28 May 2012
Since I'm going to missing a day next week (because I'll be in Morocco!), I went to school today to make it up. However, before going to my school, I stopped by an American friend's school in order to observe some of the similarities and differences between our English programs.
My friend was a Fulbrighter last year and continued working at the same school this year with the Ministerio de educación (Ministry of Education) program. She's invested a lot of time and energy into this program and I was curious to see what sorts of results she's had.
Her school's English program is rather unique in the Alicante-area. It's a English immersion program targeted at reading. However, the program starts in preschool--when the students are only 3 years old! These students are learning how to read in English before they ever learn to read in Spanish!
Furthermore, I would argue that they are learning to read even earlier than most American kids. When my sister was in kindergarten, she was learning to read simple sight words--like "cat," "the," "a," etc... However, these Spanish kids are learning to sound out some more difficult words. I think this is partially due to a difference in educational practices. In Spain, students learn to read at a younger age because reading in Spanish is straightforward. Each letter grouping only has one pronunciation--not like in English with words like "tough," "thought," "though," "through."
I had the chance to see the kids in action, and they were incredible!
The 5-year-olds were able to read books to me--even reading more difficult words like "caterpillar" and "butterfly." Their reading comprehension was also impressive.
There were a couple things that I noticed that did intrigue me--though these observations are based on just a short amount of time with the kids. First, I noticed that the kids tended to sound out everything and that they knew fewer sight words--like "the" and "a." I figure that part of this is due to the fact that their native language is still Spanish even though they are in an English immersion class. Second, the students do a lot more code-switching than my students. For example, when one student was asked if the book was too hard, she replied, "El libro era too hard." In some cases, the students use some phrases more in English than they do in Spanish, and so I heard phrases like, "Vienen de huevos like the dinosaurs."
Later, I went to the 4-year-old classroom--where I got to see how it all works. At this school, they teach the kids to read using Jolly Phonics. The English language has 42 phonemes or distinct sound combinations. With Jolly Phonics, each phoneme has a little song and gesture to help remind the kids of how to pronounce the phoneme. They use these songs/gestures to help kids sound out words.
Visiting my friend's school was an interesting contrast because my students are never taught how to read in English. This is part of the reason why even in 6th grade I hear the most appalling pronunciations like "bow-at" (boat) and "ga-may" (game).
I wish there were some way to combine these programs! I think that my students would benefit from a crash course in reading in English. I often hear from students, "Se escribe de una manera y se pronuncia de otra." (English is written one way and pronounced another). However, the real problem is that they don't view English reading and pronunciation as separate from Spanish. I've contemplated going to school one day and pronouncing everything in Spanish as if it were English in order to help them get the idea that English and Spanish reading and pronunciation are two completely different things.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Alicante: Día del alicantino de adopción
27 May 2012
Today, Alicante is celebrating día del alicantino de adopción with festivities in the Parque de Canalejas. The fiesta is meant to celebrate the diversity of the people living in Alicante, and the fact that Alicante's residents come from all parts of Spain.
El día del alicantino de adopción started at 12:30 with a parade. Later, when the festivities convened in Canalejas, there were different parts of the park dedicated to different regions in Spain--like Galicia, Castilla-Leon, Asturias, Murcia, etc.
Unfortunately, I missed the whole celebration due to some misinformation about the time and location of the event.
Instead, I went to a friend's apartment for lunch--where we enjoyed a rico Indian dish called chole saag.
Today, Alicante is celebrating día del alicantino de adopción with festivities in the Parque de Canalejas. The fiesta is meant to celebrate the diversity of the people living in Alicante, and the fact that Alicante's residents come from all parts of Spain.
El día del alicantino de adopción started at 12:30 with a parade. Later, when the festivities convened in Canalejas, there were different parts of the park dedicated to different regions in Spain--like Galicia, Castilla-Leon, Asturias, Murcia, etc.
Unfortunately, I missed the whole celebration due to some misinformation about the time and location of the event.
Instead, I went to a friend's apartment for lunch--where we enjoyed a rico Indian dish called chole saag.
