I passed! On my first try! It was harder than I thought it would be to spend 2 solid hours in Spanish reading and talking. I made quite a few mistakes but I just kept talking and hoping that by saying more words I would have a higher overall percentage of real Spanish. I think before in another post I talked about how easy it is to make up words in Spanish and not even realize you are doing it. Lots of things in the FS feel like gambling, from the beginning when you start studying for a written test covering such a broad range of material. There is no way you can really study everything so you have to guess, and it is multiple choice. Then if you pass the written and go to the oral exam there are parts that feel like a TV game show. And just like a TV game they keep you guessing about whether you passed until the very end of the show. It's similar with the Spanish test. Your teachers give you little hints along the way, like someone might coach you in Blackjack, "split if you can double," "don't hit on 16," but you really can't understand all the hints until you start playing and seeing the scenarios yourself.
Several of my teachers coached us on using transitions, practicing common topics, and throwing in some subjunctive at the end to give your opinion. The best hints I got were from my fellow students including to act like you know what you are talking about and to keep talking no matter how you feel about what you just said. Even if you just said that many college students in the United States study the arts of liberalism instead of liberal arts, because you don't have the skill to say that in Spanish. (Not an actual test topic--I made that up.)
It's really a relief to pass. That's another part that seems like gambling. You've put a lot of money and time in this slot machine waiting for it to pay off. I don't know anyone yet who hasn't passed, although some had to try a second or third time. Part of it is your effort, but part of it is how your tongue does on the day of the test, how your testers feel, and the test topics you get assigned.
So now I have my 3/3. I still can't turn on the TV or radio in Spanish and understand all the words. I can get an idea of what they are saying, especially if they show pictures. I can watch a video and usually understand the details if I replay it a few times. I can understand a lot better than I can speak. I think the real test is yet to come in Mexico.
