The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL JUNE/JULY The Linguist 25 SECTION HEADER OPINION & COMMENT read emotions and respond. Unfortunately for some students though, it is now more evident who is playing up in class! On top of my work responsibilities, I have been trying to keep up with my studies and not neglect the fact I am a student too. My university requires me to write a Year Abroad Research Project (YARP) on a topic of my choice. It's the Southampton Languages equivalent of a dissertation, so it has been a sizeable project, and holds weight in my final degree result. Most language students write their dissertations in English, in their final (fourth) year. For my degree, however, we have to write the 6,000-word academic essay in Spanish, during our third (penultimate) year, which is quite the challenge! I have been researching vegetarianism and am currently writing up my analysis ahead of our deadline in June. Despite the extra workload, I have really enjoyed investigating this subject and am hoping my language skills will benefit from writing it in Spanish. It has surprised me, while I've been here, how little Spanish I've needed in my everyday life, because many of my friends here are either native English speakers or speakers of another language, with English as the common language for conversation. I have, of course, made efforts to practise as much as I can, but it's not unheard of for people to live in Spain for a year, either studying or working as a language assistant, without learning Spanish. One of the highlights of my week is going to an Intercambio or Language Exchange, where people go to a bar, wear a sticker with our name and the languages we speak, and practise with native speakers and others who are learning our languages. Gemma works on her dissertation in Spanish, practises her speaking skills, and sees her students' faces for the first time GEMMA MCBAIN Third year interrupted Gemma McBain is in her third year of a German and Spanish BA at the University of Southampton. TL Last time I wrote about imagining life without masks, but that is now the reality in Spain. It came as a surprise when the government announced, on 19 April, that masks would be optional in schools (and most other arenas) from the following day. The measures introduced to contain the virus in Spain have been much stricter than those in the UK, with tighter lockdowns in addition to the longer period of compulsory mask-wearing. As a result, many students have never seen their classmates' full faces before, and some can't remember what school used to be like without masks. Although it's becoming more normal for people to choose not to wear a mask, in one of my first-year classes all the students are still wearing one. For some that's because being the only person in class not wearing a mask can be uncomfortable (as I have experienced myself), but some of the girls also confided that they are concerned about their appearance and embarrassment of how they look. This is a difficult reality about the effect of Covid on the younger generation: showing the rest of their face would be a talking point that they would rather avoid. In today's world, where many young people already have self- esteem issues, it is saddening to me that they feel so uncomfortable within themselves. A positive development has been increased participation and attentiveness in class. Being able to hear their teachers more clearly, and see my intonation as I speak, helps students with their English learning. They seem more engaged in classes, perhaps because seeing someone's full face feels more personal and makes it easier to CULTURAL EXCHANGE Gemma with her parents in Toledo (left); and with her friends at the Intercambio (right)

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