¡OYE! Second language education
For this experience, I created a set of second-language-learning tools to help young children begin learning a second language earlier than they would otherwise in the United States educational system. How did I get here, exactly? ¡Oye! serves as a culmination of everything I've studied during my last 5 years as a student at UC. Read my reflection below to find out how I got here and what sparked my interest in this topic.
Ever since I was young, I have been a person that loves everything I’m doing. I’m (usually) always happy, and passionate about so many things: design, art, politics, education, and learning Spanish. When I was little, I would even make up words that I thought sounded like Spanish, and try to pass as being bilingual. (I don’t think I fooled anyone.)
When I reached the age of trying to decide what to study in college, I didn’t quite know how to select just one thing that I was passionate about and lock myself in to a career for the rest of my life. After much deliberation, I selected graphic design. I came to realize that design could be, and really is, a universal language that serves as a way to communicate ideas and complexities across barriers with ease and fluidity. Design has influence in every corner of the world, without caring about the place, time, or culture. During my five years as a graphic design student, this belief has only become more true for me. I firmly believe that graphic design is a visual language that supersedes all verbal languages. That said, I have simultaneously kept learning Spanish as a priority in my education. If I intend to work in an increasingly global world, I want to be equipped with the ability to communicate in English and Spanish alongside my beloved design.
Even before my very first day of the graphic design program at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, I learned that my priorities were not the same as those of the school. During my college orientation, I was told that it was inadvisable to pick up a second major, let alone a minor. Our internal culture puts a focus on design (or architecture, art, or planning) alone. We are not encouraged to pursue other forms of study, and I understand why—design requires practice, dedication, and time—but I think that it’s also important to pair that learning with other studies. If you’re reading this reflection, you already know that I’m passionate about many things and have a hard time narrowing in... so from my very first day, I decided to continue pursuing a Spanish education. This friction revealed a curiosity about the way the
United States treats second language learning. In my experience, I began learning Spanish when I was 12 years old, in the seventh grade. I have happy memories of singing songs, playing games, and doing activities that formed my learning. By the grace of having had fantastic teachers, I left high school wanting to continue with this education. Through my research, though, I learned that other students began learning another language when they were very young, or didn’t start until they were in high school and never practiced it for more than two or three years. This led me to see the inconsistencies in the educational systems of the US.
This project came to be because of my interest in Spanish, and the duality between my design and language educational paths. I have combined illustration and typography with vocabulary and counting to make up a game that teachers and professors can use in their classrooms. It won’t serve to teach an entire language; rather, form a foundation of vocab that can help students learn the language later in their lives.
Here, I’ve documented my research and process to validate my final solution. This project also serves as evidence that my two passions can coexist to create something very useful—and further proof that my two academic degrees exist in harmony.
Completing this project helped me dig deeper into my own background and ask questions about the educational system that I myself completed. It helped me apply a critical lens to an institution that I love, and gave me some insight about how my various passions can support and strengthen each other.
When I reached the age of trying to decide what to study in college, I didn’t quite know how to select just one thing that I was passionate about and lock myself in to a career for the rest of my life. After much deliberation, I selected graphic design. I came to realize that design could be, and really is, a universal language that serves as a way to communicate ideas and complexities across barriers with ease and fluidity. Design has influence in every corner of the world, without caring about the place, time, or culture. During my five years as a graphic design student, this belief has only become more true for me. I firmly believe that graphic design is a visual language that supersedes all verbal languages. That said, I have simultaneously kept learning Spanish as a priority in my education. If I intend to work in an increasingly global world, I want to be equipped with the ability to communicate in English and Spanish alongside my beloved design.
Even before my very first day of the graphic design program at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, I learned that my priorities were not the same as those of the school. During my college orientation, I was told that it was inadvisable to pick up a second major, let alone a minor. Our internal culture puts a focus on design (or architecture, art, or planning) alone. We are not encouraged to pursue other forms of study, and I understand why—design requires practice, dedication, and time—but I think that it’s also important to pair that learning with other studies. If you’re reading this reflection, you already know that I’m passionate about many things and have a hard time narrowing in... so from my very first day, I decided to continue pursuing a Spanish education. This friction revealed a curiosity about the way the
United States treats second language learning. In my experience, I began learning Spanish when I was 12 years old, in the seventh grade. I have happy memories of singing songs, playing games, and doing activities that formed my learning. By the grace of having had fantastic teachers, I left high school wanting to continue with this education. Through my research, though, I learned that other students began learning another language when they were very young, or didn’t start until they were in high school and never practiced it for more than two or three years. This led me to see the inconsistencies in the educational systems of the US.
This project came to be because of my interest in Spanish, and the duality between my design and language educational paths. I have combined illustration and typography with vocabulary and counting to make up a game that teachers and professors can use in their classrooms. It won’t serve to teach an entire language; rather, form a foundation of vocab that can help students learn the language later in their lives.
Here, I’ve documented my research and process to validate my final solution. This project also serves as evidence that my two passions can coexist to create something very useful—and further proof that my two academic degrees exist in harmony.
Completing this project helped me dig deeper into my own background and ask questions about the educational system that I myself completed. It helped me apply a critical lens to an institution that I love, and gave me some insight about how my various passions can support and strengthen each other.
SHOWCASE
To see how this project came to be, visit my professional portfolio at www.gracehertlein.com/oye