Statement of Purpose
There are many moments in my life that influence my decision in choosing to major in Spanish. A moment that had the most impact was when I was 4-5 years old.
Being the oldest out of four children and only be able to speak Spanish did not really affect me or so I thought. I remember I would go to a playground that was close to where I lived. I don’t know how I did it, but I was able to play with other kids using some sort of sign language since they spoke English and I only spoke Spanish. I would say “¡Vamos a los columpios! (Let’s go to the swings!),” and the kids would say, “What?” I would try to tell them where, but in the end, I would just point to where I wanted to go. I had no problems in communicating until I started to go to school.
Kindergarten was not easy for me or my family. I could not understand the teacher, the kids would make fun of me and another kid that also only spoke Spanish, and my mom for the most part had to work twice as much as I did because she would help me with my homework. I remember my mom siting at the dinner table with me, trying to figure out what my homework was with an English – Spanish dictionary. It would take us about two hours to finish my homework instead of 10 to 15 minutes.
Another moment was when I finished kindergarten, a bilingual elementary school opened close to where I lived. My parents decided that I would go there for first grade. It was the best choice that they ever made. I got to meet other kids that were in the same situation as me. I cannot remember my teacher’s name, but I am forever grateful to her. We were able to communicate with her in Spanish and learn English at the same time.
With the Spanish program that has an emphasis in Language and Linguistics, I think it will be a stepping stone for me to able to reach my future goals.
Being the oldest out of four children and only be able to speak Spanish did not really affect me or so I thought. I remember I would go to a playground that was close to where I lived. I don’t know how I did it, but I was able to play with other kids using some sort of sign language since they spoke English and I only spoke Spanish. I would say “¡Vamos a los columpios! (Let’s go to the swings!),” and the kids would say, “What?” I would try to tell them where, but in the end, I would just point to where I wanted to go. I had no problems in communicating until I started to go to school.
Kindergarten was not easy for me or my family. I could not understand the teacher, the kids would make fun of me and another kid that also only spoke Spanish, and my mom for the most part had to work twice as much as I did because she would help me with my homework. I remember my mom siting at the dinner table with me, trying to figure out what my homework was with an English – Spanish dictionary. It would take us about two hours to finish my homework instead of 10 to 15 minutes.
Another moment was when I finished kindergarten, a bilingual elementary school opened close to where I lived. My parents decided that I would go there for first grade. It was the best choice that they ever made. I got to meet other kids that were in the same situation as me. I cannot remember my teacher’s name, but I am forever grateful to her. We were able to communicate with her in Spanish and learn English at the same time.
With the Spanish program that has an emphasis in Language and Linguistics, I think it will be a stepping stone for me to able to reach my future goals.
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