Katie Kober

Lately in class I've been thinking a lot about how students learn English and how complicated it can be. I can't imagine having to learn English as a second language with all of its crazy rules and exceptions! I have been struggling in my Spanish class the last couple weeks. It's not because I don't understand what is going on, but because some rules are just tricky and even though I know exactly what I have to do I have a hard time recognizing exactly when to do it. In the scheme of things my Spanish proficiency is pretty good, but I am not getting the grade I want. What if my proficiency wasn't for the sake of a grade though? What if I had to learn Spanish in order to get by in every day life, both academically and socially? Thinking about these questions makes me really reconsider whether or not I am actually struggling in my class compared to how some ELL's must feel when they are completely immersed in the context and the only way out is to just learn, and learn fast! I admire these people so much. Maybe when I study abroad I will have a chance to feel the way that they feel.