Above: Club member, Pattie Richers, and club president, Jennifer Musgrove, prepare Spanish tapas to share with club members
Learning a language can be both an exciting and intimidating process. While in the classroom, students can feel frustrated as they grapple with new vocabulary and grammar, wishing they could communicate in the new language confidently, and worrying about making mistakes or sounding silly. In addition to these challenges, many students dream of studying abroad and would like to prepare themselves for the experience and learn about the various programs available for study abroad through ISU.
El Club de Español, open to all students interested in improving their Spanish, provides a relaxing and fun environment, encouraging students of all levels of Spanish to participate.
Figure 2 Dr. Elisa Rizo with club advisor, Prof. Marta Lence, after Dr. Rizo’s special presentation on Guinea Ecuatorial
Club members meet every Thursday, 4:15-6:00 p.m. in Pearson 3149 and enjoy a variety of games, small group conversations, movies, snacks, and special cultural and study abroad presentations. Club members also enjoy special fiestas, such as our club kick-off, where students enjoyed delicious food from Mexico, South America, and Spain and learned how to salsa dance.
Figure 3 Club vice president, Laura Barbieri, enjoys the fiesta along with club members
On November 6, student representatives from ISU Study Abroad Center met with club members to discuss study abroad options for students and answer questions. Later in November, club members enjoyed supper out together at El Azteca, ordering meals and conversing around the table in Spanish.
Figure 4 Club members Carly Johansen, Phil Tomovici, and Caitlin Gearhart share their study abroad experiences in Cáceres, Spain, with members
New club members are already expressing how beneficial their participation has been for them. Members mention that they feel more confident to participate in their Spanish classes, that they appreciate the ability to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed environment, and that they’ve made new friends who they plan on studying abroad in the same program with. So, ¡no demores! Come check out El Club de Español for yourself!
¿Preguntas? Please feel free to email Jennifer Musgrove, club president, at musgrove@iastate.edu