I can’t believe my 3 weeks in Costa Rica are over! Just like bungee jumping, it seems surreal that I was even there. It was truly an experience that I will never forget and will never regret. What I learned the most on this study abroad trip is that learning is more than being inside a classroom.
The other students and I would spend 4 hours a day in class on weekdays. During these sessions we would be in a small group of students with one teacher. The teacher would change every week, so we all had three teachers throughout our stay. These sessions were very important because they addressed Spanish on the level that was best for the student personally. I improved on grammar and speaking from the practice I received in these courses. However, a large part of my learning came from the other 20 hours in a day.
Every day I had to be prepared. Every day I would be talking to my mamatica. Every day I would be going out to lunch. Spanish was constantly on my brain. In my host home, I would pick up phrases that my Mamatica would often use. I would do the same with the teachers, cashiers, and people I greeted in my neighborhood. During these 3 weeks, Spanish was vital and became more to me than my minor in college. Spanish became something I needed and wanted to learn.
I believe that knowing a different language is beautiful and necessary in today’s global world. Once a person visits a place where he or she is the minority in the area of language, he or she will become aware of the value of words. Knowing a different language opens up doors to speak to thousands upon thousands of the people that otherwise would be someone you would only be able to greet and pass on by. Language is important to me and I thank my experience in Costa Rica for that. I hope that study abroad will a part of my future!
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