15 February 2012
Once again, my kids were working away at their pen pal letters to the United States.
I'm still getting loads of questions from the kids...
My favorite--albeit the most infuriating--question has been: "Cuando mandas estas cartas a Inglaterra..." (When you send these letters to England...). I stop that question with a wave of my hand and a "First of all, these letters (finger wag) AREN'T going to (point to the map of England) England. I'm AMERICAN and they are going (point to the map of the United States) my home in the United States..." Then, I answer the rest of their question.
I'm just hoping that by the end of the year the kids really understand that England and the United States are not the same country.
Clearly, I have a long way to go since I saw that a few of the kids have drawn the English flag on their letters.
We've also had our fair share of comic moments.
Today while writing our pen pal letters, I was correcting a 3rd grader's letters when I realized that he had written his last name wrong.
He had written Juan García Greenfield*. He had accidentally wrote
my last name as his second last name.
So I asked him, "Juan, are we
related?"
He looked really confused and said, "No somos parientes." (We're not related)
Me: "You wrote Greenfield as
your second last name."
He looked down at his paper, clapped his hand to his forehead, and said, "Dios mio." (Oh my God!)
Poor guy. He was so embarrassed by his mistake!
In any other class, he would have corrected the mistake and moved on, but everyone started teasing him. It was whispered one student to another until everyone in the class had heard about Juan's mistake.
*I've changed the name of the student in order to protect his identity.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sweetland: I did it!
14 February 2012
As I've talked about in a few of my previous blog posts, my students are continuing with the Sweetland role play activity. Last week, they chose a character and got to know one another. Once we established our characters, I created a conflict by telling the kids that one of them was responsible for eating the Apple Palace and Gingerbread Houses. This week, they have to convince me (the judge) that they did it.
I'll share with you all their general arguments, and then a few of my favorite quotes from the discussion.
Pilot:
He argued that he was responsible because he is crazy and hates the queen. He ate the Apple Palace because he dislikes her and wants to leave her without a home. He argued that the witch couldn't have done it because she was so often defeated by the firefighter.
Firefighter:
He seemed to be a little confused about which side he was arguing for. He said that he puts out fires and helps with the Sweetland crops. He argued that the witch isn't environmentally-friendly. He said that it was old and contaminates the air such that the people can't go out into the street.
Witch:
She argued that she did it because she is crazy, powerful, and hates people. Also, she has potions in order to do bad things.
Quotes:
As I've talked about in a few of my previous blog posts, my students are continuing with the Sweetland role play activity. Last week, they chose a character and got to know one another. Once we established our characters, I created a conflict by telling the kids that one of them was responsible for eating the Apple Palace and Gingerbread Houses. This week, they have to convince me (the judge) that they did it.
I'll share with you all their general arguments, and then a few of my favorite quotes from the discussion.
Pilot:
He argued that he was responsible because he is crazy and hates the queen. He ate the Apple Palace because he dislikes her and wants to leave her without a home. He argued that the witch couldn't have done it because she was so often defeated by the firefighter.
Firefighter:
He seemed to be a little confused about which side he was arguing for. He said that he puts out fires and helps with the Sweetland crops. He argued that the witch isn't environmentally-friendly. He said that it was old and contaminates the air such that the people can't go out into the street.
Witch:
She argued that she did it because she is crazy, powerful, and hates people. Also, she has potions in order to do bad things.
Quotes:
- "You fall into the Jello Pool and you cry like a baby."
- "You're truck has got a motor and can contaminate." She was arguing that his truck wasn't as environmentally-friendly as her broom.
- "Gas is made of orange juice candy. It doesn't contaminate." His reply to her accusation.
- "Firefighter make the witch angry, and the witch is bad."
Conversations about Language
13 February 2012
Once again, I met up with two of the preschool teachers for an intercambio (language exchange). This week, we went to eat at a tapas restaurant near the school.
We ate croquetas (not as good as mine!), a paté that also had cooked apples, and ensalada rusa (potato salad).
For dessert, we had a vulcán de chocolate which was sort of a chocolate brownie filled with hot chocolate with a side of ice cream. YUM!
This week, we talked a lot about language, and the way that it is taught in schools in the United States and in Spain. I had to admit to the teachers that language education in the United States is not nearly as big as in Spain.
Typically, students in the United States start learning a language in high school--though some start in middle school. However, it is a rare school that offers a language in elementary school.
I went to college in a community that had Spanish/English immersion programs in each of the schools in the district. Nevertheless, I wouldn't say that this is typical in the United States--mostly because people see other languages as a threat to "American" culture and the English language. I think there is also a deeply ingrained idea--harkening back to periods of high immigration--that people need to change to conform to the idea of what it means to be American rather than the other way around.
My teachers were shocked to find this out--as have many of the Spaniards I've talked to about the subject. They see the United States--as the beckon of democracy--as a place where people would be more open-minded than that.
The opposite attitude is taken here in Spain. In the Community of Valencia, students start Spanish, Valencian, and English in primary school--with the expectation that they should be fairly fluent by the time that they graduate. This is true across Spain. In Communities where another regional language is present (such as Galicia and Catalunya), the regional language is taught alongside Spanish.
In addition to this conversation, I learned a few of the following phrases:
Que no nos dejes tiradas--don't bail on us.
Es un rollo--It's a disaster or mess.
Picture of the Day:
Once again, I met up with two of the preschool teachers for an intercambio (language exchange). This week, we went to eat at a tapas restaurant near the school.
We ate croquetas (not as good as mine!), a paté that also had cooked apples, and ensalada rusa (potato salad).
For dessert, we had a vulcán de chocolate which was sort of a chocolate brownie filled with hot chocolate with a side of ice cream. YUM!
This week, we talked a lot about language, and the way that it is taught in schools in the United States and in Spain. I had to admit to the teachers that language education in the United States is not nearly as big as in Spain.
Typically, students in the United States start learning a language in high school--though some start in middle school. However, it is a rare school that offers a language in elementary school.
I went to college in a community that had Spanish/English immersion programs in each of the schools in the district. Nevertheless, I wouldn't say that this is typical in the United States--mostly because people see other languages as a threat to "American" culture and the English language. I think there is also a deeply ingrained idea--harkening back to periods of high immigration--that people need to change to conform to the idea of what it means to be American rather than the other way around.
My teachers were shocked to find this out--as have many of the Spaniards I've talked to about the subject. They see the United States--as the beckon of democracy--as a place where people would be more open-minded than that.
The opposite attitude is taken here in Spain. In the Community of Valencia, students start Spanish, Valencian, and English in primary school--with the expectation that they should be fairly fluent by the time that they graduate. This is true across Spain. In Communities where another regional language is present (such as Galicia and Catalunya), the regional language is taught alongside Spanish.
In addition to this conversation, I learned a few of the following phrases:
Que no nos dejes tiradas--don't bail on us.
Es un rollo--It's a disaster or mess.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Castillo de Santa Bárbara |
Spanish Cooking: Tapas Edition
12 February 2012
For Christmas, I gave one of my roommates a tapas (Spanish appetizers) cookbook. We've been waiting for a weekend in which we weren't crazy busy in order to try out some of the recipes.
Today we made two different tapas: croquetas de jamón (ham croquets) and delicias de Elx.
First, we made croquetas de jamón. Our first step was to make the pasta that goes into the croquetas. This is made over the stove using butter, flour, and milk until a nice mass is formed. Then, you add the ham!
