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. . . There is no better way to continue to develop skills in a language than by being surrounded by everyone who speaks it.”
Beatriz Jimenez '19
She says the experience has given her “a much richer understanding of the complexities of our legal system,” and it contributes to her work as a scholar-teacher.
“It’s important to me to stay in touch with the language skills and knowledge base my students need once they begin looking for work. Work like this puts me in touch with a whole new sector of employment opportunities for my students,” Ragan adds. “Moreover, I feel compelled to have firsthand knowledge, as much as possible, about the topics I teach. As a professor of Spanish, the topic of immigration is always on the syllabi or in the readings in some shape or form. And while I can learn a lot from memoirs and literary representations or films, these are often reflective and well-crafted pieces. Working in a detention center meant I had more contact with the immediate chaos of the lived experience.”
The “real-life” projects, such as the ones involving Knox students during the past year or so, clearly provide ways for them to hone their Spanish-language skills. Less obvious, perhaps, is the fact that these opportunities also give students practical experiences they can cite in job interviews and on a resume. Their translations, for example, could appear on an organization’s web page or in an office brochure or as subtitles on a video, Ragan says.
The experiential, immersive opportunities in Spanish are open to students at the beginning levels, too. In her introductory 100-level Spanish courses, Ragan has her students complete what she calls “cultural notebooks,” an assignment that involves attending on-campus events related to the Spanish-speaking world. “To me, it’s important that at the earliest levels of language learning, students are able to connect their learning to real people and their lived experience.”
Such connections are key for true, lasting learning.
“Languages do have a special role and place in our brains, and they require us to engage with other humans in order to really acquire them,” says Ragan. “When students are emotionally invested in the language—because they have an immediate, compelling purpose for communicating—they learn more, and more deeply.”
