Integrative Narrative
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Evelia Meza
Overall Integrative narrative
Spring 2014
I chose the Spanish Major, emphasis on Language and Linguistics because it fascinates me. There isn’t one day when I don’t think about what an amazing language Spanish is. Also there isn’t one day in my life where I don’t use it. I go to the store and the cashier speaks Spanish, my kids who are now teenagers almost ready to drive either have Spanish classes or have had Spanish classes in the past. Numerous times I have step in to help them with their homework. My husband and I have made sure that at home we speak Spanish and at school my son and daughter learn English. The results are surprising: both of them know how to read and write Spanish and my daughter is presently learning a third language, American Sign Language.
While the above are excellent reasons for me getting a Spanish BA, there are others that are even more important. I interpret for the community as a volunteer and professionally as a self-employed Spanish Interpreter. I figured with a Spanish BA I could probably continue to do what I am already doing only better and possibly teach adults Spanish as a private tutor. Spanish interpreting is great, it provides me with a flexible schedule because I take on and refuse assignments as I please. However, there might come a time when I will get tired of driving to the businesses to interpret. When that happens I can always try teaching adults Spanish and have them come to me. The other option that more specifically would work for me now is to get hired by one of the local hospitals who provide good health insurance as well as other fringe benefits like a 401 K account.
My other possibility would be to get hired by one of the attorneys in Monterey or Salinas area as a Paralegal or better yet as a Spanish interpreter. This is why I got my Pre-Law
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Minor along with my Spanish BA. I could also get hired by the Monterey Court House or the
Salinas Court House.
Of course I can always expand on what I am already doing. I can advertise and try to get
more businesses to use my Spanish interpreting services. That way I would be more busy which
would equal helping my family more economically. Because I now have a better understanding
of the Spanish language I can also translate documents or have someone translate them and I
just correct them and at the same time I could be out on the field interpreting all types of
scenarios: Doctors’ appointments in the Doctor’s office or at the hospital or attorney cases at
their office or the Public Defenders Office and especially the Monterey County Jail.
The idea is that many doors opened, meaning job opportunities when I did my nine
month training at, Southern California School of Interpretation to be a Spanish interpreter. I
suspect many more doors will open or better said more job opportunities once I graduate from
California State of the Monterey Bay. I believe minimally I will be able to increase the number
of clients that need my Spanish interpreting services.
My education at CSUMB has been an excellent one. My vocabulary has increased
tremendously since I went back to school in 2008, but especially since I have been at CSUMB
because of all the cultural and linguist courses that I took for my Spanish Major. I learned from
the major that there is even more to learn than what I thought: I was able to sink into the
grammar part of the major as well as the culture with all advanced courses. As I learned the
Spanish grammar I also thought about how different it is from the English language and I
noticed there are a few differences. I am very proud of having passed all these courses. In the
future I would like to learn more about the syntax and semantic part of the language.
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My initial goal was to learn as much grammar as possible which I accomplished. I learned about my culture and I also learned about the science behind the Spanish language. A gift and a plus for me was to be able to sink into the theories of translation, which my Spanish 315 covered to the dot. It was important that I achieved the knowledge of the methods of translating because these gave me a wealth of knowledge, which I will take where ever I go and in the process make some money. With the education on those subjects that I received at California State University Monterey Bay I feel much more equipped to take on translating assignments. I have good reasons for getting a Spanish Major and a Pre-Law Minor.