Clases de Español
After a full week of Spanish classes for four hours a day, my concerns that learning a new language would be difficult were confirmed. While in class, I can write things down and see examples. The teacher slows down while speaking or explains in English. Outside of the classroom, it is much more difficult to understand and communicate. People speak very fast and I don’t have time to think, Hmmm… what is that verb? What tense are they speaking in? Who are they talking about? My teacher’s name is Henry. He is very patient with our jumbled Spanish and our questions. He helps us practice verbs by using games such as Jinga, Scrabble, and memory. These have really helped me remember the meanings of many different words. Drawing a picture of the meanings or something that reminds me of the word is also very helpful. Some of my classmates taught me a song to help remember how to say all the body parts in Spanish. Games, drawings, and songs are just some strategies that I can use in my classroom to help my future students that are English Language Learners. 
Escuela
We visited a local school this week in Heredia. We read books to some students, in both Spanish and English. They all seemed to really enjoy the readings and just spending time with us. In every classroom that we visited, every single student was extremely respectful. They were giving us eye contact and listening very closely to our sometimes jumbled Spanish. Instruction in the school is usually whole group, the teacher stands at the front and the students listen. There are no tables or floor space for small group instruction. Since our lessons were meant for small groups, we helped the students move their desks to make room for us to sit in groups on the floor. Every child was beyond excited about working in groups. I don’t think they normally get this much attention.
Even though I had a well planned lesson and all my materials ready, the lesson was very difficult to teach. As I began to explain, I realized that the students know very little English; and of course, I know very little Spanish, so right away there was a huge language barrier. Using hand gestures and the words that I did know helped the students understand.
The library of a preschool in La Carpio
Mi Familia Tica
My family was wonderful. I spent a lot of time with my Mama Tica and my hermana Tica. The brothers owned a restaurant and were gone early in the morning and came home late at night. The daughter was 22 years old and didn’t know English. She told me she wanted to learn, so I bought her an English practice book and I helped her go through it. We worked on counting, colors, body parts, etc. It was interesting to see the things she struggled with. Just like I have difficulties pronouncing my “r” in Spanish, she had a lot of trouble with the “th” sound. I also taught her songs to remember things such as the days of the week and the body parts. She loved it, but she may have thought I was a little crazy! My Familia Tica was extremely welcoming the entire first week and they made sure that I was comfortable. I will miss my family from Heredia, but I am looking forward to meeting my new family in Monteverde!
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