Zhané Bradley

Hey everyone! My name is Zhané Bradley, and I am a 2021-2022 Gilman Alumni Ambassador. As a Gilman Scholar, I completed a virtual internship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the Spring 2021 semester.

I took my first Spanish language class in high school as it was required for me to graduate. The same reasoning applied to the two semesters of Spanish that I took in college; I enrolled in the entry-level classes because they were required when I switched my major during my junior year. Although I genuinely enjoyed learning the language, I had trouble finding opportunities for me to practice outside of classes that met once or twice a week.

“If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is a phrase that’s commonly applied to language learning. Instead of being focused on competence, the curriculum of most beginner-level language classes are focused on exposure. These classes are an excellent place for the journey of learning a second language to start. However, learning another language to the point of fluency is intense and best done through immersion. I didn’t realize this until I started my virtual internship with a nonprofit organization in Buenos Aires.

My on-site supervisor understood English well but would often switch to Spanish mid-conversation. I only knew enough to have elementary conversations then, and I often found myself too nervous about attempting to use what I knew. My supervisor, however, was extremely welcoming and open to helping me practice during our weekly meetings. After that experience, I realized that learning a new language is more than just mentally translating words and phrases from your native language. Instead, I knew that I wanted to continue my journey and focus on the experiences that learning a new language can open up.

After graduating, I decided to sign up for weekly Spanish lessons online with a tutor. I am also currently doing a two-week art residency in Antigua, Guatemala. For the first time in my journey, I’ve found myself in positions where I have to speak the language. In addition to taking daily classes at a local Spanish school in the city, I have had multiple opportunities to practice with taxi drivers, restaurant servers, tour guides, etc. Engaging in conversation and having native speakers compliment my pronunciation have boosted my confidence tremendously (I even find myself thinking in Spanish now). Although I still have a lot to learn, I am proud I’ve achieved a comfortable, conversational level and am excited to continue this journey.

If you’re looking into learning a new language or maintaining your newly acquired skills, here are some ways that you can invite language learning into your life:

• Enroll in classes with an online tutor. Websites like Italki and Preply make it easy to sign up for classes online with speakers of your target language from all over the world. One-on-one lessons are invaluable; you can even pick tutors based on your budget.
• Identify your goals. Reasons for learning a new language can range from career and business to travel and hobby. Identifying your motivation will help you set reasonable goals and make the journey more enjoyable.
• Meet up with other speakers of the language. At my alma mater, I would attend weekly virtual meet-ups with other students who were learning Spanish. The Gilman Alumni network is also a great place to look. There have been several virtual networking hours targeted toward maintaining your language skills. You can also join groups and find other Gilman alumni to practice with.
• Watch or listen to media in your target language. I love watching shows and listening to music in Spanish (I have several Spanish playlists on Spotify). Try listening to language-based podcasts or local radio/news stations to practice your listening skills.
• Travel. Immersing myself has undoubtedly improved my Spanish speaking skills.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. This is my most important tip. I always make mistakes and am proud of them because I’m learning. If you could speak a new language perfectly from the start, it wouldn’t be a journey! The process can be difficult, so allowing yourself to make mistakes is crucial for growth. I’ve had multiple teachers in the form of friends, tutors, taxi drivers, etc., and they’ve all been incredibly open to providing corrections and helping me improve.

Hey everyone! My name is Zhané Bradley and I am a 2021-2022 Gilman Alumni Ambassador. As a Gilman Scholar, I completed a virtual internship in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the Spring 2021 semester.

I remember the sadness I felt when I read the subject line of the email announcing the cancelation of my original study abroad program to Ghana. A large part of me knew that it was only a matter of time before the COVID-19 pandemic halted all international travel, but the other part wanted to remain hopeful. A few months later, that optimism returned when I learned that I was a recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. With the help of my study abroad advisors and the generous flexibility of the Gilman team, I decided to pursue an alternative opportunity: a virtual global internship. I never thought that I could gain international experience from the safety of my home, but that is exactly what my virtual internship gave me. I spent six weeks as a Digital Media intern with L.I.F.E. Argentina, a nonprofit organization based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although it was unexpected, my internship turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my undergraduate career.

Before the internship officially began, I came up with a list of professional goals that I wanted to accomplish by the end of the session. My goals were to develop my skills in an international context, become an efficient remote worker, and build a network of individuals who also value cross-cultural communication. The group discussions in my weekly class meetings helped me identify how to market myself as an intercultural leader, and I was able to form valuable relationships with my coworkers, onsite supervisors, and class instructors. The remote aspect of this internship was challenging to manage initially. Although the difference in time zones was minimal, remote working requires strong communication and time management skills, all of which I had to strengthen in order to complete this internship successfully. Adding to the chaos that came with my final senior semester, I quickly learned how to set aside specific times and places for me to work. As the weeks (quickly) went on, it became easier for me to keep up with communication, and remain accountable for the tasks that I was responsible for.

Outside of the professional realm, I also learned more than I expected about Argentina’s culture. From food and music to the specifics of Argentinian Spanish, the weekly cultural debrief sessions have significantly impacted my understanding and appreciation of the concept of culture. For example, I learned that while Argentina is far more individualist than its Latin American counterparts, it still retains elements of a collectivist society. Working as a group and establishing close work relationships are important, and a greater emphasis is placed on families and communities. This was interesting to observe when my supervisor took a few days off to spend time with family in the middle of the week. I wasn’t used to this, but it was something that I appreciated and was able to understand because of what I learned in the class sessions. I now am more open-minded toward other cultures and able to better recognize the cultural lens that I view the world through.

Although I wasn’t able to physically be in Argentina, the experience that I gained through this internship because of the Gilman Scholarship was invaluable. I was initially hesitant as to how beneficial a virtual opportunity would be, but I am glad I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I had an amazing placement and was able to add an international perspective to my area of interest that I wasn’t able to at my home university. Learning about different work cultures, adjusting to remote working, and the professional development sessions were all important parts of the journey and I feel more prepared to approach the world of working internationally.