Spanish Opened Doors For Her
Meet Alison,
a 7th grade Humanities teacher whose love for Spanish not only gave
her the confidence to travel, it also allowed her to connect with those who
don’t speak English on her travels. Read more about her love for Spanish and
tips that can help you on your language learning journey.
BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story!
Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
Alison: My name is Alison
Isaac and I’m a 7th grade Humanities teacher and a writer.
Currently, I live in Cali, Colombia but was born in Toronto, Canada to parents
who are originally from the Caribbean. I have a Bachelor of Arts in
Communications and Spanish, a Bachelor of Education in Primary/Junior
Education, a Master of Education in Supervision. English is my native language;
I speak Spanish fluently and have also studied French and Portuguese (looking
to get back into Portuguese).
BGLL: How did you get started on your language learning
journey?
Alison: As a Canadian, I
started learning French in elementary school. I really liked it at first but
found the accent difficult (or maybe I just became more self-conscious as I
entered my teen years). While in high school, I had the opportunity to pick up
Spanish, which I did. I found it quite easy at first because there were many
words similar to either English or French. The way you conjugate verbs in
French, as well as the concept of gendered nouns, made me feel like French had
given me head start on Spanish. Unfortunately, I got the two languages confused
often, and eventually Spanish took over. I’ve flirted with the idea of
refreshing my French.
I used to train Capoeira, and the head of
the group insisted we learn (Brazilian) Portuguese since the language is an
integral part of the practice. I was not a fan at first, but after travelling
to Brazil, I learned to appreciate it a bit more. If I ever learn it properly
it will be because I really value to ability to communicate with people across
borders. I met and hung out with some great people but I also felt I missed out
by not speaking Portuguese. My Portuñol (Portuguese and Spanish) could
only get me so far. (And actually, doing this interview is making me want to go
study it again!). The Portuguese that I know, I learned through various methods
including Duolingo and my Capoeira group. I likely find a Portuguese teacher
when I try again.
BGLL: Besides being able to teach Capoeira, are there any
other opportunities that knowing another language allowed you to take advantage
of?
Alison: The most valuable “opportunities”
have all been personal. Things like, feeling confident to travel solo because I
spoke the language, being able to connect with people because I spoke the
language. In fact, about a year ago, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough of the
latter so I started a blog where I publish interviews with interesting people I
meet on my travels: http://www.theglobalnarrative.com. I’ve been able to interview people (who didn’t speak
English) in Spanish for The Global Narrative. I also write, so translating
opportunities have come up, too.
BGLL: What are some of the struggles you’ve experienced
with languages?
Alison: Speaking has definitely been my
greatest struggle (there are some grammar points I STILL don’t get, but the
only person who seems to care about those are me). I spent a year in Mexico
City and felt like my Spanish hadn’t improved at all. I saw firsthand how a
person can create her own bubble even when immersed in another culture. After
that, I tried harder to avoid the “expat” bubble. I feel shy about speaking
most of the time. But I’ve learned to do it anyway because I know it’ll benefit
me.
BGLL: Which language is your favorite and why?
Alison: Spanish is my fave. I love the way it
sounds. Even before I started learning it in school in Canada, it felt like a
truly useful, living language. I would hear people speaking it on the street,
there were songs I was curious about. So many people in the world speak it.
BGLL: What tips can you offer to those who are trying to
learn another language?
Alison: One thing I’d say
is speak. The more you speak the quicker you’ll get out all the errors. Also, Listen
to it as much as possible, and in its native context as much as possible.
Listen even when you feel like it’s going over your head. One day, something
will click. Whatever method you choose, make an effort — especially if you
want to learn the language well. Most people will not simply absorb the
language, even when immersed.
BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social media?
Alison: You can find me on IG and Twitter
under @alisonisaac. Don’t forget to check out my blog, The
Global Narrative!
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