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Sunday, July 25, 2010

Welcome to my blog!

I am excited to connect with the world of ESL education via this blog. Please feel free to comment and contribute.

My first experience in ESL was with Honduran children who immigrated to the United States knowing no English at all. When I was 17 years old, I spent a summer volunteering at the Latin American Center in my home town. I thought I might be needed to file paperwork, answer phones, or other administrative tasks. Was I surprised when David and Yanina were presented to me as my students!

David and Yanina, 10 and 12 years old, respectively, needed to learn English fast so they could start school in the fall. I was in my third year of learning Spanish in high school, and my only experience in teaching was observing how my Spanish teacher taught me.

Surely we would have access to course books, a blackboard and other materials, I thought. Although we had access to an attic classroom, other basics were unavailable. The Latin American Center had no formal ESL program, so we would need to make do with what we had.

On a sunny Monday in June, the kids and I climbed the stairs to the stifling hot attic. They sat at tiny desks, pencils poised, ready to learn. They seemed quite unaffected by the sticky humidity as I wiped sweat from my brow. I began the lesson as my Spanish teacher had with my class. Pointing to various objects around the room, I spoke their names in English. The children repeated after me. Soon they were able to name each object without my help. They progressed quickly, and I wondered what I would teach them the next day.

Tuesday was even hotter. After a review of Monday's lesson and an introduction to U.S. currency, I decided the stuffy attic wasn't an environment that was conducive to learning. I asked the administrator if the kids and I could walk to the neighborhood market close by. She agreed and mentioned how hot it must have been upstairs. The kids looked relieved to get out of the classroom as we slowly walked to the market.

As we walked, I taught them "please" and "thank you". We drilled pronunciation and each time they spoke, they sounded better and better. They were really trying hard. I praised them and they had the unmistakable look of quiet pride, knowing their efforts were paying off. Feeling encouraged, they asked in Spanish what else they could say.

"Hello, how are you?" They repeated the phrase in three syllables rather than five. It certainly was a mouthful for a beginning learner. I made drilling into a game as we walked. It was a phrase that needed more practice, but they were eager to learn.

We went into the neighborhood market and I had the kids each choose a cold beverage. We looked at the price, and using some change and one dollar bills, we figured out how much they needed.

Yanina, being the older sibling, decided she would go first. She approached the cashier shyly, placed her soda on the counter and waited for the man to tell her how much it cost. She handed him the money we counted. I was thrilled that the man said, "thank you", because she was able to practice, "you're welcome". She turned to me and beamed, successful in her first English interaction with a native.

David was next. As he plunked his juice on the counter, he confidently said, "Hello. How are you?" Of course the pronunciation wasn't perfect, but the cashier smiled and gave him his total. David gave the man the money and replied "you're welcome" to the man's "thank you".

We walked back to the Center sipping on our beverages. A brief lesson followed with immediate practical usage - it was a successful day.