Alexis Schwartz
Which grant that you received do you want to talk about?
Undergraduate Language Grant
What language did you study and why?
Professionally, I chose to study Spanish because I want to go into civil rights law, and I want to be able to work with the many people in the U.S. in need of legal support that speak Spanish. More personally, I want to be able to communicate with as many people in my communities and around the world as possible.
What program did you attend and why did you choose it?
I chose to study at a language institute in San Jose, Costa Rica. I knew I wanted to be in San Jose because it is surrounded by universities and museums, making it a very good place to meet other people my age as well as learn a lot about the the country. As a nature lover, I couldn’t miss the chance to see the incredible conservation efforts that Costa Rica has worked on.
Describe your experience doing summer language study. Was it tricky? How do you think your language skills improved?
Living in a Spanish-speaking country while learning Spanish did wonders for instilling the language in my mind. I had no choice but to practice, I would wake up and speak Spanish at the breakfast table with my family, then go to hours of Spanish classes, then go to lunch where I would have to speak Spanish to order my food, then have tandem conversations with English students where I would speak in English for about 30 minutes. This level of constant exposure made it a necessity for me to improve my Spanish to function in the world around me. After my experience in Costa Rica, I believe there is no way as effective to learn a language as intensive immersion. When I first arrived in Costa Rica, I was entirely overconfident in my language skills. I had just completed a year of Spanish at Northwestern and was feeling very good about where I was. But, as soon as I arrived at my host family, who does not speak any English, I found that I could barely understand anything they were saying, much less participate in any form of conversation with them. However, in my last week there, I found myself at the dinner table in the midst of an hour-long conversation with my host mom. This is just one specific instance of growth, but throughout my time there, I gradually felt myself becoming more and more capable of speaking and conversing in Spanish.
Did intensive summer language study change or solidify any of your future goals? If so, how?
It absolutely did! It solidified my goal of becoming bilingual for the work that I want to do in the future. I realized how crucial a common language is to building relationships, and I want to be able to truly accomplish that connection throughout my professional and personal life.
Do you have any tips or advice for students similar to you that are interested in pursing intensive language study?
You absolutely have to stay with a host family! I really think this is what pushed my language learning to the next level because I simply had to use Spanish to communicate with the people I was living with. I also think choosing a location that is not overly touristy is really important because, at least for me, if there is the option to lean on English as a crutch when you go to restaurants or stores, you won’t practice your language as much as you could.
If your (speaking) voice were an instrument, what do you think it would be?
In my heart I want it to be the bass clarinet but there is such a good chance I’m wrong.
What was your favorite childhood story?
One time when I was 7 I “accidentally” cut a massive chunk out of my friend’s super long and gorgeous hair like near her chin. It was really bad.