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UIC | Life > Academics

Tips for Minoring in a Language as a Non-native Speaker

Maha Majjiga Student Contributor, University of Illinois - Chicago
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UIC chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The world, as we know it, is so diverse, with many cultures and languages. Living in the United States, I am exposed to such diversity in one country designated as a “melting pot”. Growing up, I’ve heard many languages spoken around me, from English in school, Telugu and Hindi at home, Urdu, Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and more from friends and passersby!

With this diversity, however, comes the question of communication and interaction. How do we communicate with, interact with, and serve individuals who aren’t proficient in English or understand United States customs, but will have to use various commodities in the United States? This especially hits home, being a daughter of immigrants to the United States, moving to the United States at around 4 years old, and navigating differences in language and culture alongside my parents. Although my parents and I have accommodated to fit what we hear around us, and our English is proficient, creating a better understanding with the community, that wasn’t always the case years ago, and remains the case for many new immigrants who enter the country.

This is why I chose to minor in Spanish, a language I am not a native speaker of. It gives me a chance to understand and communicate with other individuals who weren’t raised speaking English like many others here, to provide them with comfort/convenience, and understanding in interactions. However, my passion and ambition to learn this different language came with its own struggles.

Generally, past the age of 10, the acquisition of a new language is a challenging endeavor. However, it becomes even more difficult to dedicate time to learning the language when faced with struggles like bad grades/feedback in your courses, fear of humiliation/shyness, and being subjected to mundane parts of language learning like grammar rules. So, to ensure I continue to learn and engage with the language, I implemented three things into my life:

Music and TV Shows (Entertainment)

I have a whole playlist dedicated to music in Spanish. I love listening to music, so incorporating Spanish music into my life and learning all the lyrics and their meaning continuously adds new vocabulary. It adds more difficulty to my learning to hear Spanish at different speeds or accents, ensuring I can comprehend words in many scenarios. Here are some Spanish songs I have on repeat:

DÁKITI – By Bad Bunny & JHAYCO

ReggaetĂłn Lento – CNCO

Bailando – Enrique Iglesias

MĂłnaco – LAGOS & Danny Ocean

For almost every meal, I have to watch something as I eat, making me run through many TV shows. Therefore, I started incorporating Spanish TV shows at meals or even putting on Spanish subtitles for TV shows in English. Here are some Spanish TV shows I watch or shows I turn on Spanish subtitles for:

Spanish Audio – Cable Girls, Violetta (I watched this dubbed in English when I was a teen, but started rewatching it in Spanish!), Elite

Spanish Subtitles – Jane the Virgin, Money Heist, Control Z

Teaching my younger sister

Teaching topics ultimately help you master them. If you can teach it, you truly know it, and it reinforces the basics, which any non-native speaker could always use refreshers on! Therefore, I started teaching my 10-year-old sister Spanish. Every two weeks, I’d introduce her to different words and ask her to use them in sentences (mixing English and Spanish). So far, I have been able to teach her the colors, different fruits, and different vegetables in Spanish while also reinforcing them in my own vocabulary.

Cooking

Lastly, I’ve started incorporating Spanish when I cook. I always follow recipes or watch recipe videos on TikTok or YouTube, so I started watching various Spanish home cooks or recipes in English, but turned on Spanish subtitles. This opens me up to a far more open variety of vocabulary than before, while keeping things fun and ending up with a tasty, rewarding dish at the end

From this, I hope you see that learning a new language and pursuing the language academically as a non-native speaker can be fun! Your ambition/motivation to learn comes from how creative you are in fully immersing the language into your life, which will help you look past its struggles.

Thanks for reading, 

Maha Majjiga

mmajj2@uic.edu

Her Campus at UIC, President & Editorial Team

Maha Majjiga

UIC '26

Maha Majjiga is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. Driven by a commitment to social impact, she is motivated to raise awareness of underdiscussed societal issues, foster diversity and inclusion, and explore holistic approaches to physical and mental health—particularly through lenses like nutrition, psychological resilience, and community wellness. Their academic background fuels a passion for understanding how cultural, biological, and social factors shape humanity.

Beyond the academic environment, Maha actively engages in community service. She dedicates significant time to volunteering at local food pantries. Her commitment to public health is seen through volunteer roles at running events like the Chicago Marathon and the Hot Chocolate Run, and through health initiatives such as recruiting donors for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and assisting at community blood drives. Being the eldest of her siblings makes her hold a strong sense of responsibility and drives her proactive commitment to supporting others.

Outside of academics and service, Maha embraces creativity and exploration. She is an avid reader, drawn to historical fiction, fantasy novels, and young adult fiction. In the kitchen, she is a passionate baker, usually baking homemade breads, bagels, and brownies. Her artistic side is expressed through various crafts, including painting, faux stained glass, and sewing projects. Maha also values relaxation and connection, often unwinding by binge-watching compelling TV series or hosting movie nights with friends. An enthusiast of food and travel, some of her favorite destinations include Puerto Rico and Paris, and she is always eager to discover new restaurants, cafes, and cuisines.