Thank You!
Throughout this semester, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the art of telenovelas. The foreign thought prior to this course has allowed me to learn of cultures and the differences in production from Colombia, to Turkey, to Brazil, and all over the world. However, above all, I’ve gotten to know more about my classmates and what telenovelas mean to them.
I didn’t grow up watching telenovelas. In fact, I barely learned of any culture other than my own until high school. My community did not have a strong emphasis on cultural appreciation, a regret I hold deeply from my upbringing. When I was in first grade, I elected to take a Spanish class. It quickly became my favorite subject. I carried on until my senior year of high school, where the advanced classes took weekly trips to a a strip mall north of Atlanta, called “Plaza Fiesta.” This was by far the highlight of my week. We met with many of the vendors in the mart, who cooked us authentic Mexican meals and conversed about their lives. Many of the women often mentioned telenovelas. I had heard of the concept, but never fully understood (somewhat due to my lack of fluency in the language, others to do with the concept of telenovelas themselves).
After high school, I slowed down on my Spanish a little bit. I stopped taking classes after my sophomore year and I began to lose the language. This class has allowed me to tap back into my love for Spanish. I’ve even started Duolingo on my phone again. Before getting to know my peers, I felt very behind. I was insecure that I couldn’t speak as much Spanish as they could. But many of my classmates have helped me keep up, whether by sending notes translated into English where I couldn’t grasp the entirety of one of the Spanish-spoken telenovela conversations.
I guess what I’m trying to say, is thank you. I have enjoyed this course immensely, and I value each and every one of my peers who have allowed me to learn a little bit more about their cultures, and the helping hands that helped me learn further.
I am so grateful that someone took the time to write this out. I just want to echo what you said — I have loved this class so much not just for the content we've learned from PowerPoints but also the perspective of our peers. Like you, I didn't grow up watching telenovelas. Going into this semester was a clean-slate with no nostalgia or prior knowledge. So hearing from people who grew up in households where telenovelas were very significant has been such a valuable perspective that I have greatly appreciated. Thank you all for sharing and being such a wonderful group!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post, Elizabeth! This too has been a course I loved being able to take. It's been interesting seeing the dynamic of this class being offered as a Grady elective and a Spanish elective, and has given us a chance to be in a class with students we otherwise may not have ever met. While I did grow up speaking Spanish and was part of an immersion program 1st-8th grade, I also lost touch with my Spanish when I got to college. I can still understand and speak it pretty well, but I've lost the confidence I used to have when speaking Spanish in front of others. I really enjoyed this class because I never felt judged for opting to speak English instead. This has been a course full of learning, but making it enjoyable, and I also thank you, our other classmates, and Dr. A for such a great semester.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, this is such a sweet post! I'm so glad that you've enjoyed this class throughout the semester. Even as someone who grew up watching telenovelas, I've also learned so much more about them as well as other genres such as turkish dramas and even soap operas! I think it's really great to have had this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, es un gusto oír sobre tus experiencias en Plaza Fiesta y lo que has aprendido sobre las telenovelas y nuestros compañeros de clase. Plaza Fiesta también fue un lugar que frecuentaba con mi mamá y mis tías mientras crecía? Me llena de alegría que estés consciente de la falta de exposición que tenías a otras culturas en tu crianza y que has hecho un esfuerzo para aprender y valorar las. Las telenovelas, comida mexicana, Plaza Fiesta, todas son cosas que en mi juventud eran normales. Las cosas que vemos todos los días son fáciles de dar por sentado, así que leer sobre cómo algo tan normal para mi, como las telenovelas que ni les daba importancia, ha reavivado tu amor por el español es maravilloso. Esta clase también me hizo realizar lo que me había estado perdiendo sin valorar las telenovelas que mi mamá veía en las noches después de un día largo y laborioso. Aprendí mucho sobre algo que no me interesaba tanto y lo pude relacionar con los dramas coreanos que paso todo mi tiempo libre viendo. Gracias por compartir tus pensamientos y tus experiencias.
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ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thank you so much for sharing this! It’s never too late to learn a language and learn about new cultures! I’m a native speaker and am still learning new words everyday! I love your positive outlook and appreciation for the Spanish language and all the cultures it embodies. You’ve inspired me to redownload Duolingo to try to learn Portuguese again. I know it gan be challenging to feel confident when speaking a foreign language, but I promise people are cheering you on and get excited when they realize you’re interested in their culture! I love hearing my non-Spanish speaking friends practice Spanish and become more fluent. Echale Ganas!
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