitting in a lecture hall. When I first came to UMass, I had not yet declared a Spanish major, and was unable to enroll in any classes before all the seats were taken by upperclassmen. For this reason, all of my first experiences with my professors were within CNS and therefore extremely distant. Once I began taking classes within the Spanish and Portuguese department, I was shocked at how willing some of the professors and advisors are to help you find what you truly love. Within this department, there are truly genuine people who want you to succeed and will help to get you to your goals. Continue reading →

The importance of being bilingual

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What does it mean to be bilingual?

A bilingual person is someone who completely masters two languages at the same time, but these languages must meet the same level of knowledge.

My parents have always insisted on the importance of being bilingual. They talked about all the benefits and opportunities that I would get if I knew more than one language. My mom being from Colombia and my dad from El Salvador spoke Spanish to me from an early age. They always wanted me to speak their native language and that’s why they started to teach me from an early age. Knowing more than one language is of great importance today. Being bilingual is very important as it opens many doors in life. Spanish is one of the most spoken languages around the world. There are too many reasons and advantages as to why a person should learn Spanish. Here are a few reasons on why I believe people should learn Spanish… Continue reading →

The Versatility of the Spanish Major

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If you’re a Spanish major you’re likely familiar with the question, “Oh, so are you going to teach or interpret?” In fact, you may have been asked that question so many times that you start to believe teaching and interpreting are your only options. My focus started to narrow to interpreting or teaching just a few weeks into starting college, largely because of this question. By the end of my second semester, I had decided on medical interpreting and enrolled in Spanish interpreting classes. Interpreting seemed like a good option given the current job market and average salary but at the same time, I just wasn’t sold. While I find the level of skill and language proficiency of interpreters admirable, I could tell it wasn’t the professional field for me. I also already knew I had no interest in being a teacher so I was left feeling like my choice in major was pointless. Continue reading →

The Spanish and Health Certificate – Because I wish I had known sooner

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As a I prepare to graduate with a dual degree in Communication Disorders and Spanish I could not be more pleased with how well these two distinct majors have complemented each other. My Spanish major has provided me with a route to diversify my studies prior to entering graduate school. For example, in my Communication Disorders studies, we discuss what it means to be culturally competent as a clinician. In my Spanish studies, I am able to further explore this topic of cultural competency within the Spanish speaking world. Moreover, studying abroad for my Spanish major has helped me to further understand and be more aware of the different characteristics in cultures that may not be immediately evident, but are important for a clinician to be aware of. Continue reading →