My friend Deidre is teaching Spanish for our weekly co-op this semester. The work she's put into preparing the class is astonishing. She, of course, insists it's not so much more than I did for my history class last semester: "A lot of it is the nature of the class," she explained. "A language is so structured and you have to include so much..." "No," I replied. "A lot of it is the nature of the person."
Among the preparations, she asked parents to sit down with the students and complete a few questions. Here are Addie's results:
1. What Spanish name do you choose for the class? Gabriela, because it's closest to an angel's name.
2. What are two reasons for learning a foreign language?
a. If we went to Spain and were abandoned by somebody, we could speak the language instead of making up signs.
b. If a Spanish person was abandoned by somebody, then I could speak their language and bring them home and you could house them on the air mattress instead of sending them to the Bugget Motel*.
(*It's actually "Budget Motel" but the D light has been out for months.)
3. What do you know of the Spanish people and culture? The Mexicans attacked the Alamo! They killed all the men there.
4. What is one thing you want to learn? How to say "yes" so I won't have to make up a sign.
At least, Deige, you've got a good idea of the vast, empty plain that is Addie's knowledge of Spanish. Good luck.
-- SJ
Thursday, January 08, 2009
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3 comments:
Oh, poor Addie, why this fear of abandonment? I'll take you in Addie, if your parents ever abandon you in a Spanish speaking country. I would say...
"Hola Addie. ?Dónde están sus padres? ?Que te dejó?? No problema, tu puedes venir a casa y vivir con nosotros, nos encantaría contar con tu!"
"Hi Addie. Where are your parents? They left you? No problem, you can come to our house and live with us, we'd love to have you!"
:-)
Oh, and to the scores of bloggers that read this blog... I'd like to brag that I am preemptively invited to Addie's wedding, that is she tells me, as long as I'm still alive. But I've been assured that if I'm not, she'll choose a Church with a roof that I can look through.
It's a good thing Addie isn't my kid because I'd never get anything done... I'd always be stopping what I was doing to write down all the witty and funny things she says.
I think Addie has excellent reasons for wanting to learn Spanish! If I was abandoned in Spain, all I could sign is 'cat', 'dog' and 'please'. (Thank you Daphne!) I do not think those signs would help me very much in Spain.
Also, currently after many years of Spanish classes(I'll never tell how many) the best thing I can say is: "?Como se dice _____________ en espanol?" Which is "How do you say ____________ in Spanish?" The hispanic students at our school are thrilled when I ask them how to say a word in Spanish. My secret is I can never remember how to say the words, so my vocabulary hasn't increased!
I am sure Addie will do wonderfully! I am looking forward to asking her..." How do you say ___________ in Spanish?!!!
Signing for "dog" and "please" would be helpful if you were hungry in an Asian country.
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