Josephine Bateman

Josephine’s journey to Spanish fluency began during her mission in Oklahoma, where she spent her entire time serving in a Spanish-speaking branch. She participated in a six-week online Mexico MTC program, which provided a foundation in the language. After her mission, she continued to seek immersive experiences, including a study abroad program in Spain and a 10-day medical brigade to Guatemala, where she practiced Spanish with locals, including children and doctors. She also had the opportunity to volunteer within the local Hispanic community, and taught art in Spanish.

A major turning point in her language development came when she shifted her mindset about making mistakes. Initially shy to speak, Josephine came to understand that errors were essential for growth. Embracing this perspective and speaking with confidence—even when uncertain—led to positive interactions and encouragement from native speakers. She discovered that people appreciate when you try to speak their language, as it shows genuine care and interest.

To enhance her listening skills, Josephine started with Spanish audio accompanied by English subtitles and regularly listened to Spanish music. She maintained her writing skills by keeping in touch with Spanish-speaking friends through emails and messages. To broaden her vocabulary, she reviewed common themes and compiled targeted word lists, especially for general topics like hobbies and places. She approached language learning as a fun, exciting challenge.

In preparing for the OPI, Josephine recommended starting a few weeks in advance. Even just 30 minutes of weekly practice—thinking through potential topics and responding to sample questions—was helpful. She practiced with friends when possible, and when not, she held practice conversations with herself. Reviewing prompts from the official OPI website and creating vocabulary bullet points for specific questions (such as describing a restaurant) allowed her to organize her thoughts. To manage nerves, she imagined the OPI as a friendly conversation with someone who shared a similar background. She emphasized the importance of being confident in the skills she had developed.

Looking back, Josephine credits her success to embracing mistakes and viewing them as an experience of humility. She also sees learning language as helping her to be a better person and a way to interact with more people.