I chose this sample because I enjoyed writing it and because it shows a wide sample of topics I learned this semester.
I think the strongest element of the writing sample is how it mixes culture with vocabulary and the grammar and topical themes of the chapters we were studying at that time. I included cultural elements in the discussion of "ir de tapas" in Spain and the inclusion of Gabriel García Márquez as a famous writer. Even noting the fact that in Spain, parties start much later at night than in the U.S. added cultural information to the writing sample.
This cultural element was combined with major themes from the text. I used vocabulary concerning stores, banks and financing, directions, and technology. I also used grammatical structures discussed in the text in relation to directions and nosotros/as commands. I also think I did well using a variety of verb tenses.
However, I think verb tenses were also one of my weaknesses. I think sometimes I had too many different tenses in the same sentence. Another weakness--at least on my first draft--was subject-verb agreement. I think both these problems are ones that can easily be improved with editing and checking over my work.
Despite these problems, I did enjoy this assignment overall. I liked being able to meet all the requirements of the prompt from the text while also adding my own knowledge and experiences to the piece to make it unique. This strategy of combining old knowledge with new lessons helped me feel more comfortable when writing the sample. I think being comfortable and confident helped me write a more natural piece. This natural quality was demonstrated in the sentence variety and the use of transitions. Using transitions was one of my goals set out in my goals and strategies document, so I was happy to have met it. Overall, I think this piece was a success.