Auzton Stutts

Auzton's Spanish learning journey took off during his mission in Panama. Although it wasn't his first exposure to the language, it was there that his proficiency began to flourish. Before that, he had received foundational language training from a member of his home stake, who taught him proper vowel pronunciation and emphasized the distinct sounds in Spanish. He also took Spanish classes in high school and at BYU prior to his mission, which provided a solid base for his later immersion.

Returning from Panama, Auzton continued expanding his cultural and linguistic exposure while working at an English as a Second Language school, where many of the students were native Spanish speakers. This provided valuable opportunities for meaningful interaction and practical application of his skills. Additionally, his motivation to learn Spanish was deeply rooted in his family heritage—his grandmother and great-grandmother are from Puerto Rico. He wanted to feel more connected to that culture and maintain ties across generations.

Auzton embraces a learning mindset. He understands that mistakes are part of the process and approaches corrections positively. His focus is not on perfection, but on ongoing improvement. He emphasizes the importance of having a growth mindset, explaining that making mistakes is essential for true learning.

He believes his listening skills improved over time through immersion, especially as he adapted to various accents. BYU’s literature courses were beneficial in refining his reading abilities, which he acknowledges require patience. To expand his vocabulary, Auzton kept a notebook during his mission, jotting down new words and reviewing them regularly. A key strategy for vocabulary acquisition was associating objects directly with their Spanish names, instead of translating from English.

Auzton shares the following advice for those preparing for the OPI for the first time:

• Practice as much as possible.
• Engage in conversations on a variety of topics, moving beyond casual small talk to actively share your opinions.
• Prepare thoughtful responses to opinion-based questions, even on abstract topics, rather than just simple questions. He wishes he had focused more on this during his own preparation.
• Be able to state an opinion, even if it isn’t your personal view, as the tester is looking for your ability to do so.

Looking back, Auzton believes that maintaining consistent practice and reviewing key concepts were crucial to his success. He emphasizes the importance of remembering grammatical principles and applying them correctly, as these foundations help preserve language proficiency even if vocabulary fluctuates. He also stresses that accurate pronunciation and proper sentence structure are vital for long-term language retention.