Two months really flies by when you’re having fun! It’s been a wild ride with EDTC300 coming to an end, but my learning project doesn’t stop here! I’ve loved learning Spanish so much that I intend to keep going for as long as possible. Given how busy life can be, I’m grateful for the chance this class gave me to finally learn something I’ve always wanted to. In my very first learning project post, I outlined some of the ideas I had for the project. I planned to learn the alphabet, pronunciation, numbers, greetings, basic sentences how to order food, ask for directions, and common vocabulary. I used YouTube, Duolingo, Memrise, Mango Languages, and various online websites to learn from. I will admit that I was slightly overwhelmed with trying to find new resources and learning new words phrases. I did my best to learn and gather as much helpful information as I could within the project’s timeframe. Through this project, I’ve explored many different resources available today, and I’ve enjoyed discovering what I like and don’t like about each resource. If I were to create my own, it would probably combine features from all the resources I’ve tried so far. This blog post gives a brief look at what I’ve discovered along my learning journey!

Before vs After

Where I started:

• I didn’t know any Spanish, except for a few words like “gracias”, “adiós”, and “cuánto cuesta?” that I picked up last summer while traveling in Colombia with my partner.
• I wasn’t very tech-savvy and hadn’t uploaded videos to YouTube before starting this project.
• I felt nervous about showing my progress to others.

Where I ended up:

• I’ve made significant progress in learning the basics of the Spanish language over the past two months.
• I successfully uploaded my short videos to YouTube and used various tech tools like Canva Video Creator and Editor, Screencastify, Snipping Tool, and others.
• I’ve gained confidence in using more tech tools to support my learning.
• Overall, I can confidently say that I’ve learned a lot in the last two months!

Let’s look at a recap of my learning progress:

Week 1: My Learning Project: Getting Started

In my first post, I talked about why I’m excited to learn Spanish and explained why I chose it as my project. I shared what I knew about the language so far and lay out my plans to learn the basics: the alphabet, pronunciation, numbers, greetings, ordering food, asking for directions, and key vocabulary.

Week 2: Hola! Let’s Master The Spanish Alphabet!

During my first week of learning, my focus was on mastering the alphabet. I believe that learning the alphabet is so crucial when starting learning a new language. I used online resources and YouTube videos to compare the English and Spanish alphabets, finding similarities and differences to enhance my learning. I discovered the Language Tutor YouTube channel, which became one of my favorite resources! In the first lesson, Dr. Danny Evans provided excellent examples and advice on how to speak like a native. Despite some similarities, I learned about unique letters and sounds in Spanish, like the famous letter ñ. I also created a video where I practiced saying the Spanish alphabet.

Week 3: Counting in Spanish: Your Fun Guide to Spanish Numbers!

During the third week, I focused on learning how to count in Spanish. Numbers are important for everyday communication, like telling time, talking about prices, or sharing phone numbers. I watched lesson 5 on the Language Tutor YouTube channel and used other websites to understand how to count from zero to a million in Spanish. One website I found was really useful—it had a table with all the numbers and how to say them, which helped me practice and get better.

Week 4: Mastering Spanish Greetings and Introductions

In week four, I learned how to greet people, introduce myself, and respond politely. Knowing these basics is crucial for starting conversations and meeting new people. I found two YouTube channels for learning Spanish: Real Fast Spanish covers grammar, vocabulary, and phrases, though it’s challenging for beginners. Language Animated uses animated videos with clear explanations, ideal for new learners.

I used both Duolingo and Memrise to learn these skills, completed lessons on both platforms, and also checked out other online resources and the Language Tutor YouTube channel. For me, Memrise has been a better fit compared to Duolingo. It helped me learn words better with spaced repetition and taught me useful phrases for everyday situations, making me feel more confident. It also kept me interested with its videos and clear recordings of native speakers. It was a productive week, and I felt happy with the progress I made.

Week 5: Ordering Food in Spanish: Happy Hour!

This week I focused on learning how to order food in Spanish, which I think is really important because it’s one of the first things you’ll need to do in a Spanish-speaking country. I found helpful online resources that organized words and phrases into categories like types of meat, sides, and drinks, or by meal times such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also watched a lesson on the Language Tutor YouTube channel, although it wasn’t as organized as some of their other lessons I’ve used before. The online resource that I really liked and recommend checking out is this website that was written by someone who was learning Spanish and working as a waitress. It has useful phrases from both sides – what the waitress might say and how you should respond. Here are the main phrases I learned for ordering food and what a waiter/waitress might ask:

Week 6: Stress-Free Travel: Understanding Directions in Spanish

During my sixth week of learning Spanish, I focused on asking for directions. I explored a new platform called Mango Languages, which I found well-organized. It emphasizes practical conversations, which made learning enjoyable. The platform also helped me with pronunciation, boosting my speaking confidence. Each chapter had short lessons that made learning feel manageable. I learned basic conversations about directions and practiced speaking, listening, and reading. Reading was easiest for me, and I did well on tests, while listening was trickier but I know practice will help. Overall, Mango Languages is a great resource, and I would recommend checking it out if you’re interested in learning Spanish or any other language!

Week 7: It’s a Wrap-Up: Hasta Luego Mis Amigos!

This project has taught me a lot about blogging and video editing. At first, I was nervous to share my learning on my blog. I’ve read blogs before but never been the one writing them. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy sharing what I’m learning with others. It keeps me motivated to explore new resources. Getting comments on my posts is also encouraging because it shows that my hard work is helping educate others about new topics. It’s rewarding to see people interested in the project I’ve been learning. Reflecting on this online learning project, I’ve overcome challenges and learned a lot. I’ve embraced online learning and explored various online platforms. Finishing this blog post fills me with pride and excitement for future growth.

Thank you, Katia, for including this project in your course. It motivated me to pursue something I’ve been wanting to learn, which I know will be very useful in the future. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me! Big thanks to my classmates for taking their time to leave encouraging comments on my learning blog posts. It means a lot to me! Here are a few supportive comments I received that I wanted to share with everyone: