Linguistic Proficiency Artifacts

I created a website called "Educación para Todos" for my SPAN 3160 class (Spanish for International Business 1). This semester-long project involved developing a business proposal and website for an educational service aimed at improving access to learning resources. The assignment required strategic planning, including defining the vision, mission, and objectives of the business, as well as conducting a market analysis and outlining pricing, promotion, and
distribution strategies. This artifact significantly enhanced my linguistic skills, especially in writing and presenting complex business concepts in Spanish. I had to struggle to increase my vocabulary on international business topics and to master technical grammar, which eventually enhanced my overall language proficiency. Also, researching the educational landscape of Spanish-speaking countries fostered my cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication. This experience elevated my level of confidence to use Spanish at a professional level and
demonstrated readiness to use Spanish in appropriate, real-life settings. Generally, the whole
project reflected both my language proficiency growth and commitment to finding solutions for
real world challenges that I may encounter in a clinic.

In my SPAN 4190 class (Health and the Hispanic Community), I wrote a paper entitled "Análisis
de los Determinantes Sociales que Impactan las Tasas de Obesidad en las Comunidades Latinas en los Estados Unidos: Una Revisión de la Literatura Con un Enfoque Socio-Ecológico." The assignment sought to analyze, through a literature review, a major health concern that affects Latin communities in the U.S. It really furthered my understanding of how social
determinants associated with health outcomes, primarily obesity, affect Latino populations. Writing this paper was a great experience that helped me develop my writing skills, especially in the development of multi-level arguments and using academic vocabulary. I developed an understanding of cross-cultural communication and came to appreciate the specific challenges of these communities. The linguistic and cultural  competencies developed in this project will help me effectively understand and communicate the needs of a Spanish-speaking client in my future profession as a physical therapist. The project has prepared and given me more confidence in using the language, giving me a strengthened sense of commitment to providing culturally competent care.