Next, the pasta has to be put in the fridge to cool for several hours. While we waited, my roommate and I started making the breadcrumbs for the second part of the recipe. We took fresh bread that we bought at the supermarket and broke it into small pieces.
It was time to fry the croquetas! First, you make a small ball of pasta, roll it in the breadcrumbs, dip it in the whisked egg, and roll it in the breadcrumbs again. Then, you put the croqueta into olive oil to fry! Wait until the croqueta is nice and crispy and brown, and it's ready to serve!
Here is the delicious final product!
Some time soon, my roommate and I hope to make other tapas recipes--such as albóndigas (meatballs), and empanadas.
For Christmas, I gave one of my roommates a tapas (Spanish appetizers) cookbook. We've been waiting for a weekend in which we weren't crazy busy in order to try out some of the recipes.
Today we made two different tapas: croquetas de jamón (ham croquets) and delicias de Elx.
First, we made croquetas de jamón. Our first step was to make the pasta that goes into the croquetas. This is made over the stove using butter, flour, and milk until a nice mass is formed. Then, you add the ham!
It was time to fry the croquetas! First, you make a small ball of pasta, roll it in the breadcrumbs, dip it in the whisked egg, and roll it in the breadcrumbs again. Then, you put the croqueta into olive oil to fry! Wait until the croqueta is nice and crispy and brown, and it's ready to serve!
The second recipe we made was a variation on a tapas specialty in Alicante (province) called delicias de Elx. Elx is the Valencian name for the city of Elche--located near Alicante.
Delicias de Elx are traditionally composed of just dates wrapped with bacon--which creates a nice sweet/salty combination. However, our recipe also called for the dates and bacon to be wrapped in dough.
Garzón Conviction--An American Perspective
I won't profess to be an expert on the Garzón case that I wrote about in my blog yesterday. However, I have spent some time delving into various sources for information on the case--American, British, and of course, Spanish.
What has struck me as interesting is the way in which the story is being presented by foreign media. I feel that the story is becoming oversimplified and painting Garzón as an innocent victim. This may or may not be true, but most of the foreign media articles are missing a piece of the puzzle.
Yesterday, in the New York Times, there was a scathing article demanding that Spain acquit Garzón. The writer says:
"Judge Garzón is undeniably flamboyant and at times overreaches, but prosecuting him for digging into Franco-era crimes is an offense against justice and history. The Spanish Supreme Court never should have accepted this case. Now it must acquit him."
You can read the whole article here.
Before explaining the issue that I don't feel is being addressed here, I'd like to give some context for those of you not as familiar with the Spanish Civil War and Franco's dictatorship.
In the last 150 years, Spain has seen it's fair share of turmoil. Since the late 19th century through the 20th century, Spain has seen various forms of government--two republics, the monarchy, two dictators, and one democracy.
In 1977, as Spain transitioned from a dictatorship to a democracy, action was taken in order to help foster the fledgling democracy. This action came in the form of amnesty for all crimes committed during this period. In order to move forward, no one could start pointing fingers and judging others because both sides committed their fair share of atrocities. In Spain, this is often referred to as the pacto de olvido--the pact of forgetting.
You can argue whether or not forgetting was the best course of action--especially now as Spaniards are working through the consequences of this era. I, personally, find it difficult to judge either way.
I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the subject of the portrayal of trauma in Latin American theater. Part of my research suggested that unless you deal with trauma, you open yourself up to the repetition of said trauma. For example, something might remind you of the initial trauma, and you once again realize the trauma you've been through. It becomes a cycle.
At the same time, I can't argue that there is any neat way to begin a democracy after so much blood was shed by both sides. The new government couldn't openly favor one side over the other--which would have been a sure way to kill the new democracy.
That is part of the issue at the center of the Garzón trial.
The New York Times article argues that Garzón cannot be convicted because human rights abuses are not subject to amnesty laws and can be tried at any time.
However, the other issue in the Garzón trial is the type of cases he chose to hear. The attorneys argue that Garzón has not treated all victims of franquismo equally. In 1998, Garzón refused to hear a case about the murders in Paracuellos. However, when a similar case (investigating pro-Franco crimes) was brought to him, he heard it.
This is the issue that many of the American papers I have read lack, and I think it's important to see that this case isn't black and white. There is more to the issue than that.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Garzón Convicted
10 February 2012
I write my last blog post of the (school) week without mentioning the topic of conversation at school: Garzón's trial.
But before I talk about such a serious topic, I want to share two of the phrases I learned during my language exchange today. These are children's phrases sort of like: "Quack, Quack. Seat Back." "Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers." "Criss Cross Applesauce."
I learned the following phrases in Spanish:
Quien se fue a Sevilla perdió su silla. He who goes to Sevilla (a city in Spain) loses his chair.
Santa Rita Rita Rita lo que se da no se quita. Saint Rita Rita Rita what you give you can't take away.
Now, on to a more serious topic.
This week, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled in favor of suspension of one of Spain's most famous judges.
Allegedly, while investigating a case of financial corruption, Garzón ordered wiretaps on several suspects who were in jail so that he could hear what was being said between the suspects and their attorneys. As you can imagine, the attorneys argued that this violated client-attorney privacy privilege.
Garzón has been convicted for this charge and will be suspended for 11 years.
However, there are other cases being brought against him.
One of which is a human rights case--involving investigations into human rights abuses under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
According to the Amnesty Law of 1977, crimes committed by both sides were forgiven. However, in 2008, Garzón decided to investigate anyway.
Garzón said in his defense:
"Mi conciencia está tranquila porque tomé las decisiones que creía ajustadas a derecho, investigar, perseguir y sancionar los crímenes masivos de desapariciones forzadas y detenciones ilegales (..) como única defensa que las instituciones creo que deben a las víctimas para que no se produzca el olvido y la falta de memoria."
My conscience is calm because I made decisions that I believed were right in investigating, persecuting, and sanctioning the crimes of the forced disappearances and illegal arrests (...) the only defense that the institutions owe the victims so that they aren't forgotten.
However, attorneys argue that Garzón has not treated all victims of franquismo equally. In 1998, Garzón refused to hear a case about the murders in Paracuellos. However, when a similar case (investigating pro-Franco crimes) was brought to him, he heard it.
One lawyer, Ruiz Infante said:
"¿Se quiere sostener que los hechos ocurridos en Paracuellos no son desapariciones forzosas y sí los del bando contrario? ¿Que los enterrados en unas fosas pueden acogerse al derecho internacional y los de las otras no?"
You want to argue that what happened in Paracuellos isn't forced disappearances but what happened to the other side is? That the buried in some graves can have recourse with international law and others can't?
The verdict on this second charge will probably be debated for a couple weeks.
I write my last blog post of the (school) week without mentioning the topic of conversation at school: Garzón's trial.
But before I talk about such a serious topic, I want to share two of the phrases I learned during my language exchange today. These are children's phrases sort of like: "Quack, Quack. Seat Back." "Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers." "Criss Cross Applesauce."
I learned the following phrases in Spanish:
Quien se fue a Sevilla perdió su silla. He who goes to Sevilla (a city in Spain) loses his chair.
Santa Rita Rita Rita lo que se da no se quita. Saint Rita Rita Rita what you give you can't take away.
Now, on to a more serious topic.
This week, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled in favor of suspension of one of Spain's most famous judges.
Allegedly, while investigating a case of financial corruption, Garzón ordered wiretaps on several suspects who were in jail so that he could hear what was being said between the suspects and their attorneys. As you can imagine, the attorneys argued that this violated client-attorney privacy privilege.
