AP Spanish is a course offered at the school that both native and non-native Spanish speakers can take after they’ve completed their respective prerequisite classes. The class provides numerous benefits to all students, regardless of whether Spanish is their native language or not. This class is naturally challenging as it’s an AP class; however, how different are the experiences for native and non-native speakers in the class at the school?
Unlike other Spanish classes offered at the school, this course focuses not only on understanding grammar and vocabulary, but also learning about different cultures. It enriches students’ understanding of various Spanish-speaking countries and identities, making it beneficial for anyone to take.
Sofia Castro Arizaga is a junior student who previously took Native Speakers 2 and is currently taking AP Spanish. She said, “Now, what I’m learning focuses more around other cultures, like when we did about the indigenous people, I had no idea that most of them existed, or what was their life like, which was really neat to learn about.”
Similarly, Arjun Bhandary, a junior student who’s a non-native speaker who previously took Spanish 3, said, “I have learned a lot more about the Spanish culture, like Hispanic culture,” and said it has helped him with “understanding this country, too, and also a lot of my peers and their backgrounds.”
In terms of challenges, while Castro Arizaga said, “I think it’s kind of easy right now, it’s manageable,” Bhandary said, “Sometimes it might be a bit harder to follow what [the teacher] is saying because everything’s being spoken in Spanish, but I think most of the time we know, also from context.”
The students had some similar and some different perspectives on how the class could benefit them in the future.
Castro Arizaga said, “Mainly keeping Spanish, because even if you’re fluent in it, you need to keep practicing,” as well as, “in the future, I can work in places where the predominant language is Spanish, not only English.”
Similarly, Bhandary said, “Qualification-wise,” but on the other hand, “at a personal level, like just enriching your friendships, helping you understand the world around you better.”
Both students also stated that the workload is manageable and less stressful than other AP classes, with Bhandary saying, “[The work] is more uplifting than a lot of work that you don’t have time to do, that you just cram.”
In the end, students gain a lot from this course, regardless of whether they’re native speakers or not, learning more about the language, culture, and gaining a deeper understanding of the Spanish-speaking world.
