Currently I am enrolled in the Spanish Literature and Language program at Northern Illinois University and this fall I will be starting the teaching certification program. Having my Spanish degree and teaching certificate I plan to find a position teaching Spanish at the middle school level. In one of my early textbooks, I remember there being a section where they explained that there is a harmony between cultural and language at the time I was not able to connect the two. Now I see the light, and can see what they were trying to explain. When I was ten, my parents hosted a foreign exchange student from Korea and currently I am in the Foreign Language Residence Program where I have met many foreign exchange students. Seeing their experiences studying here sparked my interest in studying abroad.
In all honesty, I wanted to become a teacher at a young age, in sixth grade I started studying Spanish and I have
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The Puntarenas, Costa Rica Program through USAC is great option for me to put my Spanish skills to the test. Having the opportunity to study abroad and being immersed in the Costa Rican culture I hope to develop new skills that I can apply further in my education and teaching career. When I go to Costa Rica, I am interested in making friends, connections and experiencing the local customs. Living with a host family experiencing their beliefs, structure, and interactions as a part of the family will give me a better understanding of the hispanic culture.
In my sixth grade Spanish class I learned the Salsa, in going to Costa Rica the cultural experiences I gain is something I can use in my future teaching career enriching the children’s education by giving them cultural connections to the language. Capturing their interests like Salsa dancing did for