Garzón has been convicted for this charge and will be suspended for 11 years.
However, there are other cases being brought against him.
One of which is a human rights case--involving investigations into human rights abuses under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
According to the Amnesty Law of 1977, crimes committed by both sides were forgiven. However, in 2008, Garzón decided to investigate anyway.
Garzón said in his defense:
"Mi conciencia está tranquila porque tomé las decisiones que creía ajustadas a derecho, investigar, perseguir y sancionar los crímenes masivos de desapariciones forzadas y detenciones ilegales (..) como única defensa que las instituciones creo que deben a las víctimas para que no se produzca el olvido y la falta de memoria."
My conscience is calm because I made decisions that I believed were right in investigating, persecuting, and sanctioning the crimes of the forced disappearances and illegal arrests (...) the only defense that the institutions owe the victims so that they aren't forgotten.
However, attorneys argue that Garzón has not treated all victims of franquismo equally. In 1998, Garzón refused to hear a case about the murders in Paracuellos. However, when a similar case (investigating pro-Franco crimes) was brought to him, he heard it.
One lawyer, Ruiz Infante said:
"¿Se quiere sostener que los hechos ocurridos en Paracuellos no son desapariciones forzosas y sí los del bando contrario? ¿Que los enterrados en unas fosas pueden acogerse al derecho internacional y los de las otras no?"
You want to argue that what happened in Paracuellos isn't forced disappearances but what happened to the other side is? That the buried in some graves can have recourse with international law and others can't?
The verdict on this second charge will probably be debated for a couple weeks.
Sweetland Role Play
9 February 2012
I continued the role playing activity from last week. If you haven't read the post, I'll give you a quick recap. In order to motivate my kids to speak more English, we invented an English town named Sweetland. We wrote a description of it, drew a map, made rules, and chose characters--mostly in English.
Today, I set the scene for the role play.
It's their first day in Sweetland and they don't know anyone. So they need to talk to other students and find out who they are and what they're like.
I was worried that I was going to need to give them a lot of guidance. However, once they got started, they really went with it!
They asked each other about their hobbies. The witch said that she does bad things. The pilot said that he fights superheroes. The firefighter tries to stop the witch.
They got into a HUGE argument (IN ENGLISH!!!) about the last part.
Firefighter: I stop the potions of the witch. No more magic.
Witch: I go to other town in sweet truck and magic return.
Firefighter: I go too and stop you.
Witch: My cat eats your sweet truck.
Firefighter: No! I rob your truck.
Later, the pilot asked me how to say "socio" in English. "Socio" means business partner, but I gave them the word "sidekick."
Pilot: Do you want to be my sidekick?
Witch: I don't know. I need to think about it.
When the conversation started to wane a little, I decided to create some sort of conflict. I told them that one of them ate the Apple Palace and the Gingerbread Houses. Oh no!
I HAD planned on them having to defend themselves and say why they DIDN'T do it. However, before I could say anything, they all tried to claim credit for it!
So I had them all write a short summary of the reasons why they did it. Next week, they will share these reasons and later debate.
Picture of the Day:
I continued the role playing activity from last week. If you haven't read the post, I'll give you a quick recap. In order to motivate my kids to speak more English, we invented an English town named Sweetland. We wrote a description of it, drew a map, made rules, and chose characters--mostly in English.
Today, I set the scene for the role play.
It's their first day in Sweetland and they don't know anyone. So they need to talk to other students and find out who they are and what they're like.
I was worried that I was going to need to give them a lot of guidance. However, once they got started, they really went with it!
They asked each other about their hobbies. The witch said that she does bad things. The pilot said that he fights superheroes. The firefighter tries to stop the witch.
They got into a HUGE argument (IN ENGLISH!!!) about the last part.
Firefighter: I stop the potions of the witch. No more magic.
Witch: I go to other town in sweet truck and magic return.
Firefighter: I go too and stop you.
Witch: My cat eats your sweet truck.
Firefighter: No! I rob your truck.
Later, the pilot asked me how to say "socio" in English. "Socio" means business partner, but I gave them the word "sidekick."
Pilot: Do you want to be my sidekick?
Witch: I don't know. I need to think about it.
When the conversation started to wane a little, I decided to create some sort of conflict. I told them that one of them ate the Apple Palace and the Gingerbread Houses. Oh no!
I HAD planned on them having to defend themselves and say why they DIDN'T do it. However, before I could say anything, they all tried to claim credit for it!
So I had them all write a short summary of the reasons why they did it. Next week, they will share these reasons and later debate.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Granada, Spain |
1st grade learning
8 February 2012
I know that I complain about 1st grade a lot, but they really are some of the most impressive language learners at the school.
In 1st grade, they aren't embarrassed to speak in English and don't care if they make mistakes. My 6th graders can say a lot more substantial things than 1st grade, but they are inhibited by their fear that they will make a mistake.
First graders also pick up on vocabulary much faster than my other classes. Today, one of my 1st grade classes was taking a test--just to see how they are doing. One student asked me for help. I told him that since it was a test I couldn't help him.
I said, "Try. Try your best."
He said, "Qué significa?" What does it mean?
Me: "Intentar. Haz lo mejor que puedas."
Later, another student asked me for help, and the boy I helped earlier went up to her and very seriously and nodding his head reassuringly said, "Try. Try."
It was completely adorable.
Another student asked me, "Cómo se dice 'Espera.' en inglés?"
I told him "espera" means "wait" in English.
He turned to the student next to him and putting out his hand gently said, "Wait."
Some days I can't get over how cute these kids are when they speak English. Even though I've student Second Language Acquisition theory and I know that it's easier because they are so young, it's unbelievable how much they learn just from hearing me speak to them.
Picture of the Day:
I know that I complain about 1st grade a lot, but they really are some of the most impressive language learners at the school.
In 1st grade, they aren't embarrassed to speak in English and don't care if they make mistakes. My 6th graders can say a lot more substantial things than 1st grade, but they are inhibited by their fear that they will make a mistake.
First graders also pick up on vocabulary much faster than my other classes. Today, one of my 1st grade classes was taking a test--just to see how they are doing. One student asked me for help. I told him that since it was a test I couldn't help him.
I said, "Try. Try your best."
He said, "Qué significa?" What does it mean?
Me: "Intentar. Haz lo mejor que puedas."
Later, another student asked me for help, and the boy I helped earlier went up to her and very seriously and nodding his head reassuringly said, "Try. Try."
It was completely adorable.
Another student asked me, "Cómo se dice 'Espera.' en inglés?"
I told him "espera" means "wait" in English.
He turned to the student next to him and putting out his hand gently said, "Wait."
Some days I can't get over how cute these kids are when they speak English. Even though I've student Second Language Acquisition theory and I know that it's easier because they are so young, it's unbelievable how much they learn just from hearing me speak to them.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Granada, Spain |
5th Grade Pen Pals
7 February 2012
Today, I started the pen pal project with my 5th grade students. I have to say that I was extremely impressed and proud of the letters that they are writing!
With each class, I have shown them an example to show them more or less what I expect of them. I've allowed them to use this letter as a reference, but I've told them they can't copy the letter. Up until this point, most students are basically copying the letter but putting their own information in.
I expected this, but I've encouraged them to be creative. I've told them that if they have questions about the US (what kids eat, what they do in school, what they watch on TV, etc.) they should ask these questions in their letter.
