Post Travel Thoughts

My student at Calle Hernandez

     It's been a week now since we returned from Costa Rica and I can honestly say that I'm still processing the the experience.  There were so many things that happened and so little time to process it while we were there.  The itinerary was very industrious and there was almost no time left to deeply reflect on our daily adventures.  There are times now when I am reminded of what I saw and heard there.  I find myself realizing that at the time, I wasn't fully aware of how much information was coming into my brain and it's only now when I'm sitting quietly that I can sort through it and examine it more closely.  I've had a little trouble sleeping since I've been back as my mind is filled with the voices and sounds of Costa Rica!  It really was a fantastic experience.
     I know that our trip has changed me forever.  I will always think about my time learning Spanish there and I have already adapted my approach as I teach with more patience and kindness.  The cultural experience has also led me to appreciate my family much more than I had before I left.  I find myself planning my day so that I can spend more time with my wife and children and feel closer to each of my family members than I have in the past. 
     I learned so much during my time at the CPI language schools.  Each of our three teachers were different as was their style of teaching.  There were good and bad points, just as there is in all of us.  But, I know that I have a much deeper empathy for a language learner than I could ever hoped to have before.  For me personally, I will allow my ELL students to complete their sentence and train of thought before I correct any of their language/grammar mistakes.  At times, I believe I will not focus on their mistakes at all and wait until they are more comfortable with English before leading them to a better word usage or pronunciation.  I have come to know that there is a certain level of insecurity or shyness that we all share as we learn a new language and just how important it is to ease these fears.  I want to create a safe environment where my ELL students and I can relax and perhaps even laugh about our mistakes.  As a teacher, I've come to know how to better approach teaching students a new language as well.  I believe it's very important to build as much vocabulary as possible as quickly as possible.  It was my experience at CPI that the focus was grammar and I found that to be frustrating so I attempted to build my vocabulary on my own.  Some simple strategies such as placing photos or drawings along with the actual word printed on them and placing them where they can be easily seen every day.  I will help my students create flashcards and will assess them daily in regard to the vocabulary.  My experience in CR has led me to understand how much faster an individual can learn a language by learning words that have a personal connection.  For me, I learned some new words very quickly because they became part of my daily dialogue with myself and others.  Also, as I learned phrases and expressions (many were greetings) I looked at all parts of those phrases to better understand how verbs and nouns were being used.  This is much different than simply memorizing a greeting as it allowed me to begin to form my own sentences using those same words.  In effect this was personalizing my language learning and giving me ownership--two terms that are used regularly in the education world.  For example the verb "estar" is used regularly, especially in question-greetings.  "Como esta?" vs "Como estas?" and "Como estan?"  Everyone in our group memorized this greeting which means; "How are you?"  However, the verb conjugation implies the personal pronoun without actually using it.  One day Javier asked our group; "Como estan?" and it was a personal revelation to me because he used that conjugation which I realized implied us all as a group.  Also, understanding the word; "como" as meaning how, allowed me to begin to form my own question sentences.  It's difficult to verbalize what I mean here, but it was one of those moments when the light bulb switched on for me and I know how important it is to have as many of these moments as possible to learn a new language.  I will find out what my students' personal interests are and exploit them as vocabulary building blocks!  During one of our teaching experiences I worked with a second grader who was obviously way behind his peers in many ways.  He did not know the body part words in his own language much less in English.  However, that boy loved soccer (they say football) and as I tapped into his interest in that sport, I was able to get him to understand and say the word; "foot" very easily.  It's these small things that personalize words in ways that make it easier to remember and learn.
     As a student learning a new language I began to gain more empathy for my ELL students (which of course was the goal of the program). There were times when I was sick or just simply worn out and I really struggled learning Spanish on those days.  Also, at moments my brain simply could not make the adjustment needed to acquire the new vocabulary.  During these times where I "hit the wall" I was a poor learner.  I feel very fortunate to have worked with my first Spanish teacher; Pilar as she was very attuned to her students and often times in the later afternoon would adapt her methods of instruction to include games using materials that she had made herself.  I really appreciated this because we were able to relax a little and at the same time keep learning Spanish.  This is another "tool" I will add to my own teaching as it was so very effective. Thanks again, Pilar !

Remember, you are not helping when you feed the squirrel!