Alicia en el país de las maravillas
26 May 2012
I forgot to mention that yesterday my students performed the end of the year play! They performed an abridged version of Alicia en el país de las maravillas (Alice in Wonderland). It was really quite amazing! I didn't realize how many of my students were little actors/actresses in the making!
One of the moms (or an after school theater teacher?) introduced the play in her role as a fairy, but the kids carried the rest of the show.
At the beginning of the play, some of the younger students--who played the flowers and cards--came on stage, danced, and sang a little about their role in the play. They looked so excited to be on stage in front of their classmates. One boy in particular is incredibly quiet in class. I hardly ever hear him talk. However, on stage, he couldn't stop smiling and giggling at the antics of the Mad Hatter!
The older girls did a great job in the roles of the Mad Hatter, the White Queen, the Red Queen, and Alice. The Mad Hatter was a good combination of funny, dispistada (absent-minded), and frantic movement. The Red and White Queen played the roles of two squabbling sisters perfectly. Alice was very sweet and peaceful.
The kids obviously worked really hard on the play! I'm really glad that I got the chance to see this artistic side of them!
I forgot to mention that yesterday my students performed the end of the year play! They performed an abridged version of Alicia en el país de las maravillas (Alice in Wonderland). It was really quite amazing! I didn't realize how many of my students were little actors/actresses in the making!
One of the moms (or an after school theater teacher?) introduced the play in her role as a fairy, but the kids carried the rest of the show.
At the beginning of the play, some of the younger students--who played the flowers and cards--came on stage, danced, and sang a little about their role in the play. They looked so excited to be on stage in front of their classmates. One boy in particular is incredibly quiet in class. I hardly ever hear him talk. However, on stage, he couldn't stop smiling and giggling at the antics of the Mad Hatter!
The older girls did a great job in the roles of the Mad Hatter, the White Queen, the Red Queen, and Alice. The Mad Hatter was a good combination of funny, dispistada (absent-minded), and frantic movement. The Red and White Queen played the roles of two squabbling sisters perfectly. Alice was very sweet and peaceful.
The kids obviously worked really hard on the play! I'm really glad that I got the chance to see this artistic side of them!
Bankia asks for another loan...
25 May 2012
The already troubled bank, Bankia, today asked for yet another loan from the Spanish government. Bankia said that it would need another 19 billion euros ($24 billion) more than it had originally anticipated.
This is much more than the Spanish government had expected to have to pay when they stepped in and partially nationalized Bankia earlier this month.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that Standard & Poor's (the credit rating agency) recently demoted Bankia's rating--basically giving it a junk status. Consequently, Bankia is having trouble borrowing money in order to stabilize the bank because no one wants to loan them money.
Unfortunately, now that the Spanish government has partially nationalized Bankia (and taxpayers now own 45% of shares in Bankia), the government can't let Bankia go under. The government has too much invested in the bank and the Spanish government doesn't want to appear unstable to investors or the European Union.
However, the problem with Bankia is leading many in Europe to worry if Spain can resolve the banking situation without a EU bailout.
The already troubled bank, Bankia, today asked for yet another loan from the Spanish government. Bankia said that it would need another 19 billion euros ($24 billion) more than it had originally anticipated.
This is much more than the Spanish government had expected to have to pay when they stepped in and partially nationalized Bankia earlier this month.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that Standard & Poor's (the credit rating agency) recently demoted Bankia's rating--basically giving it a junk status. Consequently, Bankia is having trouble borrowing money in order to stabilize the bank because no one wants to loan them money.
Unfortunately, now that the Spanish government has partially nationalized Bankia (and taxpayers now own 45% of shares in Bankia), the government can't let Bankia go under. The government has too much invested in the bank and the Spanish government doesn't want to appear unstable to investors or the European Union.
However, the problem with Bankia is leading many in Europe to worry if Spain can resolve the banking situation without a EU bailout.
Spanish and American games...
24 May 2012
During my intercambio (language exchange) today, we talked about games that we used to play in Physical Education class as well as on the playground. It was interesting to find out how many games we have in common and which ones are a bit different.
We started by discussing ways in which team members are chosen or who goes first. Like in the United States, more often than not a team captain is chosen for each team, and they select members for their teams.
