Fall 2016, 1st place prize winner

Blog Post 1

A buzz in my pocket lets me know that Maria has responded to my text. I had sent her a message asking when she wanted to meet this week. I sent the text in English. Pulling my phone out I see she has responded 'Martes y Jueves de 1 a 2.' That's fine, I think to myself. I send her one more text in English, and the next comes back in English as well, and good English. I sigh in relief thinking, well maybe she speaks at a pretty good level. That would be nice.

As I walk into Hallett Hall to meet Maria, I wave and introduce myself. The first thing she says to me is, "No hablo ingles." Strange, as I think back to the well worded English text message she sent me. I quickly say, "That's okay, we'll change that!" As we continue on with the lesson, it becomes clear to me that she really is struggling with basic words and concepts. It's okay though, because she is eager to learn and that is the most important thing in learning a new language. But as a teacher, I have to learn how to answer her questions, and that is tricky.

It's easy to forget as English speakers that there are rules that govern our language. We don't think about them when we are talking because they are already internalized. Teaching English relies on being able to explain English, and that's something much easier said than done. I ask Maria to read the instructions to an exercise. She gets stuck on the word "Listen", and I tell her that it is pronounced 'lɪsən.' She asks why we don't pronounce the 't'. What answer can you give to that? It's something we do in English. We don't pronounce all of the letters that we use.

We keep on with the lesson, reviewing some topics and discovering others. Half way through she looks at me and says in Spanish, "I was with a friend when you texted me the first time. I didn't know what you wrote, so I asked my friend what you said and they helped me write back." So that's it, I think to myself. That's where the English suddenly came from. I laugh a second and then tell her, "I went on an exchange a few years ago. My professor texted me in Spanish and asked me how everything was going. I handed the phone to a Spanish speaking friend and asked her to respond for me." We both laugh and laugh because we've both done the same thing. If I have any hopes for the rest of the semester, its that we continue to laugh at ourselves and with each other and figure out the whole English thing along the way.

Blog post 2

When you think of the typical teacher student relationship, you would normally assume that it is the student doing the learning. This is largely true, though it does come with some exception. As I continue my English lessons with Maria each week, I learn more and more about who she is. I know that she has five children and nine grandchildren. I know that she watches the news and drinks chamomile before she goes to bed. I know that her husband also works here at CU, and that she loves to cook and go to the mountains on weekends. She has a beautiful life, and one that is not limited by the fact that she does not speak English fluently.

Often I find that there are certain stereotypes and ideologies that surround immigration, specifically in regards to the type of life that immigrants have. Many people believe that immigrants need to assimilate entirely (including language acquisition) to live a good life here, but I have learned very quickly that this is not the case. Maria has lived here for sixteen years and could very well continue the rest of her life without learning English. She works hard, and when she goes home she enjoys the time with her family. She lives a good life, language aside.

This is what I find so important about Maria. Learning English for Maria isn't about living a better life for herself, but about being able to reach out to people. Her goal for the semester was to be able to talk to the students that she sees on a regular basis, to be able to respond to them when they greet and thank her. Maria's choice to learn English is not one that arose out of any necessity, but out of a desire to communicate with people she normally could not. She is getting better and better at English by the day. We now talk pretty easily between the two of us and I can see that English is not so nerve wracking as it once was. We talk a lot about her family, and about her life, and I've realized that as the class goes on, she is teaching me just as much as I am teaching her.

Blog Post 3

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the Holidays, I would like to write this blog post in the style of a thank you note. Thanks for humoring me.

Dear Literacy Practicum,

It is difficult to fathom how you came and went so quickly. I think back to the beginning of the semester, when I was first introduced to you, and it seems like yesterday. But even still, it is undeniable that the time has passed, and that the time we have left together is shorter still.

So I wish to express my gratitude to you, for granting me an opportunity that will not soon be forgotten. Thank you for the laughs, shared between me and Maria. As she expressed to me, laughing together was a therapeutic break from both of our days, and I am grateful for it.

Thank you for challenging my ideas about language, fluency, immigration, and acculturation. Although I was sent to teach English, Maria taught me a great deal about her life, her reasons for coming here, and her desire to learn English. Classes at the university are meant to challenge our beliefs and our misconceptions, and you certainly did that for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to build a relationship with someone who is outside of my social circle. The differences which I once perceived as being great now seem quite small. In having a relationship with Maria, I have found that I treat all CU employees with greater kindness and understanding than I ever could have before.

Finally, I want to thank you for the chance to use language, one of my passions, to help another person. While I understand that teaching English is no great act of charity, I do believe that Maria is a stronger English student now than she was before, and I think she is proud of herself for that. If I was able to inspire any self confidence in Maria about speaking English, I would be happy knowing that she is better off now than when we began.

It has been a wonderful semester spent with you, and I will remember it well.

With Gratitude,

Laura Peterson