Jabir Sandhu

Minor in Spanish

Current Occupation: Economist
Current Location: Ottawa
Program: Bachelor of International Business/16

Notable Quotable:

Why did you choose this particular language”

I chose Spanish for a few reasons. The main one being that it’s a very widely spoken language across many countries, which I felt would open up opportunities for me, like travel or even work. I also thought it might be easier to achieve fluency in Spanish compared to some of the other languages offered, especially since I already spoke French and had often heard that knowing French would make learning Spanish easier.

Tell us about your learning experience

While it was challenging, I actually really enjoyed the intensive format of the courses. From what I remember, we had about six hours of Spanish classes per week during the first two years. This was a great way to learn, and it was also nice to see the same classmates so often-many of whom became close friends. My favourite parts of the classes were probably the lessons that incorporated Spanish-language music or movies. There are still some songs I listen to regularly that I remember my professors playing in class.

Travel as part of your degree

I did a year-long exchange in my third year in Santiago, Chile at the Universidad de Chile. It was an all-round great experience, and I would definitely encourage others to take part in an exchange as well. During that year, I took most of my business classes in Spanish and also worked part-time at a bank in a Spanish-speaking office. This, combined with the limited use of English in day-to-day life in Chile, really pushed me to practice and improve my Spanish.

Beyond work and academics, it was also a very fun experience. I built a strong network of friends, both from Chile and from other countries on exchange, some of whom I still keep in touch with nearly ten years later. I also had the chance to travel, visiting a few other cities in Chile and joining other Carleton students on trips to Peru and Argentina.

How have you used the language since graduating?

Spanish is still a part of my life. I still try to find opportunities to practice, whether with friends or coworkers, or by taking a trip to a Spanish-speaking country. I also very regularly watch Spanish-language movies and TV, and listen to Spanish-language music almost every day.

One memorable experience happened last year, when I was fortunate to attend a week-long training through work in Madrid, Spain. Although the training was in English, most of the attendees were from Spain or Latin American countries, and our informal discussions, meals, and post-training sightseeing were mostly in Spanish. At first, it was a bit challenging to recall some specific terms and verb conjugations, but after a couple days of practice and many vocabulary questions to other attendees, much of my past fluency came back and I was surprised with how well I was able to communicate.

Of course, my interest in the Spanish language, Spanish and Latin American culture, as well as the strong connections I’ve been able to make with Spanish and Latin American friends and colleagues, would not have been possible without the Spanish program at Carleton.