However, what interested me more is how they choose who goes first. In the United States, we often use choosing rhymes to decide who goes first. Everyone puts one (or sometimes two) feet in, and one by one people are eliminated. We use rhymes like:
Eeney meeney miney moe,
Catch a tiger by its toe,
If he hollers let him go,
Eeney meeney miney moe
My mother told me to pick the very best one,
and you are not it.
They also use another method for choosing who goes first. Two people stand a few feet apart. They have to walk towards each other--but with every step their heels must touch their toes. The last person who can take a full step is the winner.
As in the United States, kids play games like Tag/Freeze Tag(juegos de pillar), Cops and Robbers (Policías y Ladrones), Hide and Seek (Escondite), and jumping rope (saltar la comba).
I still need to ask the girls at school what sorts of rhymes they use for jumping rope, but I promise to write about it soon!
During my intercambio (language exchange) today, we talked about games that we used to play in Physical Education class as well as on the playground. It was interesting to find out how many games we have in common and which ones are a bit different.
We started by discussing ways in which team members are chosen or who goes first. Like in the United States, more often than not a team captain is chosen for each team, and they select members for their teams.
However, what interested me more is how they choose who goes first. In the United States, we often use choosing rhymes to decide who goes first. Everyone puts one (or sometimes two) feet in, and one by one people are eliminated. We use rhymes like:
Eeney meeney miney moe,
Catch a tiger by its toe,
If he hollers let him go,
Eeney meeney miney moe
My mother told me to pick the very best one,
and you are not it.
They also use another method for choosing who goes first. Two people stand a few feet apart. They have to walk towards each other--but with every step their heels must touch their toes. The last person who can take a full step is the winner.
As in the United States, kids play games like Tag/Freeze Tag(juegos de pillar), Cops and Robbers (Policías y Ladrones), Hide and Seek (Escondite), and jumping rope (saltar la comba).
I still need to ask the girls at school what sorts of rhymes they use for jumping rope, but I promise to write about it soon!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Tapas therapy
23 May 2012
Some days, you just need to unwind after a difficult day. Today, I definitely needed some tapas therapy with my friends.
My day wasn't actually that trying until after school.
Every Wednesday, I head to a café near my school--mostly to have a little down time and to plan some lessons. There, I have my merienda (snack), and I chill out for an hour and a half watching a program called Sálvame. This show is a cross between a talk show like The View and Jerry Springer.
The show mostly focuses on celebrity news (they seem to have a particular fondness for the bullfighter Jose Ortega Cano; they haven't stopped discussing his son's relationship with a woman 15 years his senior) as well as the lives of the personalities on the show.
I have to confess that the first time I saw the show I thought it was pretty ridiculous--admittedly I still feel that way. However, it's become part of my Wednesday routine.
My troubles began after I left the café and was promptly run down by a 5-year-old on a bike. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but this kid had either terrible steering or terrible sight because he just ran into me. Afterwards, I asked him if he was alright, he nodded, and biked away without a word or apology.
On the tram ride into the city center, I was reading a book and heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot. It turned out that someone had thrown a rock at the tram. It cracked a window, but thankfully the glass didn't break and no one was hurt.
I got home to my apartment and was ready to chill for the night. Unfortunately, I walked into the kitchen and found the typical mini-disaster that someone decided to leave for me to fix. Not everyone I live with is like this, but I do live with a couple of people who don't really know what to do when there is a problem so they pretend like it never happened. It's left to the rest of us to resolve these problems or call the landlady when it's a bigger problem.
While these may not seem like big problems, after a long day at work, I felt like I was hecho polvo (beat). Hanging out with my friends and going out for tapas (Spanish appetizers) seemed like the best way to make the most of a bad night!
Some days, you just need to unwind after a difficult day. Today, I definitely needed some tapas therapy with my friends.
My day wasn't actually that trying until after school.
Every Wednesday, I head to a café near my school--mostly to have a little down time and to plan some lessons. There, I have my merienda (snack), and I chill out for an hour and a half watching a program called Sálvame. This show is a cross between a talk show like The View and Jerry Springer.
