Coming into this trip, I knew language would be a challenge. My biggest worry was eating lunch with the family and not being able to converse because of my lack of Spanish knowledge. Until our first Spanish class, I knew around 10 words in Spanish. As I sat down that first day to eat lunch with the family, my concerns quickly became real. It was both awkward and uncomfortable, not just for me but I am sure for the family as well. The Spanish classes are definitely helping me break through these barriers, as I am able to talk more and more every day that we eat with our family. Actually, today I walked away why my head held high and I spoke the entire hour. My words may have not been correct and at times I got some pretty weird looks, but I felt so much more confident in what I was saying, because of all the Spanish practice in and out of the language institute. Even though I am progressing with the family situation, I have noticed another language barrier. While I was in the primary room yesterday, I was trying to correct a child while working on outdoor activities. We were told to speak only in English while at the school, and therefore language problems arise. Because I am learning Spanish quickly while I am here, I could be using Spanish words to get through to the students. However, I understand why Sarah only wants us to use English. In my case, if I attempt to speak in Spanish to the students, I am bound to get at least a couple words wrong. This would be teaching the students their native language incorrectly, completely reversing their language learning up to this point. Therefore, I understand why us only speaking English is vital. Also, it is very important to give them the English exposure, because this is our native language and we can speak it confidently and correctly. This trip is all about language. We are learning or practicing a whole new language and speaking to families and students who know no English. This is a great experience for me because I will definitely have students in my classroom who speak little or no English. This is teaching me how to teach students with a different native language and it is also giving me the experience of working with families who do not speak English. I know the next week will be just as rewarding!
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