My week in Heredia coming to an end...

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! 

San Joaquin

     On Sunday we visited the Poas Volcano. We were able to walk to the top and look down over the opening of the active volcano. We arrived just before the clouds rolled in over the mountains so we had a clear view of the crater. 

      After lunch and visiting some souvenir shops, we went to Centro Panamericano de Idiomas, or CPI for orientation. CPI is a school where we will be taking Spanish classes. Following our orientation, we met our first host families. After about ten minutes with the host family and after using almost all of my Spanish skills, I realized that I had arrived at the wrong house! Another girl and I had gotten mixed up and went to each others families. It turned out to be no big deal and I was even able to explain the situation to my Mama Tica in Spanish. The people of Costa Rica are called Ticos; Mama Tica is what I call my host Mother. As our conversations went on, I noticed that I could understand most of what my Mama Tica and Hermana Tica (sister) were saying, but it was very difficult to express what I was thinking in Spanish. Neither of them spoke English so there was a lot of nodding, smiling, and, “No se” (I don’t know). I even found myself speaking English with a Spanish accent thinking they might understand! 

      I was exhausted Sunday night! After a full day of activities, trying to communicate in a new language was very difficult and extremely tiring. At times I became frustrated because I couldn’t tell my family what I wanted to say. I am just beginning to experience what it is like for English language learners in a classroom. With both a tired body and brain, I slept very well Sunday night!

    My home in San Joaquin

  Monday, we spent the day at CPI learning about schools in the area of San Joaquin and about what we would be doing with our time spent there. In the afternoon, we were split into small groups and matched with a teacher for our Spanish classes. We spent four hours learning Spanish, with a small break in between. Talk about extreme overload! A lot of what the professor was saying went right over my head. I think he could tell by my facial expressions that I did not understand, because after looking at me he would slow down and explain things again. There was a lot of new information packed into those four hours! My brain actually hurt a little at the end. Even though it is a lot to take in and it is not easy, I really want to learn the language. I am self-motivated and engaged. What about those students in the classroom that are not self motivated or engaged? Learning a new language must be much more overwhelming and frustrating for them. 

      When classes were over, we each returned to our Tico homes. It was after dark so I walked with a couple of other girls who lived nearby, according to our map. There are no street names or addresses here so finding our way home was very challenging! After about thirty or forty minutes of wandering and walking in circles, I finally found my way home safely. It was so much easier to talk to my host family after my first day of classes. I was able to both understand and speak better. After dinner, I worked on my Spanish homework or taeras at the kitchen table. My hermana tica (sister) sat down and helped me with the new words. As she helped me with Spanish, I showed her different meanings in English. It was a great bonding experience. I learned so much in one day, I can’t imagine what I will be able to do after three weeks!

Trust

     We landed safely Friday afternoon! First things first, we went to the bank to exchange our American dollars for colones. After my first experience with colones, I realized that I didn’t know nearly as much as I should about the exchange rates and values of this new currency. One thousand colones is worth about two American dollars. When we arrived, we stood in line and waited for the next available teller, just like at home. When it was my turn, I simply handed the teller my American dollars and said, “Colones por favor.” The woman counted out the Costa Rican currency and handed it back to me. Once we were on the bus, I took out my money and begin to try to count it. There were bills marked 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000. As I counted, I wondered, what if this wasn’t the right amount for the money I gave her? How would I know? How would I know how to spend this money? I had to trust that she was honest and gave me the correct amount. I would also have to trust that anyone I gave any money to would give me the correct change.

     After the bank we went to the market or “Feria”. There was a surplus of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat. I have never seen pineapples so ripe! It is currently the season for Mangos, one of my favorite fruits, and they were everywhere and selling for very low prices.

     I experienced my first earthquake as we were getting on the bus to leave town. It was very small, so there is nothing to be worried about. While riding through town I noticed every house, business, and school had gates and bars on all the windows. The narrow streets were full of large buses, cars, and motorcycles. There are no lines on the streets and as far as I could see, no speed limits. Vehicles came within inches, maybe centimeters, of each other and everyone was generous with the horn. But oddly enough, no one seemed to be angry.

     After riding on the narrow streets, extremely sharp curves, mountain sides with no railings, and at what I consider to be excessive speeds for the conditions, I learned to trust in Roy. Roy is our driver for the next three and a half weeks, and I trust that he will do an excellent job! On Saturday, we visited the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Other than on T.V and movies, I’ve never seen a real waterfall, not one this big anyway. It was amazing! To be so close to something that powerful was a really great feeling. 

 I held a live centipede!

     While touring the park, I noticed that most of the signs were in both English and Spanish. This certainly makes it easier for those that do not speak Spanish to understand. Something to think about in my own classroom would be to have things in both English and Spanish for the students and the parents; items such as forms, permission slips, labels in the room, etc., for both my English language learners and for parents that may not speak English. Another thing to think about when teaching my students about money is to have multiple examples of each bill or coins worth. Also, allow for multiple opportunities for my students to use the money, such as in a classroom store.

      Tomorrow we are going to see an active volcano! I am very excited! We also meet are first host family tomorrow evening. I am not sure what to expect but I cannot wait for the next part of my adventure!

Preparing for take off!

    "It's always better to have too much, than not enough." That has always been my motto when packing for any occasion. I wish this could be my motto for this trip. I am limited to one small carry-on bag, very, very, small, and a book bag. I never know what to wear so I usually just bring multiple options. I am getting ready to travel to Costa Rica where I will visit the rain forest, the mountains, and the beach. I am bringing options, but they are extremely limited. 

     I have been so busy with work and school this semester I have not had much time to think about my trip. Other than pictures and blogs from past trips, I'm not sure what to expect. I am going into this experience with an open mind and a positive attitude. 

     I am looking forward to meeting my host families and seeing how people in Costa Rica live. My biggest fear is the language barrier. I know some Spanish, but I don't think it is enough to communicate effectively, yet! I am excited to visit the schools in Costa Rica. I am very interested in seeing how different things are. The wild life in Costa Rica is another area of concern. My dad recently sat me down to watch a documentary on Animal Planet, "Killer Crocodiles of Costa Rica." Hopefully this will not be an issue!

     I've never done anything like this before. It doesn't really seem real yet. It's hard to believe that tomorrow I will be boarding a plane to travel to another country. I will be away from my home, family, friends, and everything familiar for twenty four days. I will keep you updated with all of my upcoming adventures! :)