Second to last week: language learning and dragons
"You speak Spanish very well." says the man at the counter of the crepe shop. I smile and say gracias politely as I point out that I speak very little Spanish. How could the little crepe shop worker have known that I only understood about half of his conversation when I continue to smile and say si to things that I am not even sure that I agree with? How could he know that I am able to order fairly well in Spanish because I have had this exact conversation with other waiters time and time before?
The language learning process is a completely fascinating phenomenon that many people know very little about. I know that I certainly have learned a lot while navigating the language learning process myself and observing my students as they learn English. Being in the midst of a new culture and language I find myself picking up new phrases and understanding more each day. Some days I feel like I understand more than others, and it can be incredibly frustrating. At other times, when I am able to understand and participate in a conversation it can be incredibly satisfying.This is something that I certainly want to try to keep in mind as I start teaching. My students will be experiencing these same emotions, and I need to try to create positive experiences for my students that help them to feel successful in the classroom.
This week in the guarderia, we talked about princes, princesses, dragons, and castles. Much of the vocabulary from this week is sounds very similar in Spanish and English, so the students enjoyed practicing the new words. Conchi created a large cardboard castle and allowed the students to paint it. We also made crowns, made princess and knight puppets, and finished the week with a hunt for the dragon's treasure. The students, in general, love to make crafts, and I think that crafts are a great tool for developing artistic and coordination skills in such young children while reinforcing the vocabulary.
I also experimented with allowing the students to have more free play time in the classroom. I recently read an article on edutopia about the importance of play in early childhood development. I allowed the students time to play in a much more self directed manner. In one instance, I allowed the students to experiment with castle building using blocks. I found that the students loved to use the blocks, and that they actually were more open to using English when they were simply playing with the blocks. It was a rather interesting experiment, and I can't wait to experiment more with this in the future!
This was my second to last week here in Medina. I am torn between excitement to see my family and sadness over leaving my family here in Medina. Anyways, things here are good :) I'll write again soon!
-Lindsey
The language learning process is a completely fascinating phenomenon that many people know very little about. I know that I certainly have learned a lot while navigating the language learning process myself and observing my students as they learn English. Being in the midst of a new culture and language I find myself picking up new phrases and understanding more each day. Some days I feel like I understand more than others, and it can be incredibly frustrating. At other times, when I am able to understand and participate in a conversation it can be incredibly satisfying.This is something that I certainly want to try to keep in mind as I start teaching. My students will be experiencing these same emotions, and I need to try to create positive experiences for my students that help them to feel successful in the classroom.
This week in the guarderia, we talked about princes, princesses, dragons, and castles. Much of the vocabulary from this week is sounds very similar in Spanish and English, so the students enjoyed practicing the new words. Conchi created a large cardboard castle and allowed the students to paint it. We also made crowns, made princess and knight puppets, and finished the week with a hunt for the dragon's treasure. The students, in general, love to make crafts, and I think that crafts are a great tool for developing artistic and coordination skills in such young children while reinforcing the vocabulary.
I also experimented with allowing the students to have more free play time in the classroom. I recently read an article on edutopia about the importance of play in early childhood development. I allowed the students time to play in a much more self directed manner. In one instance, I allowed the students to experiment with castle building using blocks. I found that the students loved to use the blocks, and that they actually were more open to using English when they were simply playing with the blocks. It was a rather interesting experiment, and I can't wait to experiment more with this in the future!
This was my second to last week here in Medina. I am torn between excitement to see my family and sadness over leaving my family here in Medina. Anyways, things here are good :) I'll write again soon!
-Lindsey
Pictures from la guarderia:
Pictures of Santander and Somo:
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