By Matthew Laurrie
Features Assignment Editor
Bienvenido a la tertulia!
SBU’s “tertulia,” or informal Spanish conversation gathering, meets Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. in Café LaVerna. Students have the opportunity to sit with peers to brush up on their Spanish speaking skills.
Victor Zabala, an English graduate student, and Maria Jorquera-Hervas, a Fulbright scholar (an international exchange grant program), facilitate the weekly conversations. Both are teaching assistants in the Modern Languages department and native Spanish speakers. Zabala said he took over the group, which began last fall, when its founder, Michael Chiponis, graduated.
Zabala, originally from Argentina, said the knowledge and experience the tertulia imparts on its participants is extremely relevant and valuable to their understanding of Spanish culture.
“Spanish is the second most spoken language (in the United States), and it’s becoming more spoken,” he said. “It is so useful to be able to speak in Spanish because that breaks down some of the barriers between the parts of society. You become more intellectual and more open-minded. You’re more open to cultural aspects of society.”
Zabala and Jorquera-Hervas said students do not need to be fluent in Spanish to attend the conversation group, but it is helpful for participants to have a basic understanding of the language, so they don’t get lost in conversation.
Ariana Harvin, a senior journalism and mass communication major, said joining the Spanish-speaking group has real world applications, like when she studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina last year.
“I studied abroad in Spring 2011, so being in Argentina, the tertulia boosted up my confidence,” Harvin said. “When I was in the country, I was able to speak Spanish at a fluent pace.”
Zabala said topics of conversation range from music to movies to traveling. The group tries to avoid topics like politics or religion, so no one feels uncomfortable speaking in front of others. Jorquera-Hervas added while they try to plan the schedule of events each week, the conversation always takes different turns.
Rachael Herrmann, a sophomore business major, said students from all different levels of Spanish comprehension come to share a similar experience which often leaves a lasting impact.
“We’ve had people who only speak a few words of Spanish to people who speak pretty fluently and people in the middle,” Herrmann said. “It’s a non-judgment zone. Sometimes you leave, and your thoughts are still in Spanish.”
Herrmann said it is important to practice Spanish with native speakers because they are key resources on how to pronounce words properly and act as sounding boards when learning the language.
“To pick up a language for everyday use, you have to be talking with people who are native speakers and who really know the language,” Herrmann said.
Jorquera-Hervas, originally from Spain, said the Spanish conversation club has plans to extend its outreach to the campus and local community.
“We have ongoing projects at the moment,” she said. “We have thought about launching a radio program so we can play some Spanish music (and) talk about our country’s issues. We have (also) thought about Spanish movie night.”
Harvin said the group is beneficial to students because of its casual nature that doesn’t put pressure on students the way an academic course might.
“When you don’t have that pressure being in a classroom, and you’re just in a really good atmosphere and getting to know different people, it just helps you relax and take your time speaking Spanish,” Harvin said.
Whether you’ve only taken one Spanish course in the last few years or have been speaking the language your entire life, SBU tertulia is a chance to mingle with amigos who share a similar interest in Spanish culture.
