Stephanie Sandate Interview Report

For this assignment, I chose to interview Ms. Stephanie Sandate. I chose her because I not only respect her as my immediate supervisor and as an educator, but I genuinely like her and enjoy working with her every day. Ms. Sandate was born in Texas, but has spent quite a bit of time in Mexico and grew up speaking Spanish. She has told stories of her summers in Mexico and staying with her Spanish speaking grandmother. She even pokes fun at me for the way I pronounce my last name and said her grandmother would slap her if she said “Caballero” the way I do.

Interview:

Tell me a little about yourself.

“My family is originally from Mexico and I still have a lot of family there. I was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas and we would make frequent

“I have been learning Spanish since birth. I lived in a home with my grandmother who spoke mostly Spanish.”

Why did you start learning your second language?

“My grandmother communicated with us in Spanish. Spanish was easier for her than speaking English.”

Tell me how you learned your second language? In school, at work? What was it like?

“Learning Spanish was difficult because it was not consistent. My family would go back and forth, even in one sentence.”

What factors have contributed to you learning English (or German, etc.)?

“My family contributed to me learning Spanish, otherwise, I would not have been exposed to the language.”

What factors have hindered you learning English (or Spanish, etc.)?

“My parents speaking to me in English hindered my learning Spanish.”

Do you have any advice for language teachers?

“To just always remember the struggles if the tables were turned. Do all you can to support the learning.”

Do you consider yourself to be proficiency in your second language? Are there times or situations where you feel less proficient?

“I considered myself proficient. There are times when I feel less proficient.”

Do you know any other languages?