Arkansas Tech University student Kera Dukic has been spending the summer strengthening her foreign language skills. Dukic, a senior Spanish education major, spent a week living with a family from Spain.
During the week with the family, Dukic only spoke Spanish in hopes of improving her knowledge of the language.
While staying with the family, Dukic assisted family members, in particular the grandmother, with a variety of tasks. She added “While I was there, we did many things. We went to the kids’ basketball games, and we had a lot of time to talk there. We watched Spanish news, we Skyped with her family in Spain, went on walks, bought supplies for her new dog and much more.”
Dukic says she enjoyed getting to spend time visiting with the grandmother and learning about Spain. She added, “She told my about her childhood, life in Spain, all of her adventures, and how she grew into the woman she is today. She is extremely intelligent, wise and has great advice. I loved it.”
During the week-long visit Dukic says she was most nervous about meeting the family but says they were “so open and welcoming.”
One of the biggest challenges Dukic says she faced was forcing herself to speak Spanish during the entire visit. She explained, “I really tried to push through and use Spanish all the time. When I didn’t understand something I asked her to repeat it or say it in another way. I learned tons of new vocabulary words and little phrases as well.“
In addition to learning from the family, Dukic also had the opportunity to share her own experiences. Dukic says the daughter is interested in being a college athlete, and Dukic says it was great to be able to talk about what my life and my schedule is like.
Dukic says she enjoyed getting to stay with the family and hopes to stay in touch.
Once she graduates, she hopes to receive a graduate assistant position and pursue a graduate degree.
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