I know that they have questions because they ask me questions ALL the time. When I read my example letter, the first question out of everyone's mouth was why I only have one last name. Then, they wanted to know if it was my father's last name or my mother's.
As I've written about earlier, Spanish people have more than one last name. Traditionally, each child gets two last names--one from his/her father and the other from his/her mother. Typically, the first last name comes from the father. For example, Federico García Lorca (though his official name is Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca) was the son of Federico García Rodríguez and Vincenta Lorca Romero. His first last name García comes from his father, and his second last name Lorca comes from his mother.
However, legally, the government can no longer dictate the order because of the gender equality law.
As I stopped to correct students' letters, I saw that a lot of them were thinking outside of the box and writing about the things that interested them. For example, one girl was writing about her family and wrote that one of her parents is Spanish but that her other parent is from another country in Europe. This is really creative considering that the kids mostly use very formulaic phrases.
A few students asked me, "How to do you say 'Voy a cumplir...?' in English?" Even though they won't learn this grammatical structure for a while, I taught them the basic form "I'm going to be..." All of them were really excited to be able to share that they will be 11 in X month.
I still haven't seen most of 6th grade's letters, but I'm hoping I'll be just as impressed.
Picture of the Day:
Today, I started the pen pal project with my 5th grade students. I have to say that I was extremely impressed and proud of the letters that they are writing!
With each class, I have shown them an example to show them more or less what I expect of them. I've allowed them to use this letter as a reference, but I've told them they can't copy the letter. Up until this point, most students are basically copying the letter but putting their own information in.
I expected this, but I've encouraged them to be creative. I've told them that if they have questions about the US (what kids eat, what they do in school, what they watch on TV, etc.) they should ask these questions in their letter.
I know that they have questions because they ask me questions ALL the time. When I read my example letter, the first question out of everyone's mouth was why I only have one last name. Then, they wanted to know if it was my father's last name or my mother's.
As I've written about earlier, Spanish people have more than one last name. Traditionally, each child gets two last names--one from his/her father and the other from his/her mother. Typically, the first last name comes from the father. For example, Federico García Lorca (though his official name is Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca) was the son of Federico García Rodríguez and Vincenta Lorca Romero. His first last name García comes from his father, and his second last name Lorca comes from his mother.
However, legally, the government can no longer dictate the order because of the gender equality law.
As I stopped to correct students' letters, I saw that a lot of them were thinking outside of the box and writing about the things that interested them. For example, one girl was writing about her family and wrote that one of her parents is Spanish but that her other parent is from another country in Europe. This is really creative considering that the kids mostly use very formulaic phrases.
A few students asked me, "How to do you say 'Voy a cumplir...?' in English?" Even though they won't learn this grammatical structure for a while, I taught them the basic form "I'm going to be..." All of them were really excited to be able to share that they will be 11 in X month.
I still haven't seen most of 6th grade's letters, but I'm hoping I'll be just as impressed.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Granada, Spain |
Children's books and Intercambio
6 February 2012
Today I once again met up with two of the preschool teachers for our intercambio (language exchange). We ended up going over to one teacher's house for spaghetti.
In addition to our language exchange, we've also started a book exchange! Last week, one of the teachers asked me if I would recommend a children's book in English for her to read. I happened to have Six Snowy Sheep in my bag because I had read a modified version of it to my 1st graders, and I lent it to her.
I know that exchanging children's books seems like a silly way to improve your English or Spanish, but it's actually amazing the type of vocabulary in these books. For example, Six Snowy Sheep has words like "feat," "snug," and "daring." Preschoolers don't know what these words mean. They just like the rhymes and rhythm of the story.
Plus, there is a lot that gets lost in translation because not every language makes distinctions between different words. While reading Six Snowy Sheep, the teacher struggled with the words "wool" and "fleece." In Spanish, they mean the same thing--so I tried to explain the subtle difference.
Today, I gave her the classic book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Indian Paintbrush by Tomie de Paola.
In turn, the teacher loaned me Elmer--which is actually an English book about an elephant who different from all the other elephants, but I learned plenty of vocabulary from the Spanish version.
I learned:
manada--herd. It specifically is used for elephants, wolves, lions and people (as in a crowd of people).
sigilosamente--stealthily. I find this word really ironic. For a word that means stealthily, it's awfully hard to say in a stealthy way.
arbusto--bush or shrub. There are plenty of these in Alicante and I've been referring to them as arbolitos (little trees) since I didn't know the word.
baya--berry. However, I don't think it's a commonly used word for berry--at least here. I think that mora is used more.
racimos--bunches. As in, he grabbed bunches or clusters of berries.
patidifusos--flabbergasted. This was definitely my favorite word! Los elephantes quedaron patidifusos.
Since my level of Spanish is higher than their level of English (and I don't have any adult English books except those on my Kindle), she also lent me another book called Perdona si te llamo amor by Federico Moccia. It's translated as well, but I'll learn a ton of words from it.
Picture of the Day:
Today I once again met up with two of the preschool teachers for our intercambio (language exchange). We ended up going over to one teacher's house for spaghetti.
In addition to our language exchange, we've also started a book exchange! Last week, one of the teachers asked me if I would recommend a children's book in English for her to read. I happened to have Six Snowy Sheep in my bag because I had read a modified version of it to my 1st graders, and I lent it to her.
I know that exchanging children's books seems like a silly way to improve your English or Spanish, but it's actually amazing the type of vocabulary in these books. For example, Six Snowy Sheep has words like "feat," "snug," and "daring." Preschoolers don't know what these words mean. They just like the rhymes and rhythm of the story.
Plus, there is a lot that gets lost in translation because not every language makes distinctions between different words. While reading Six Snowy Sheep, the teacher struggled with the words "wool" and "fleece." In Spanish, they mean the same thing--so I tried to explain the subtle difference.
Today, I gave her the classic book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Indian Paintbrush by Tomie de Paola.
In turn, the teacher loaned me Elmer--which is actually an English book about an elephant who different from all the other elephants, but I learned plenty of vocabulary from the Spanish version.
I learned:
manada--herd. It specifically is used for elephants, wolves, lions and people (as in a crowd of people).
sigilosamente--stealthily. I find this word really ironic. For a word that means stealthily, it's awfully hard to say in a stealthy way.
arbusto--bush or shrub. There are plenty of these in Alicante and I've been referring to them as arbolitos (little trees) since I didn't know the word.
baya--berry. However, I don't think it's a commonly used word for berry--at least here. I think that mora is used more.
racimos--bunches. As in, he grabbed bunches or clusters of berries.
patidifusos--flabbergasted. This was definitely my favorite word! Los elephantes quedaron patidifusos.
Since my level of Spanish is higher than their level of English (and I don't have any adult English books except those on my Kindle), she also lent me another book called Perdona si te llamo amor by Federico Moccia. It's translated as well, but I'll learn a ton of words from it.
Picture of the Day:
A little bit of America...
5 February 2012
As I've mentioned before, one of the oddest aspects of living on the coast of Spain is that there is such a noticeable English-speaking influence. Granted, this is not true everywhere in Spain. But there have been a few occasions in which I could almost forget that I'm in Spain.
I've already written about some of these places--starting with Benidorm. The city of Benidorm (you can read about my visit here) has a small British ghetto. A couple weeks ago, I visited Jávea--which has several British supermarkets. The coast is well-known for being the place where British expats go to retire.
It is, however, much less common to see American places--probably because fewer Americans come to Alicante.
So when the opportunity arose to eat at an American-themed restaurant, I knew that I had to check it out--just to see how American culture (and food) would be interpreted.
