Spanish & International Health
Samples of target language coursework
These artifacts, presented in my target language (Spanish), are examples of coursework that I completed during my time at Clemson. Listed below are the artifacts themselves, along with a brief description of the project, what I learned by completing the artifact, and applications of each work to my interests and career.
I wrote this short story as a response to a short film we watched in class, titled "Ana y Manuel". This artifact is somewhat unique to me because most of my writing in college, whether Spanish or English, is academic writing. I have done research papers and literature analyses; however, this work is different in that it is a fictional narrative piece. By constructing this story, I learned how to apply verb conjugations that I had learned in previous classes, as well as use an array of adjectives to define a setting, and verbs to describe events. For example, in the sentence “Pensé en una vergüenza poderosa- necesitaba un perro para acompañarme,” I used preterit (pensé) and imperfect (necesitaba) past tense in addition to present (acompañarme) tense. This artifact helped me understand how to tell stories in my target language, rather than focusing on purely academic work. This skill will help me to form personal connections with Spanish-speakers, engage in a professional setting, or even share in Spanish literature in a more personal way.
This work is a comparison essay between how the Christian religion is viewed
by two different authors in separate time periods. The first work was "Letter from Chief Seattle to the President of the United States", and the other was titled "Naturaleza Muerta" ("Still Life"). While both papers advocated for environmental respect and protection, they used the ideology of Christian religion in very different ways. By comparing these two works, I learned about how different cultures (US indigenous and Uruguayan) view nature and religion. Through my analysis, I understood the context of each paper and the similarities and differences of the message, audience, and purpose of each article. These skills will help me in my career because cultural competency, which involves knowing cultural contexts, is essential in global settings and will allow me to how to appeal to an international audience. Additionally, the critical analysis of each of these two essays helped me gain a deeper understanding of each work, identify patterns, and organize thoughts. These abilities are essential in a career where decision-making and strategic planning are required and valued skills.