Musings of Three World Languages Students

Monica: a sophomore in a third-year language class

I hope I have made the right decision to continue with my language study. My teacher last year encouraged me to sign up for level three. She was sure that I would be able to do the work but I am still wondering if I know enough of the grammar and vocabulary to get a good grade. I have heard that my teacher this year is pretty demanding. I know that last year I didn’t participate very much in class, so my speaking skills are not as good as they should be. Hopefully I’ll never have a speaking test. I’m pretty shy, so having to speak in front of others really makes me nervous. Maybe I’ll still be able to get an “A” if I just continue to do well on the written vocabulary and grammar tests.

Alex: a freshman in a second-year language class

Boy, I’m glad that the seating chart has me in the back of the room. Maybe I’ll be able to hide behind the kid who sits in front of me. I just know this is going to be my worst class this year. Last year I failed almost every test in my language class but was able to scrape by with a “D” for my final grade. My counselor gave me the option of repeating the year, but my parents and I decided that, if I studied a bit more, I would probably at least pass the class. I already know that if I can just memorize the vocabulary, at least for the test, I should be OK. I thought learning another language would be fun–learning to actually speak another language, but all I did last year was fill out worksheets, learn grammar and memorize a bunch of vocabulary words. Well, maybe this year will be different, but I doubt it.

Kate: a freshman in a second-year language class

I hope this class is as much fun as my language class last year. I had the best teacher. It was obvious that he loved teaching. He had us speaking the language from the first day. I thought I might be a bit nervous, but he was so non-threatening that I just relaxed and had fun trying to pronounce new words. The thing I liked most was that, even though the class was fun, I still learned so much. Because of all the practice we did during the class I always felt really prepared for the tests. My teacher explained that what was on the test would never be a surprise. He told us that if we participated in the class activities we would do well on tests. Well, he was right. I got an “A” in the class, and I loved every minute. I am definitely ready for second year.