By ARIANA SOTELO

The Mirror reporter

With all the classes offered at Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) many of the classes can get overlooked. One might be the SPASH Spanish classes.

Current Spanish teacher Cari Frederiksen, who has been teaching for 20 years, understands the significance of taking a Spanish class although she didn’t always believe that Spanish was important. Her passion for Spanish didn’t appear until she traveled to Mexico, but one does not need to travel out of the United States to realize the benefits of a Spanish Class.

Spanish courses start in the seventh grade, it is never too late to join. Frederiksen said, “using the language can turn that desire to learn into something stronger, like passion, which can lead to travel and perhaps amazing job opportunities.”

According to Frederiksen, Spanish students participate in many activities throughout the course. These include practicing grammar, vocabulary, watching educational videos and making comparisons between the United States and Spanish speaking countries.

Spanish can be a challenge, but the best way to improve is through “practice, practice, practice in speaking and writing, Frederiksen said. It can also be helpful to surround yourself as much as possible with Spanish such as watching movies, listening to music or talking to friends in Spanish.

There are many benefits and important reasons to learn the Spanish language. As documented by Colorado Mesa University, there are more than 400 million Spanish speakers around the world. This means that it is likely that everyone at some point will encounter someone who speaks Spanish.

Frederiksen also explained that learning another language can open new opportunities for jobs in the future and it shows your tolerance and respect for other cultures.

Before someone decides to take a Spanish class they should know a couple more important aspects about it. Spanish is a commitment and a small change in your lifestyle, believes Frederiksen.

If one does choose to take a Spanish class there are many steps that student can do to make sure their experience goes well. Frederiksen, for example, has a couple of ideas of what she wished someone would have told her before starting her journey through learning Spanish.  Be engaged and focused in the classroom is crucial when it comes to learning a new language, emphasizes Frederiksen.

It is also necessary to realize that Spanish involves many different learning activities and styles, not just memorizing although that is still an a part of learning Spanish. Another large part of Spanish is also knowing the resources available whether it be asking for help or searching online.