Peggy Sue's is a 50s themed American restaurant. There are actually several located all over Spain. They have the typical green and pink decor from a 50s diner along with jukeboxes at each table (except ours).
We ended up ordering chicken fingers--mostly because we had read that the burgers were terrible. I've heard that Spanish burgers aren't the same as they are in the US. You can't get real 100% beef. Burgers are usually a combination of beef and pork--so they don't taste the way they should (or we think they should).
The chicken fingers actually weren't as bad as you might expect. They were actually made of real chicken--which isn't always true in the US. However, the chicken was cut into such small pieces it ended up being mostly fried parts instead of chicken.
At this point in the meal, my friend and were giving the restaurant pretty terrible ratings. The decor received a 7 or 8 (out of 10) since it was pretty faithful to what a 50s diner should be. However, the food was getting a 3. I made fried chicken in my apartment in December and I assure you that it was better than what was served to us. Lastly, the service was mediocre so we gave it a 5. My friend asked them if they could make a milkshake out of one of the ice creams that they offer as a dessert, and they said that they couldn't. I understand that they might not know what to charge her for it since it's not on the menu. However, I've worked at an ice cream shop for 3 summers so I know that it would have been super easy to make.
Nevertheless, what really redeemed this place was the dessert. Cherry Mania ice cream! Most places in Alicante serve gelato instead of ice cream so it was nice to get the flavor of real ice cream.
The Verdict: this place isn't some place to go to eat, but it might be nice for a merienda or snack. They had a number of options for dessert/snack that looked like it would be good--such as cinnamon rolls, brownies, cheesecake, the ice cream, etc...
As I've mentioned before, one of the oddest aspects of living on the coast of Spain is that there is such a noticeable English-speaking influence. Granted, this is not true everywhere in Spain. But there have been a few occasions in which I could almost forget that I'm in Spain.
I've already written about some of these places--starting with Benidorm. The city of Benidorm (you can read about my visit here) has a small British ghetto. A couple weeks ago, I visited Jávea--which has several British supermarkets. The coast is well-known for being the place where British expats go to retire.
It is, however, much less common to see American places--probably because fewer Americans come to Alicante.
So when the opportunity arose to eat at an American-themed restaurant, I knew that I had to check it out--just to see how American culture (and food) would be interpreted.
Peggy Sue's is a 50s themed American restaurant. There are actually several located all over Spain. They have the typical green and pink decor from a 50s diner along with jukeboxes at each table (except ours).
 |
| It was nice to see American condiments on the table. Here it's much more common to just see olive oil and vinegar. |
The restaurant serves anything stereotypically American--hamburgers, chicken fingers, pink lemonade, milkshakes, cinnamon rolls, brownies, etc.
At this point in the meal, my friend and were giving the restaurant pretty terrible ratings. The decor received a 7 or 8 (out of 10) since it was pretty faithful to what a 50s diner should be. However, the food was getting a 3. I made fried chicken in my apartment in December and I assure you that it was better than what was served to us. Lastly, the service was mediocre so we gave it a 5. My friend asked them if they could make a milkshake out of one of the ice creams that they offer as a dessert, and they said that they couldn't. I understand that they might not know what to charge her for it since it's not on the menu. However, I've worked at an ice cream shop for 3 summers so I know that it would have been super easy to make.
Nevertheless, what really redeemed this place was the dessert. Cherry Mania ice cream! Most places in Alicante serve gelato instead of ice cream so it was nice to get the flavor of real ice cream.
The Verdict: this place isn't some place to go to eat, but it might be nice for a merienda or snack. They had a number of options for dessert/snack that looked like it would be good--such as cinnamon rolls, brownies, cheesecake, the ice cream, etc...
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Baby, it's cold outside.
4 February 2012
It's finally happened. It's actually chilly here in Alicante.
This week, a polar front has been running its course through Europe--leaving no country unaffected. Eastern Europe--Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Serbia--has been most impacted by this weather with a number of people dying of hypothermia. In Kiev, temperatures have dropped to -17 degrees Fahrenheit.
While Spain hasn't gotten that cold, many areas have received snow due to the polar air. In fact, one of the highways going between Sierra Nevada and Granada was actually closed because of snow.
In Alicante, it hasn't been that bad--speaking as someone who has experienced plenty of cold, snowy Midwest winters. The lows have been around freezing, and the highs around 45-50 degrees.
I can't really complain.
We had an unseasonably hot January--with a number days when it was between 70-75 degrees. I saw a number of people out swimming at the beach. I would have taken advantage of the beach time if I hadn't caught a cold.
It just somehow seems wrong for Alicante to get chilly.
On that thought, I'm going to leave you with a picture of a gorgeous, warm day in Alicante.
Picture of the Day:
It's finally happened. It's actually chilly here in Alicante.
This week, a polar front has been running its course through Europe--leaving no country unaffected. Eastern Europe--Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Serbia--has been most impacted by this weather with a number of people dying of hypothermia. In Kiev, temperatures have dropped to -17 degrees Fahrenheit.
While Spain hasn't gotten that cold, many areas have received snow due to the polar air. In fact, one of the highways going between Sierra Nevada and Granada was actually closed because of snow.
In Alicante, it hasn't been that bad--speaking as someone who has experienced plenty of cold, snowy Midwest winters. The lows have been around freezing, and the highs around 45-50 degrees.
I can't really complain.
We had an unseasonably hot January--with a number days when it was between 70-75 degrees. I saw a number of people out swimming at the beach. I would have taken advantage of the beach time if I hadn't caught a cold.
It just somehow seems wrong for Alicante to get chilly.
On that thought, I'm going to leave you with a picture of a gorgeous, warm day in Alicante.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Playa de San Juan |
Friday Language Exchange
3 February 2012
As has now become our custom, two of the preschool teachers and I met after school to practice my Spanish and their English.
This week, I brought homemade chocolate chip cookies that I made the previous day with my roommate. Since I bought vanilla extract in Jávea, I finally felt like I could do chocolate chip cookies justice... sort of.
They didn't end up turning out exactly the way that I wanted them to. This could have been due to a number of factors--starting with the brown sugar. The brown sugar I bought wasn't exactly like brown sugar in the States. The composition seemed different. I couldn't pack it down to measure it. Instead, the brown sugar was more like sugar that just happened to be darker.
As always, the oven could have been an issue. It burned the edges of one batch of cookies.
However, the teachers loved "los cookies"--in spite of these issues. I learned that chocolate chip cookies here can be called just "los cookies."
This week I learned some of the following words:
blando/a--this means soft. As in the best kind of cookies are the soft kind.
cateta/o--redneck or hick.
As has now become our custom, two of the preschool teachers and I met after school to practice my Spanish and their English.
This week, I brought homemade chocolate chip cookies that I made the previous day with my roommate. Since I bought vanilla extract in Jávea, I finally felt like I could do chocolate chip cookies justice... sort of.
They didn't end up turning out exactly the way that I wanted them to. This could have been due to a number of factors--starting with the brown sugar. The brown sugar I bought wasn't exactly like brown sugar in the States. The composition seemed different. I couldn't pack it down to measure it. Instead, the brown sugar was more like sugar that just happened to be darker.
As always, the oven could have been an issue. It burned the edges of one batch of cookies.
However, the teachers loved "los cookies"--in spite of these issues. I learned that chocolate chip cookies here can be called just "los cookies."
This week I learned some of the following words:
blando/a--this means soft. As in the best kind of cookies are the soft kind.
cateta/o--redneck or hick.
