by Ananda Dhanpat ‘25
Have you ever spoken to someone across the world without stepping out of your classroom? Recently, the students from Señor Bronsen’s Full Immersion Spanish 3 class, La Clase de Español 3 Inmersión Total, had an exciting opportunity to connect with students from our sister Marist school, Maristes Valldemia, in Barcelona, Spain. Over the past few weeks, the Spanish 3 students have built a pen pal relationship exchanging emails bilingually with those students. We have embarked on a new milestone as this has been the first pen pal exchange program at Molloy. With this opportunity, students had a chance to enhance their Spanish language skills and gain valuable cultural insights from those living in a different country.
Multiple students have shown to love this newfound opportunity to connect their knowledge of Spanish with those actually living in Spain. Jessica Veerapen ‘25 says, “It was a fun experience to participate in something new like this.” Another student, Frank Hartmann ‘25, “The pen pals got me more interested in learning Spanish'' and it “added a fun aspect to the class.” This opportunity was not only beneficial for our students, but also for Maristes Valldemia, because it allowed those students to be able to practice their English skills.
The idea of pen pals is not a new concept; the idea found its roots in the 1920s when it served as a primary form of communication. Throughout the years, the mode of communication has transitioned from handwritten letters to modern-day emails. Due to the advancement of technology, we’re now able to connect with others in distant corners of the world to share insights and experiences. How will you practice your language skills today?