Spanish Student Spotlight: Jeff – From “Jefe” in 8th Grade to @CaminoJefe on the Trails

““It is very liberating to think about potential communication phrases I would use in Spain and realize that I can come up with them in my head!”

— Jeff, Speak! Spanish Student

Jeff’s relationship with Spanish got off to a rocky start. After two years of classes in eighth and ninth grade, he disliked it enough to choose Norwegian for his college language requirement. But decades later, a love of hiking and a desire to explore some of Spain’s more remote Camino routes brought him back to Spanish with an entirely different sense of purpose. As he prepared for another trek through Spain, Jeff began working one-on-one with Franco at Speak!, using his UVA education benefit to build the practical communication skills he’ll need along the trail.

And in a perfect full-circle moment, the eighth grader who once tried to convince his Spanish teacher to call him “Jefe” will soon be sharing his adventures from Spain as @CaminoJefe.

Jeff, can you tell us about any previous language-learning experiences you’ve had?

I took 2 years of Spanish in 8th and 9th grade.  The tenses killed me!  (But more likely, I didn’t study enough.)  I actually disliked it so much that I took Norwegian to fulfill my college foreign langage requirement.  Not my best decision, in retrospect. 

What initially inspired you to learn Spanish?
I’m going to answer that in terms of returning to Spanish as an adult.  I became interested in traveling to Spain and visiting some very remote areas.  I hiked one of the lesser-traveled Camino routes in 2024, and was fortunate to encounter a bi-lingual pilgrim who traveled with me for several days.  Upon my return, I worked harder at learning the language and felt that the one-on-one experience that I would experience with Speak! would be helpful.  I know another person who used the program, and he spoke highly of it. 

How did you first hear about Speak!?

I am about to retire from working at the University of Virginia.  Others there have used education credits at Speak! and it seemed like a good use of those credits for me.

Why do you prefer having a native teacher for your classes?

It has been interesting learning about Franco’s home country and the various places he has lived while we worked together. 

What do you enjoy most about your private lessons with Franco?

It is an intense hour.  I think that helps push my limits and makes me better at the language.

Could you tell us more about your upcoming trip?

Although most people have heard of the Camino in Spain, relatively few folks know that there are actually many caminos in that country.  I have a lot of hiking experience in Virginia’s mountains and am drawn to Camino routes that are both less popular and more mountainous.  Because these routes are more remote, I anticipate a need to be able to communicate in Spanish.  I am told that English is pretty widely spoken on the major routes from France and Portugal. 

Camino Primitivo in March, 2024.

Do you have a special memory involving Spanish that you’d like to share?

When I was in eighth grade, my Spanish teacher instructed us all to use Spanish names in class.  There is no “Jeff” in Spanish, so I countered with “Jefe.”  My teacher did not want to let me use the word for “Boss” as my name.  Fortunately, Franco would call me anything I wanted him to!  This memory is my inspiration for the Instagram page that I will use to send photos back to the U.S.  My page is “@CaminoJefe.” 

How do you feel about the idea of being able to communicate in a second language?

I don’t feel proficient yet, but it is very liberating to think about potential communication phrases I would use in Spain and realize that I can come up with them in my head!

What’s next for you — in your life and/or in your language learning?

I retire at the end of the month – while I am in Spain.  Although I plan to stay in shape after retirement, I’ve already hiked over 10,000 miles in Virginia so I’m not sure that hiking will be something I pursue during retirement. 

How would you describe our programs to a friend?

I had one-on-one experiences that adjusted to my changing needs.  Coming into my first session, I had no real idea how far along I was in the Spanish journey because I had done my studying on my own.  Those were often done with flashcards or Audible instruction books, which I often worked on when I was hiking alone.  This flexibility made the experience a good one for me.

How would you describe the course to a friend in just two words?

Hands on.