I have a lot of free time on my hands. The school day here is only from
7:30-12:30 or 8-1 so I always have my afternoons free. This is partially why I
enjoy my K'iche' class so much – something to do in the afternoons. So I read.
A lot. When I have internet I sometimes like to read the NYT's or Boston Globe's
world sections, but when this often isn't the case I have been reading books. I
am really lucky that both of the Peace Corps offices in Guatemala have a book
lending library where PCVs can take and return books. I have found a lot of
good stuff in there. I have also been downloading some kindle books to my
tablet when I can get connected to wifi. Anyway, my most recent read was David Sedaris's
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. What an entertaining read! I
thoroughly enjoyed it and finished it in about a day and a half (I told you I
have a lot of free time). I have always thought this about my Spanish, but I
thought that he put it nicely: “It was one of those times when you really
notice the difference between speaking and expressing yourself.” I feel like
this often. My Spanish level is continuing to improve and I have been able to
work with kids and get them to successfully draw a map of their school. This is
an activity that I have been doing with fifth and sixth graders in each of my schools.
However I still don't feel like I can really express myself or really be me in
Spanish. It's getting better, but I am still working on it, poco a poco.
David Sedaris is entertaining. You'll have to hear him in person Meg! I commend you for wanting to learn how to express yourself better in Spanish. Many times I've wished our employees could express themselves better; only they're speaking English. Looks like your kids did a good job with their maps. Just curious--are the girls and boys classes segregated? Kathy.
ReplyDeleteThe classes are not segregated by gender - I just put them into these groups to see if there are any differences in their maps. I.e. the girls groups sometimes add that they like the kitchen, but the boys rarely do. Or the girls sometimes add that they don't like the field to play on (usually a concrete rectangle) because the boys hog it playing soccer.
DeleteGreat observation, Meg. I think that applies to many native English speakers as well. I sometimes observe students who have not found their "voice" even though their communication itself is clear. So I suspect it goes beyond just mastering the vocabulary and grammar, whatever the language.
ReplyDeleteMeg: very well said. I think you should send a copy of this blog post to David Sedaris. You'll have to check out his other books. He is a funny guy. I love the pictures of your students with their school maps. The girls look older and more mature than the boys - I guess that's pretty true at that age no matter where you are. The girls are beautiful in their traditional clothing. Mom
ReplyDeleteMegan,
ReplyDeleteThose kids are wearing sweaters. How cold is it there in the morning?
Scott
Scott,
DeleteIt really varies on the location - it is generally chilly in my town (although it seems to rarely get below freezing at night) and very warm in the town that is a 20 minute bus ride away. But, Guatemalan women wear those sweaters almost all the time - if it is warm or cold. There is one style of sweater (like a thick cardigan) that most women and girls wear with their traditional trajes.