The show mostly focuses on celebrity news (they seem to have a particular fondness for the bullfighter Jose Ortega Cano; they haven't stopped discussing his son's relationship with a woman 15 years his senior) as well as the lives of the personalities on the show.
I have to confess that the first time I saw the show I thought it was pretty ridiculous--admittedly I still feel that way. However, it's become part of my Wednesday routine.
My troubles began after I left the café and was promptly run down by a 5-year-old on a bike. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but this kid had either terrible steering or terrible sight because he just ran into me. Afterwards, I asked him if he was alright, he nodded, and biked away without a word or apology.
On the tram ride into the city center, I was reading a book and heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot. It turned out that someone had thrown a rock at the tram. It cracked a window, but thankfully the glass didn't break and no one was hurt.
I got home to my apartment and was ready to chill for the night. Unfortunately, I walked into the kitchen and found the typical mini-disaster that someone decided to leave for me to fix. Not everyone I live with is like this, but I do live with a couple of people who don't really know what to do when there is a problem so they pretend like it never happened. It's left to the rest of us to resolve these problems or call the landlady when it's a bigger problem.
While these may not seem like big problems, after a long day at work, I felt like I was hecho polvo (beat). Hanging out with my friends and going out for tapas (Spanish appetizers) seemed like the best way to make the most of a bad night!
La educación no es un gasto. Es una inversión. No a los recortes!
22 May 2012
As I mentioned last week, teachers in Alicante are striking for 6 days this month in order to protest cuts being made in education. Today marked the 3rd day of said striking and it has been by far the most successful. When I arrived at school today, it was virtually deserted. The only people who were there were the teachers that had to be there to offer minimal services for the students who came to school. Neither of my host teachers came today so I used the time to finish up some projects that I'd put off.
For the first time, educators from all levels (from preschool to university) from nearly every Comunidad (Spain is divided into 17 comunidades) banded together to protest cuts being made in education.
Various forms of protest have taken place all over the country.
University and high school students in various communities staged sit-ins on their campuses. They brought sleeping bags with them and camped out overnight. In Catalunya, students were able to convince Ferrocarrils to not allow any trains to stop at the University of Barcelona until 11 AM. Of course, there were also many large protests in bigger cities such as Madrid (80,000 people), Barcelona (150,000 people), and Valencia. Alicante also held a protest against cuts being made in education.
The teaching unions estimate that an average of approximately 80% of teachers participated in today's protest. In Alicante, it's estimated that 60% of educators (55% in primary schools, 65% in secondary schools, and 50% at the university) and 80% of students are striking.
For the most part, the protests have been peaceful. However, there have been students and educators that have been detained.
It's estimated that around 7.5 million students were effected by the strike--with 6 million of those students being primary or secondary students.
As I mentioned last week, teachers in Alicante are striking for 6 days this month in order to protest cuts being made in education. Today marked the 3rd day of said striking and it has been by far the most successful. When I arrived at school today, it was virtually deserted. The only people who were there were the teachers that had to be there to offer minimal services for the students who came to school. Neither of my host teachers came today so I used the time to finish up some projects that I'd put off.
For the first time, educators from all levels (from preschool to university) from nearly every Comunidad (Spain is divided into 17 comunidades) banded together to protest cuts being made in education.
Various forms of protest have taken place all over the country.
University and high school students in various communities staged sit-ins on their campuses. They brought sleeping bags with them and camped out overnight. In Catalunya, students were able to convince Ferrocarrils to not allow any trains to stop at the University of Barcelona until 11 AM. Of course, there were also many large protests in bigger cities such as Madrid (80,000 people), Barcelona (150,000 people), and Valencia. Alicante also held a protest against cuts being made in education.
The teaching unions estimate that an average of approximately 80% of teachers participated in today's protest. In Alicante, it's estimated that 60% of educators (55% in primary schools, 65% in secondary schools, and 50% at the university) and 80% of students are striking.
For the most part, the protests have been peaceful. However, there have been students and educators that have been detained.
It's estimated that around 7.5 million students were effected by the strike--with 6 million of those students being primary or secondary students.
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