By Arón Olegnowicz

Learning the fastest-growing language in the United States while eating cookies is one method you may not find in a traditional classroom setting.

For one student organization, this social and cultural blend at meetings breeds the perfect recipe to enhance the linguistic richness of Ohio State’s campus. 

Three times a week, the Spanish & Portuguese Club meets for an hour at its conversation tables to offer students of all majors, backgrounds and ethnicities a place to practice their speaking skills in either Romance language.

“Language learning is a social endeavor more than it is a laborious academic exercise,” William Beckes, a third-year in linguistics and romance languages and Portuguese chair for the club, said. “For that, I had to force myself to speak to new people, be open to making mistakes and take opportunities to travel to learn more.”

“Being an absolute beginner is no shame in our club, in fact we’re absolutely used to it and most all of us were at some point,” Beckes said. “We encourage beginners to listen at our meetings and chime in either in English or whichever form of Spanish they can manage, Spanglish it’s all acceptable.”

Spanglish is defined as a hybrid language which combines many words from Spanish and English, according to Merriam-Webster. 

The conversation tables bring together mostly Spanish and Portuguese speakers to practice their speaking skills together, with a few native speakers present to converse with learners and improve their own linguistic abilities as well, Beckes said.

Upon arriving at the tables, members are often split into an advanced and beginner group, depending on their current language proficiency. It is not uncommon, however, to see a few native speakers embedded into the beginner group to spur dialogue and offer help.

“The tables are different because they are the stage where you can perform what you’ve learned,” Beckes said. “We give students their first chance to socialize in a new language which they can bring to the real world and make those friendships which will permit lifelong learning.”

After discovering an adoration for the Spanish language through folk music, Beckes said he studied abroad in Madrid to further immerse himself in Hispanic heritage.

“Learning Spanish is also, I feel, the duty of every single American, as it is the only way to fully appreciate the civic diversity of our country, to understand and accommodate the breadth of our population,” Beckes said.

Latinos currently comprise the largest ethnic minority in the United States, and according to a report by nonprofit organization Instituto Cervantes, by 2050, the U.S. could take Mexico’s current title as the nation with the most Spanish speakers in the world.

“Spanish is important to my life, as the Spanish-speaking population in the United States is growing, and I hope to work with Spanish-speaking individuals in the future,” Catherine Hord, a third-year in biology and president of the club, said. 

Although the classroom has been Hord’s primary point of entry into the Hispanic world, she said she hopes her organization’s goals are engaging to anyone looking to connect to Latino culture. 

“My hope is that the club and conversation tables give students an opportunity to explore the languages and cultures in a unique setting outside of the classroom,” Hord said.
The club’s conversation tables not only connect Spanish learners with native speakers, but also provide a sense of empowerment through mutual uplifting and community, Beckes said. 

“Before learning Spanish, I could not find a community or way of life that I could identify with,” Beckes said. “My goal is to inspire others with the same passion that took me to the other side of the ocean.” 

Paying it forward is the spirit characterized by advanced speakers like Hord and Beckes in the Spanish and Portuguese Club — a spirit so vibrant it attracts new members to the conversation tables every week.

Whether it’s hustling to Hagerty through a windstorm or joining a Zoom call amidst a pandemic, Beckes said members don’t fail to find a seat at the tables and looking ahead, there is even more in store.

“Quite a lot is on the plate for next semester, this will be our most ambitious yet,” he said. “I cannot say much right now but expect Spanish debates with academics, pronunciation clinics, tutoring, and language exchanges.”

For Beckes, Spanish is more than just a language — it’s a way of life. 

“Spanish brought me community, acceptance and passion, all of which are necessary to lead a dignified life,” he said.

The club meets on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Crane Café in Hagerty Hall and on Mondays over Zoom. More information can be found here.