Sweetland: Part II
2 February 2012
The saga with our imaginary English town, Sweetland, continued today.
At the end of last class, I had each student write a description of their character--what the person was like, where he/she lives, what he or she does, etc. I was hoping that this would help them "get to know" their character so that they could better assume the role later.
Here are two examples:
One of the girls was a witch. She told us that the witch is green, and she's got a black cat. She also has a broom that she flies at night. She lives in the desert of desserts. She's mean and does bad things.
Another student was a pilot. He flies a sweet airplane. He lives in Healthy House with his sweet bird. He's clever (yes, my kids know the word clever!) and (a little) crazy. He doesn't like superheroes. And my favorite... He's 45 years old. Ancient by kid standards.
After we wrote our descriptions, we had to make up some rules for Sweetland. There were definitely some weird ones. But here are a couple examples:
The saga with our imaginary English town, Sweetland, continued today.
At the end of last class, I had each student write a description of their character--what the person was like, where he/she lives, what he or she does, etc. I was hoping that this would help them "get to know" their character so that they could better assume the role later.
Here are two examples:
One of the girls was a witch. She told us that the witch is green, and she's got a black cat. She also has a broom that she flies at night. She lives in the desert of desserts. She's mean and does bad things.
Another student was a pilot. He flies a sweet airplane. He lives in Healthy House with his sweet bird. He's clever (yes, my kids know the word clever!) and (a little) crazy. He doesn't like superheroes. And my favorite... He's 45 years old. Ancient by kid standards.
After we wrote our descriptions, we had to make up some rules for Sweetland. There were definitely some weird ones. But here are a couple examples:
- Sweetlanders can't throw wrappers on the ground.
- Sweetlanders can't enter the houses of other people.
- The witch can enter the houses. (She's the exception to the rule.)
- It's possible to eat the gingerbread houses. (I asked the kids about this one a couple times just to make sure this was what they wanted.)
- Sweetlanders give the pilot 3 sweets every day.
Next week, my kids will actually start the role play. I'm going to start by having them introduce themselves and give them the opportunity to ask each other questions. Then, a mystery will evolve. One of them will have eaten the Apple Palace and the Gingerbread Houses, and we'll have to figure out who did it!
Picture of the Day:
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Alhambra in Granada, Spain |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Pen Pals!
1 February 2012
I've been waiting all year for this moment.... The day in which we start writing to our pen pals in the United States!
One of the issues I've encountered at school is that there are a lot of kids who don't want to study English. I can't exactly blame them... English is HARD--especially when you are in elementary school. They'd rather be hanging out with their friends on the playground.
Other kids don't really understand why they are learning another language. The concept of other countries and languages is still a little (pardon the pun) foreign to them. These kids think that I'm from Spain--albeit a Spaniard who speaks Spanish a little funny.
This is mostly developmental. Developmental psychologist, Jean Piaget, would say that when they are a little older they will be more cognitively aware of the world outside of themselves. I've seen how this transition has occurred with my own sister. The first time I went to Spain, I'm not sure that she really understood that I was going to a foreign country where they speak another language and have a different culture. Now, she asks me all sorts of questions about Spain, what people are like here, etc.
Since I arrived in Spain, I've wanted to have my students send pen pal letters to the United States. Writing letters to REAL students in the United States gives English a real use. They aren't just studying and completing exercises in order to get good grades in school. They are using English in order to communicate with other kids--to ask questions, to share information, etc.
I'm hoping that when this year is finished my students will have developed a friendship with their pen pals in the United States and that they feel more motivated to learn English.
Today, my 6th grade classes and one of my 3rd grade classes started their letters.
I've had A LOT of different questions and reactions!
The most common being: "Are you REALLY going to send our letters to the United States?"
I'm not sure if they think I'm joking with them? And they have to write these letters, but I'm going to throw them away. That's actually pretty sad.
Or, do they think that I'm going to hand-write responses to each and every one of them?
The second most common question was: "Are they going to respond in Spanish?"
Unfortunately, I had to explain to them that most students in elementary school in the United States don't learn another language. I reminded them that they are so very smart! They know (or are learning) three languages: Spanish, Valencian, and English! They should have no problem writing these letters!
Students have also asked:
I've been waiting all year for this moment.... The day in which we start writing to our pen pals in the United States!
One of the issues I've encountered at school is that there are a lot of kids who don't want to study English. I can't exactly blame them... English is HARD--especially when you are in elementary school. They'd rather be hanging out with their friends on the playground.
Other kids don't really understand why they are learning another language. The concept of other countries and languages is still a little (pardon the pun) foreign to them. These kids think that I'm from Spain--albeit a Spaniard who speaks Spanish a little funny.
This is mostly developmental. Developmental psychologist, Jean Piaget, would say that when they are a little older they will be more cognitively aware of the world outside of themselves. I've seen how this transition has occurred with my own sister. The first time I went to Spain, I'm not sure that she really understood that I was going to a foreign country where they speak another language and have a different culture. Now, she asks me all sorts of questions about Spain, what people are like here, etc.
Since I arrived in Spain, I've wanted to have my students send pen pal letters to the United States. Writing letters to REAL students in the United States gives English a real use. They aren't just studying and completing exercises in order to get good grades in school. They are using English in order to communicate with other kids--to ask questions, to share information, etc.
I'm hoping that when this year is finished my students will have developed a friendship with their pen pals in the United States and that they feel more motivated to learn English.
Today, my 6th grade classes and one of my 3rd grade classes started their letters.
I've had A LOT of different questions and reactions!
The most common being: "Are you REALLY going to send our letters to the United States?"
I'm not sure if they think I'm joking with them? And they have to write these letters, but I'm going to throw them away. That's actually pretty sad.
Or, do they think that I'm going to hand-write responses to each and every one of them?
The second most common question was: "Are they going to respond in Spanish?"
Unfortunately, I had to explain to them that most students in elementary school in the United States don't learn another language. I reminded them that they are so very smart! They know (or are learning) three languages: Spanish, Valencian, and English! They should have no problem writing these letters!
Students have also asked:
- "What if they can't read our handwriting?"
- "Why do we have to be the first to write?"
- "How long will it take to get to the United States?"
- "Can we send a picture?"
- "And they are going to write letters back to us?"
Picture of the Day:
 |
| My favorite place in the world: Granada, Spain |
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sweetland
31 Jan 2012
Last week, I started an ambitious project with a group of 5th graders. As part of this project, these 5th graders would create their own town--giving it a name, making up rules, and acting as members of the town. However, they would have to do it all in English.
Last Thursday, we began phase one of this project. Students brainstormed a list of possible names. We had everything from Donkeytown to Sweetland. Sweetland was originally Candyland, but some of the students thought it sounded to similar to another student's name. After an intense vote, it came down to Sweetland.
As part of phase two, students had to describe the town. I discovered that:
Next, we began to make a list of the people who live in Sweetland. It was quite extensive so I'll just summarize a little.
Last week, I started an ambitious project with a group of 5th graders. As part of this project, these 5th graders would create their own town--giving it a name, making up rules, and acting as members of the town. However, they would have to do it all in English.
Last Thursday, we began phase one of this project. Students brainstormed a list of possible names. We had everything from Donkeytown to Sweetland. Sweetland was originally Candyland, but some of the students thought it sounded to similar to another student's name. After an intense vote, it came down to Sweetland.
As part of phase two, students had to describe the town. I discovered that:
- Sweetland has crops made out of sweets.
