Foreign Languages in School
Interviews by Drew Starr, Grade 12
There are over 6,000 languages in the entire world, and here at Mascoutah we offer Spanish and German. Whether you are taking a language for the college requirement, or plan on majoring in Spanish or German for a career, foreign languages are important for communication. Within the school, we had Foreign Language Teachers answer questions—explaining their stories and why they chose to teach their language.
Spanish Department: Ortega and Jansen
Señora Ortega:
How long have you been speaking Spanish, and how many times have you been to Spain/Mexico?
"I have spoken Spanish fluently since I was 18, however, I started studying the language at age 14.
I have been to many Spanish speaking countries and places, such as Ecuador (I lived there as a college student for a year), Mexico (several times as a tourist and during my senior trip), the Dominican Republic (3 times to study and on vacation), Costa Rica (5-6 times as a traveler, teacher, and tourist), and finally Panama (once on a shopping tour)."
What was your first encounter with Spanish?
"As a little girl, I remember hearing the song La Bamba, and my childhood best friend’s mother is from Peru… she always spoke Spanish to her family, which was intriguing to me."
What made you want to pursue a career in Spanish?
"My career is in education. My passion is the language, people, and culture of the Spanish speaking world. I wanted to expose Americans to cultural differences, allowing them to learn and grow from the unknown."
Do you have any favorite memories or funny stories in Spain or other countries?
"I’ve never been to Spain. My travels are mainly throughout Latin America, specifically the Caribbean, which I absolutely love. However, one time in the Amazon jungle in Ecuador, I was in the shower and a tarantula crawled in… it was horrifying!"