By jtmanley
In my Peronism class, each student must read a text specific to a particular unit and give a 15 minute class presentation on the main points and facts of the text. Remember that the language of instruction is Spanish, the texts are in Spanish, and the presentation must be in Spanish. This week, I was responsible for covering the third part of a three-part text on Argentine political transformations from 1955 to 1973 and the impacts of different societal groups (unions, students, guerrillas) on the transformations. Luckily, I did not have any problems with the presentation (which counts for a significant part of the final grade).
After receiving the text from my professor, I read the 16 pages over and wrote my notes/outline in Spanish. I found that writing notes in the language of instruction is the easiest way to remember information when it comes time to give a presentation. By thinking in the language and phrasing your thoughts correctly, you improve your Spanish and end up having an easier time understanding the text when you read it again. So after taking my notes and reading the text for the second time, I decided to test myself.
I decided to go on Youtube and find a Spanish language documentary focusing on the central event of my text, the 1971 civil uprising in Córdoba known as the "Viborazo." I found a good documentary on the events produced by Encuentro, an Argentine documentary television channel run by the Ministry of Education. I would consider it this country's equivalent of PBS' American Experience. Thanks to the video, I was able to actually see the events unfold instead of just reading about them. This turned out to be a great tool for me when it came time to present because I was able to focus on telling a story instead of trying to speak at a group of 40 students.
The level of Spanish found in my required class texts are not unreasonable. Because they are at the academic level, they will usually require, like their English counterparts at GW, a second reading. For a student considering studying in Argentina, I recommend searching for videos (from lectures to documentaries to animations) that help you gain a better understanding of the text. It will help you improve your Spanish skills and might even come in handy for presentations (the final exams at UCA are, for the most part, oral!).