- All the furniture is made out of sweets.
- There is an apple palace.
- One of the students wanted to live in Healthy House.
- There is a Desert of Desserts.
- The houses in Sweetland are made of gingerbread.
- The pool is made of jello.
- etc...
This week, we started by drawing a map of Sweetland. Students had to tell me (in English) where these things were located--to the left or to the right; next to or near; etc.
Here is what they created:
Next, we began to make a list of the people who live in Sweetland. It was quite extensive so I'll just summarize a little.
- 3 teachers
- 17 children
- 1 king
- 1 witch
- 1 superhero named Super Sweet
- 3 pilots
- 1 firefighter
- 7 students
- 3 lifeguards
Each student had to pick one person to be their character. Then, they started their descriptions. We'll finish up our descriptions next week, and then they'll assume their role.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Midyear Reports
29 Jan 2012
As part of our Fulbright experience, we are required to fill out a midyear report--so that Fulbright can see how our projects are going, but also so that we can reflect on our experiences so far. In filling out this report, I realized how much progress I ACTUALLY have made.
The first part of the report asks about our primary goals for our projects. I'll admit I had to actually LOOK at my project proposal in order to remember precisely what my goals were. I wrote those goals over a year ago when I submitted my application. These goals have changed some since I received my placement, and I discovered what would be possible in Alicante.
There were two parts to my primary goal. First, I wanted to become a better teacher--through practice and collaboration with another teacher (in this case two teachers).
If you've been following my blog, you know that I've learned a ton about teaching since I arrived in Spain. I've studied educational theory and methods for teaching languages. These theories are helpful guides for figuring out how to organize a class, but they don't take into account the actual practice of being in a classroom with 25 noisy 1st graders.
My host teachers have given me a lot of leeway in trying new activities. I'm also getting advice for ways in which I can improve an activity or my approach.
Second, I wanted to use what I've learned about Spain and its culture in a Spanish classroom in the United States.
This will mostly be a goal I fulfill later in my career as a Spanish teacher. However, I feel that there have been other ways in which I have been sharing what I've learned about Spanish culture--namely this blog and a pen pal project.
Next week, my students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade will start writing pen pal letters to the United States. I'll write more on this later! I'm hoping that I will be able to establish a connection between the Spanish and American schools such that they will be able to write letters next year even though I won't be here.
Picture of the Day:
Barcelona, Spain!
As part of our Fulbright experience, we are required to fill out a midyear report--so that Fulbright can see how our projects are going, but also so that we can reflect on our experiences so far. In filling out this report, I realized how much progress I ACTUALLY have made.
The first part of the report asks about our primary goals for our projects. I'll admit I had to actually LOOK at my project proposal in order to remember precisely what my goals were. I wrote those goals over a year ago when I submitted my application. These goals have changed some since I received my placement, and I discovered what would be possible in Alicante.
There were two parts to my primary goal. First, I wanted to become a better teacher--through practice and collaboration with another teacher (in this case two teachers).
If you've been following my blog, you know that I've learned a ton about teaching since I arrived in Spain. I've studied educational theory and methods for teaching languages. These theories are helpful guides for figuring out how to organize a class, but they don't take into account the actual practice of being in a classroom with 25 noisy 1st graders.
My host teachers have given me a lot of leeway in trying new activities. I'm also getting advice for ways in which I can improve an activity or my approach.
Second, I wanted to use what I've learned about Spain and its culture in a Spanish classroom in the United States.
This will mostly be a goal I fulfill later in my career as a Spanish teacher. However, I feel that there have been other ways in which I have been sharing what I've learned about Spanish culture--namely this blog and a pen pal project.
Next week, my students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade will start writing pen pal letters to the United States. I'll write more on this later! I'm hoping that I will be able to establish a connection between the Spanish and American schools such that they will be able to write letters next year even though I won't be here.
Picture of the Day:
Barcelona, Spain!
MARQ: La Vila Joiosa
28 Jan 2012
As many of you have read, I absolutely love the archaeological museum in Alicante (called the MARQ)! It fills my inner nerd with joy!
When I heard that from December to February there was going to be a special exhibit, I knew that I had to check it out.
The exhibit--entitled La Vila Joiosa--brought together a collection of artifacts from Villajoyosa owned by the MARQ and the museum in Villajoyosa.
Villajoyosa (or Vila Joiosa in Valencian) is a town of around 30,000 people located northeast of Alicante. It is thought that the town was first settled at the end of the Bronze Age.
Historically, it has been a center for trade along the eastern coast of Spain. First the Phoenicians and later the Greeks came here to trade goods. For this reason, there are a number of artifacts in this collection that wouldn't otherwise be there--a new year canteen from Egypt, a black, decorated pot from Greece, an Etruscan strainer, etc.
Why would the Phoenicians and Greeks come to Spain? They came because Spain had an abundance of metals--such as gold, silver, and copper. Though Spain had these metals, the Phoenicians and Greeks taught them how to use them. For example, the Phoenicians showed them how to work with iron, and the Greeks taught them different pottery designs.
Later, the Romans settled in Vila Joiosa--though it was likely called Allon in this moment. The Roman villas in Vila Joiosa had some amazing mosaics. The Romans spared no expense in the construction of their villas.
This part of the exhibit had some interesting pieces. The first of which was a grave stone. According to our tour guide, Romans buried their dead along the side of streets. In the place where they were buried, a stone would be placed--typically, with the person's name and age. It was believed that if their name was not on that stone they would be stuck in a sort of limbo.
Today, Villajoyosa is best know for its celebration of Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) the 24th-31st of June. Apparently, it celebrates the Christian victory over pirates attacking Villajoyosa. Each year, people come from all over to reenact the pirates storming the beaches and their defeat by the villagers.
Picture of the Day:
Artifacts from the province of Alicante. Photos taken in the Archaeology Museum in Murcia.
As many of you have read, I absolutely love the archaeological museum in Alicante (called the MARQ)! It fills my inner nerd with joy!
When I heard that from December to February there was going to be a special exhibit, I knew that I had to check it out.
The exhibit--entitled La Vila Joiosa--brought together a collection of artifacts from Villajoyosa owned by the MARQ and the museum in Villajoyosa.
Villajoyosa (or Vila Joiosa in Valencian) is a town of around 30,000 people located northeast of Alicante. It is thought that the town was first settled at the end of the Bronze Age.
Historically, it has been a center for trade along the eastern coast of Spain. First the Phoenicians and later the Greeks came here to trade goods. For this reason, there are a number of artifacts in this collection that wouldn't otherwise be there--a new year canteen from Egypt, a black, decorated pot from Greece, an Etruscan strainer, etc.
Why would the Phoenicians and Greeks come to Spain? They came because Spain had an abundance of metals--such as gold, silver, and copper. Though Spain had these metals, the Phoenicians and Greeks taught them how to use them. For example, the Phoenicians showed them how to work with iron, and the Greeks taught them different pottery designs.
Later, the Romans settled in Vila Joiosa--though it was likely called Allon in this moment. The Roman villas in Vila Joiosa had some amazing mosaics. The Romans spared no expense in the construction of their villas.
This part of the exhibit had some interesting pieces. The first of which was a grave stone. According to our tour guide, Romans buried their dead along the side of streets. In the place where they were buried, a stone would be placed--typically, with the person's name and age. It was believed that if their name was not on that stone they would be stuck in a sort of limbo.
