Magda
Librarian
I wanted to learn Spanish because my neighbors are Spanish-speakers and I wanted to be able to communicate better. I work at the library and it is so much easier to help them if I can speak at least a little of their native language.
Student Quote Category: Home Page
Markus
Bus Driver
When I’m driving my bus, most of the kids speak Spanish. I used to think ‘it’s not my job to learn their language’, but now I really want to. I want to know what they are saying and talk to them. I was able to ask a student ‘¿Dónde vives?’ and he pointed to his address. That made me feel pretty good.
Did you know? Spanish is the predominant home language of students in 36% of Metro Nashville’s public schools.
Robert
Retired Physician
I oversee a clinic at Meharry that’s run by medical students. A big portion of the patient population is Spanish-speaking. They have translators, but it makes a big difference if you can meet the patient—meet the person—halfway in their native language.
Elizabeth
Spanish Heritage Speaker
Since I moved out here to Nashville, I just started losing my Spanish. It was really poignant. Whenever I’d go home, and I would start talking to my aunts, or some of my cousins, I could just feel myself struggling with my ability to communicate.
Spanish heritage speakers have a personal, familial or community connection to Spanish but received the majority of their formal education in English.