Park Elementary
On our two very short excursions to Park Elementary, we were partnered with bilingual students ranging between the first and fifth grade. To prepare for this adventure we spent a dubious amount of time in class practicing our conversational and leadership abilities. After refreshing ourselves on basic conversational skills, we wrote down some common phrases on note cards that we could use in case we drew a blank within conversation. We then proceeded to select our partners from a list with their name, grade level, and a short description. The final preparatory measure was to select and practice reading Spanish books, which we would later read with our partner. We had to make sure that the books weren't too advanced for our abilities and not too basic for our partner’s. Logistically, on the day of the field trip, we would arrive at Park right as the kids finished lunch. We would then meet up and go to classes with them, ending the day by reading our books with them.
I was nervous nervous because I wanted to make a good impression on Luis, my partner, but I didn't really know how to best relate to him considering I didn't know a lot about him. When I first met Luis, it was a little awkward because he’s rather quiet and withdrawn. I had to keep the conversation moving by myself because every question I’d ask, he’d answer with a quiet mumble and nothing else. However, after spending the entire afternoon with him, a unique bond was formed. Although we weren't connected by age or interests (I like reading while he likes BMX bikes), we did have a connection for our love of board games. By the end of the first day, I felt that he looked up to me as an older kid who’s fun to hang with. When I returned for the second day, it was a lot less awkward. I was greeted with a smile, and we instantly skipped all of the cumbersome formalities. When beginning this project, I thought that bilingual children in schools aren't treated any differently than monolingual kids. Even though we say that they aren't treated any differently, they are. Not always in a bad way, but there is a division created by knowing more than one language when in elementary school. The bilingual children seemed stifled because they may have a good grasp of Spanish and can read at the middle school level, but can barely read in English, or visa versa. Because of this, they often have a challenging time fully expressing themselves with peers. Some are well adjusted while others are barely keeping up. Personally, this experience didn't affect me as a language learner. I saw how these children interacted with their peers in school. However, elementary school is a whole different dichotomy than high school, or even the real world. Younger people interact differently than adults and teenagers, so it was challenging to relate to their experience. I did enjoy being able to interact with younger children and teach them a few things in English. (My partner and I learned how to spell and use the word “occasional.”) If I were to return, I would like to be able to sit down with them one on one in a classroom and be able to teach a specific lesson about English or any other subject that they need help with. And in return, they could teach us a lesson in Spanish. This refinement may be challenging but would yield greater impact on me as a language learner. In summary, even though I didn't learn any new Spanish through this excursion, I deeply enjoyed this experience. I took pleasure in being able to interact with younger children and being a responsible role model. I was told when I arrived that my partner rarely ever smiles and is always quiet and detached. However, he was smiling the whole time I was around him. He even laughed a few times and joined in with all of the group activities. Being able to make a meaningful impact on others is all that I need to feel fulfilled. Therefore, I deeply enjoyed this experience and am disappointed that I don’t have enough time left in the year to go back. |