Today, Villajoyosa is best know for its celebration of Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) the 24th-31st of June. Apparently, it celebrates the Christian victory over pirates attacking Villajoyosa. Each year, people come from all over to reenact the pirates storming the beaches and their defeat by the villagers.
Picture of the Day:
Artifacts from the province of Alicante. Photos taken in the Archaeology Museum in Murcia.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Intercambio. The saga continues...
27 Jan 2012
After school, I had my second intercambio (language exchange) with two of the teachers from preschool.
We met at a cafetería near the school and talked for nearly 2.5 hours! We spoke about 1.5 in Spanish and an hour in English.
I learned a TON! They taught me some vulgar phrases--which are too inappropriate for this blog.
I also learned some words that will allow me to sound more natural. Apparently, there are some things that I say that are technically correct but sound a little weird.
Here's a taste of what I learned:
antecedentes penales--background check. I know it sounds strange that we talked about this, but I was explaining the visa process--which requires a FBI background check.
tardar--instead of saying "toma tiempo" (it takes time), it's better to say tarda tiempo.
aparentar--to seem; it can be used to say "You don't seem that old."
cometer errores--it's better to say this phrase instead of "hacer errores"
poner las pilas--literally "put in batteries." It means to inspire. As in, after speaking in English, I feel inspired to study.
Picture of the Day:
After school, I had my second intercambio (language exchange) with two of the teachers from preschool.
We met at a cafetería near the school and talked for nearly 2.5 hours! We spoke about 1.5 in Spanish and an hour in English.
I learned a TON! They taught me some vulgar phrases--which are too inappropriate for this blog.
I also learned some words that will allow me to sound more natural. Apparently, there are some things that I say that are technically correct but sound a little weird.
Here's a taste of what I learned:
antecedentes penales--background check. I know it sounds strange that we talked about this, but I was explaining the visa process--which requires a FBI background check.
tardar--instead of saying "toma tiempo" (it takes time), it's better to say tarda tiempo.
aparentar--to seem; it can be used to say "You don't seem that old."
cometer errores--it's better to say this phrase instead of "hacer errores"
poner las pilas--literally "put in batteries." It means to inspire. As in, after speaking in English, I feel inspired to study.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| Bilbao, Spain on a gray, misty morning. |
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Learning new words: English Edition
26 Jan 2012
I didn't realize when I came to Spain that in addition to working on my Spanish I would also be learning more English.
While Americans and British people both speak English, there are a number of differences in vocabulary--some of which may cause unfortunate misunderstandings.
Classical differences would be:
British: rubber American: eraser
British: teddy American: teddy bear
British: trousers American: pants
British: pants American: underwear
British: trainers American: tennis shoes
Today, I learned a new ENGLISH word.
My second graders are learning about clothes. So the teacher was having students describe what other students were wearing. I heard the teacher say that one of the boys was wearing a "jumper" which caused me to do a double-take.
In the United States, a "jumper" is another word for a dress. It typically has no sleeves and is worn over another shirt. Usually, it's kind of frumpy.
Obviously, this boy was not wearing an American jumper. So I tried to figure out what the teacher was pointing at--his sweater or his polo. After she pointed out that a number of students were wearing jumpers, I realized that a jumper was a sweater.
Next, I was confronted with the use of the word "jersey."
In my experience, a jersey is worn as part of a sports uniform.
Today, I learned that in England it can refer to a sweater or another top (made of cotton or wool) that doesn't have an opening at the front.
Picture of the Day:
I didn't realize when I came to Spain that in addition to working on my Spanish I would also be learning more English.
While Americans and British people both speak English, there are a number of differences in vocabulary--some of which may cause unfortunate misunderstandings.
Classical differences would be:
British: rubber American: eraser
British: teddy American: teddy bear
British: trousers American: pants
British: pants American: underwear
British: trainers American: tennis shoes
Today, I learned a new ENGLISH word.
My second graders are learning about clothes. So the teacher was having students describe what other students were wearing. I heard the teacher say that one of the boys was wearing a "jumper" which caused me to do a double-take.
In the United States, a "jumper" is another word for a dress. It typically has no sleeves and is worn over another shirt. Usually, it's kind of frumpy.
Obviously, this boy was not wearing an American jumper. So I tried to figure out what the teacher was pointing at--his sweater or his polo. After she pointed out that a number of students were wearing jumpers, I realized that a jumper was a sweater.
Next, I was confronted with the use of the word "jersey."
In my experience, a jersey is worn as part of a sports uniform.
Today, I learned that in England it can refer to a sweater or another top (made of cotton or wool) that doesn't have an opening at the front.
Picture of the Day:
 |
| In Elche (Elx in Valencian), city of palm trees! |
Build your own castle!
25 Jan 2012
Based on my experience so far in Spain, students don't get a lot of opportunities to get up and move during classroom activities. The first time that I asked my students to stand up and talk to another person was quite the experience. Some of the students leaned over as far as they could without leaving their spot!
When planning communicative activities, I like to have the students moving around and talking to a variety of people. They work a lot with the person next to them, and I think it's good for them to hear other students speak English
Thankfully, my host teachers allow me to do this type of activities--even when it involves a little (or sometimes a LOT) of chaos. I'm sure it drives them crazy sometimes, but I think the kids enjoy the activities which makes them want to speak English all the more.
This week, in order to practice "there is/there are" students had to create their own castle.
First, they wrote (at least) three sentences about their castle and what it contains. I was hoping that they would use some of the vocabulary from the unit but also be creative. And, any castle builder knows that a moat is essential--so I taught them this word as well as the word "crocodile."
My sentences were:
In my castle, there is a moat with a crocodile.
There are gardens behind the castle.
There are two bookshops in my castle.
There is a ticket office next to the door.
Next, they drew their castles--which took a lot longer than I thought it would. Though I should have known they would spend forever drawing them...
Then, I told them that they had to find their favorite castle, but it couldn't be their own. They had to ask their classmates about their castles and find out who's was the most similar. For example, "Has your castle got a moat with crocodiles?"
I was really impressed with the result. They ended up using a lot of English and got a lot of good practice!
Picture of the Day:
Based on my experience so far in Spain, students don't get a lot of opportunities to get up and move during classroom activities. The first time that I asked my students to stand up and talk to another person was quite the experience. Some of the students leaned over as far as they could without leaving their spot!
When planning communicative activities, I like to have the students moving around and talking to a variety of people. They work a lot with the person next to them, and I think it's good for them to hear other students speak English
Thankfully, my host teachers allow me to do this type of activities--even when it involves a little (or sometimes a LOT) of chaos. I'm sure it drives them crazy sometimes, but I think the kids enjoy the activities which makes them want to speak English all the more.
This week, in order to practice "there is/there are" students had to create their own castle.
First, they wrote (at least) three sentences about their castle and what it contains. I was hoping that they would use some of the vocabulary from the unit but also be creative. And, any castle builder knows that a moat is essential--so I taught them this word as well as the word "crocodile."
My sentences were:
In my castle, there is a moat with a crocodile.
There are gardens behind the castle.
There are two bookshops in my castle.
There is a ticket office next to the door.
Next, they drew their castles--which took a lot longer than I thought it would. Though I should have known they would spend forever drawing them...
Then, I told them that they had to find their favorite castle, but it couldn't be their own. They had to ask their classmates about their castles and find out who's was the most similar. For example, "Has your castle got a moat with crocodiles?"
I was really impressed with the result. They ended up using a lot of English and got a lot of good practice!
Picture of the Day:
 |
| The beach at La Albufereta--near my school. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)