As someone who goes to a college where the undergraduate student population is around 2,400, you get to know the people in your major pretty well. Especially if your major is so small that there are only four other people in your graduating class with the same major as you. Just because the general pool of Spanish majors is rather small, it doesn't mean that we should be left out of fun listicles that playfully list all of the trials and tribulations that come with learning a language. So without further ado, here are the struggles that every Spanish major in your life will know to be true.
1. Not being able to practice your Spanish outside of class
Sure, you've got a solid group of three other people on campus that would absolutely be willing to talk to you, but once you head back to your English-speaking roommates for the evening or whenever you talk to your parents on the phone, you are immediately launched back into the world of English speaking.
2. Learning the grammar
Extra accent marks, irregular verbs, the infamous subjunctive in addition to the endless other verb tenses used to express the past tense, future, etc... the list goes on and on.
3. And while we're on the topic of grammar... "vosotros "
Only used in Spain. If your professor studied in Spain then you will be responsible for learning how to use this tense. If your professor last year was a native Spanish speaker and didn't require you to learn "
4. The verb "huir"
The literal translation is "to escape" or "to flee" in English, and it describes exactly what I want to do every time I'm asked to conjugate this nightmare.
5. Mastering pronunciation
The "ll" in "llama" or "tortilla" is pronounced like the "y" in the word "yellow". (I don't care how Napoleon Dynamite's grandmother pronounced "tortilla"). Trust your friendly neighborhood Spanish majors on this one, we take oral exams and lose points for not pronouncing words correctly.
6. Coming to terms with the fact that applying to a language immersive study abroad will be your only hope at gaining fluency
And then ultimately having to decide on the country you want to study abroad in. You could go to Chile, Spain, Cuba, almost anywhere as long as you work your butt off over the summer, so you can afford airfare.
7. Hating how impatient Americans can be when talking to non-native English speakers
I'm genuinely proud to say that I was born in the USA, but learning a new language is hard! We live in a country of immigrants, relax and be patient with them, will ya? I can't tell you how patient my professors or native-Spanish speaking students have been with me as I try to choke out a grammatically correct sentence about "Los Desaparecidos" or "Juana la Loca." It takes time!
8. Getting asked the question, "What are you gonna do with that?"
(Sometimes followed up with, "Do you want to teach?")
Usually, this question is coming from a place of genuine interest, there is good sentiment behind it, but I don't even know what I'm having for dinner tonight let alone what I'm going to do with my life.
9. Watching Spanish films with subtitles...
...and if you're watching a show in English that has a special segment in Spanish with English subtitles, you cover them with your hand to test your skills.
10. The lack of upper-level elective classes in Spanish
Most people want to just take their language requirement and then kiss the Modern Languages and Cultures Department goodbye, and I understand, I feel the same way about the Computer Science and Mathematics Department, (no offense). It's already difficult to find other outlets to practice your Spanish around campus, can't we have just a few more 300-level classes that force us to think in our non-native language?
11. Convincing others that your major is worthwhile
Sure, I'm not killing myself trying to decipher organic chemical compounds in the library at 2 A.M, but I am attempting to learn how to communicate in an entirely new language so that I can reach out to a wider variety of cultures. No, I won't be the one curing cancer, but I just might be the one who translates treatment options to a Spanish-speaking cancer patient.
(Shoutout to my fellow Spanish majors that helped me with this article! Ustedes son los mejores.)
