In addition to the language, Los Angeles Pierce College Professor Diamelys Perez’s Spanish 001 college class teaches more than what meets the eye.
“I really like the teacher and learning a new language is more interesting than I thought it would ever be,” sophomore Sasha Mankovitz said. “It’s more enriching in the work. (It) feels substantial and not like busy work.”
This class is taught through LAPC and lasts for only 16 weeks, with its inaugural year being this fall semester. In addition to the class being newly offered, it fills a hole that was left after the displacement of former Spanish teacher Glenda Hurtado, which occurred in September 2024 due to budget constraints. The class takes place in room 10 during period one and meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“Now that there is a teacher for Spanish, I’m still sad that it’s not her (Glenda Hurtado),” junior Emma Bullock said.
Class begins with around 15-20 minutes of instructional time, where Perez gives a lecture on the current topic of the day. Afterward, students participate in interactive activities that help them with their writing, word choice, grammar and much more. Students get graded on their work on a normal basis, with a quiz every three weeks that tests students on information from the current chapter being taught.
Students study and learn many beginner words and phrases in Spanish. Additionally, students learn about different heritages and cultures through their Cultural Learning Project, which allows students to study the various traditions that Spanish-speaking countries observe today.
“They’re researching a festival or a holiday from a Spanish-speaking country,” Perez said. “They are telling me their history, their meaning to the country and what is important about it. Some students are doing Día de los Muertos from Mexico, while others are doing the colonial era in Guatemala. Spanish is not only about grammar and punctuation, it’s also about people, their culture. It’s a language that connects so many countries.”
Although this class teaches a language that may seem unfamiliar to students, Perez’s teaching strategy and philosophy aim to make students feel comfortable in learning a new language.
“I believe in encouragement, equality,” Perez said. “I want all my students to come in and feel that they can share the answers without any fear of getting judgment or bullying or anything. That’s how we learn. They shouldn’t be afraid to do that. I like to communicate with them, talk to them and see how they’re feeling, why they’re not participating, what’s going on. I’m very involved.”
Students taking this class enjoy their professor, as they feel welcomed and seen by Perez. Her teaching philosophy is built around the idea of encouraging and motivating students to reach their fullest potential.
“I personally like it,” junior Zarina Martirosyan said. “It’s fun being in that class. She likes to interact with the students during the lessons.”
