D51 February Golden Apple Award: Ashleigh Spence
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Over 400 million people worldwide speak Spanish, it’s the official language of 21 countries, and this months Golden Apple winner teaches it.
It was 7th grade that Ashleigh Spence began learning Spanish. After her sophomore year of High School, she spent two months volunteering in Panama with Amigos De Las Americas. With only three levels of Spanish under her belt, she found herself immersed in the culture and eager to communicate. Mrs. Spence said, “Just getting to know the people and the culture, and then constantly wanting to be able to communicate with people just got me really interested in it, and wanting to speak more and learn more. It just really changed my life.”
It was that trip that set her on the course to becoming a Spanish teacher. The kids at Grand Junction High School tell us she makes learning Spanish fun. Spanish student, Mitchell Bowers, told us, “She makes it interactive. She does her best to get everything in it, but done in a way that is enjoyable.”
What’s the best advice for someone trying to learn a new language? According to Mrs. Spence, “You just have to get out there and do it. And you have to get over the feeling that you’re wrong. Because you are a lot of the time, and that’s okay. There’s a student that we have here and I”m always commending him because he makes tons of mistakes, but he’s constantly trying to speak Spanish, and honestly I understand what he’s saying. That’s really what language is.”
So, put yourself out there, and start learning a new language. You won’t regret it.
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