Morgan Contoleon, Kutztown University

My professor gave us an assignment of introducing ourselves and our culture to our conversation partner. This was my first assignment ever using TalkAbroad and I was thinking about what to say all day and hoping that I didn’t mess up!

Thankfull, I was able to speak with David Espinoza and he was amazing for beginners! Starting the conversation, I was incredibly nervous and shaking. I even told him that I was super nervous. I don’t speak much in Spanish class because I worry about my ability to speak. I always think that those around me won’t be able to comprehend my Spanish. Throughout the conversation David was encouraging me and using hand gestures to help me understand the Spanish words he was using that were more complex. It was an interesting conversation and I got to learn more about the culture in Nicaragua. After the conversation I felt completely confident and felt as though I did a great job talking with him! I was surprised at how much we had in common. For someone who lives in a completely different country it was cool to see that we have the same expenses, concerns and schedules.

This was not a common boring homework assignment. We had so much fun conversing about our favorite foods. For example, we both thoroughly enjoy tostones. This is a common Spanish food that we both happen to have tried. We even talked about how we both enjoy rice (arroz), beans (habichuelas/frijoles) and more amazing food! I would have never believed that I would say it was actually fun talking to a computer screen, but it was! It was just like catching up with a friend that you haven’t seen in a while. The part of our conversation that will stay with me forever is that he taught me a few vocabulary words on how to distinguish your stepfather from your biological dad! I never knew how to do this!

All around, I definitely recommend the investment in TalkAbroad because it is worth every penny! I gained Spanish skills, but I more importantly gained a new-found confidence!