passage1

I began learning Spanish when I was in high school, using a traditional academic method of  studying verbs, sentence structures, and grammar by using textbooks and not much else. I found it  very easy to learn, but was frustrated with the slow pace and repetitive nature of all my Spanish classes. So I worked extra hard in my spare time and asked my teacher if I could skip a level by the end of the semester. 
 This was unsuccessful, however, because the school was not willing to test me or otherwise prove that I could be successful in the top level after skipping a level. This made things even more frustrating, as then I was stuck in a class where I already knew the material! 
 Then I went on to college where I then used the language extensively both in and out of the classroom. I studied Spanish literature, culture, and linguistics and very much enjoyed the cultural and linguistic elements, but found the in-depth study of literature a very unbalanced way to study Spanish. 
 I got a lot out of using my Spanish outside of the classroom, including a trip to Mexico with a church group, where I found myself acting as an interpreter. It was certainly challenging, but it was also a lot of fun. 
 I then also volunteered to be an interpreter in the community schools and also used my Spanish to teach English to some Spanish speakers. This is probably where I learned the most!