Local Latino Immersion Experiences

The first culture projects for this fall semester are due on Friday.

Students in intermediate Spanish have been going into the community to discover businesses, churches, cultural centers, clubs, stores, restaurants, events, and homes where they can be immersed in Spanish language.

During the first visit to their cultural immersion destination, students are encouraged to ask questions that the experience raises for them, make vivid and honest observations, to note any particular things they realized they wished they knew how to say while they were there, and any cultural notes that they made while preparing to attend an event.

After attending or visiting an event or a location in the local community, students spend time in reflection.  They note anything that surprise them about their observations.  Perhaps there were words, attitudes, actions or concepts that made them wonder or feel uncomfortable or that made them feel especially at home and welcome, etc.  The idea of reflecting on the experience is to examine the language and culture up close, to get out of one's culture zone, and to prepare for deeper observation at the next opportunity.

In an online discussion forum, students share their reports (en español) about what they observed, how they felt, and how they plan to prepare for a return visit next month.

Already, several students have shared their plans to visit a church service in Spanish, their experience volunteering in a local tutoring program for Latino gradeschoolers, a visit to the local Hispanic fruit market, and a Mexican Independence Day celebration.  I'm looking forward to reading the submissions as they come in, and watching the cross-pollination of culture project ideas for the next round next month as students share what they've observed this time around.   

Experience the local flavors of Mexico right here in Valparaiso--and bring home ingredients for your favorite regional cuisine at Tarimoro Guanajuato.  The fruit market / ethnic grocery store has opened a new location at 908 Roosevelt (at the corner with Evans, right behind Phil B's restaurant and the gas station).

Prices can't be beat.  I recently bought 15 limes for $1, two green peppers for $1, and $3 watermelons.  The avocados are generally perfect, just ripe enough to use the same day ($1.09 each).

I love going on Saturday mornings to buy tamales, corn-husk wrapped cornmeal dumplings stuffed with delicious meat or cheese.  The selection is freshest on the weekends, when a new batch is delivered with selections of pork, chicken, and my personal favorite, queso con rajas (cheese with slices of jalapeño).  

Interesting ingredients include:  huge aloe leaves,  pan dulce and gigantic cookies, whole anise seeds from the spice section, candies and snacks from Mexico.  "Manzanita" apple soda is a favorite holiday treat for the kids at my house.  

Kitchen supplies include tortilla presses, molcajetes (a volcanic rock mortar and pestle), a wand for stirring hot chocolate...and if you're planning a birthday party, don't miss the huge piñatas.

While you're there, be brave and try to speak Spanish with the cashier.  She's friendly and she told me earlier this week that she feels very glad to let language students practice their skills while checking out.

NaPoWriMo

Decidí participar este año en el NaPoWriMo, el "mes nacional para la composición de poesía" y publiqué mis poemas, sean melodramáticos, ridículos o triviales, en un blog.  Visítenlo si les interesa....

http://poemasenabril.blogspot.com/

Si quisiera participar, hay información sobre el NaPoWriMo aquí:

http://www.napowrimo.net/

¡Hasta pronto!

Tardanza

Con sangre de atole....comienzo el semestre del otoño sin haber escrito nada en el blog Spanish Sí y quisiera pedir disculpas por mi tardanza.  La llegada de nuestro recién nacido hijo me ha dejado, "girando come una trotola" como dicen los italianos, "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" como se dice en inglés, corriendo de aquí por allá y en poco tiempo podré regresar a la normalidad.  Mientras tanto, sus preguntas, proyectos y opiniones se pueden dirigir a mi cuenta de correo electrónico:  MamaGallinaMamaCuervo@gmail.com

Immigrants Mentoring Students and Vice Versa: The Mutuality of Service

Today as part of the final exam in the Spanish for Service Professionals class, the students will be interviewing a panel of recent immigrants about their experiences in becoming integrated into life in the United States. What are the local institutions and agencies that have been welcoming, and how? What challenges do newcomers to the US and to NW Indiana face? How can we be a community of welcome?

 I am grateful to the students, agencies and local Latino community for their commitment to this learning process, and am proud of what these groups have accomplished since January while working together as a team. The group of twelve committed students have translated dozens of pages of documents for the local public school system, have translated and edited Spanish-language forms for a health clinic, have started an ESL class, have served in two tutoring programs in the community, and have worked in other capacities to make the local community more welcoming to newcomers.  Each student has given between 30 and 60 hours of community service time over the course of the past four months.

Today's exam is an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of our service, and how working in collaboration with the local Latino community we can strengthen the fabric of our city while learning from one another.  I look forward to hearing students' ideas for ways they will carry this experience into their future professional endeavors.

Reflexiones acerca del trabajo en la comunidad local

Hoy en la clase de Español para Profesionales de Servicio Social, hicimos una actividad de reflexión y evaluación de varios aspectos del servicio que se está llevando a cabo este semestre en varias agencias de la comunidad local en Valparaiso:  La escuela Central Elementary, la Misión Hispana Luterana Gloria Dei, el Centro Internacional de Valparaiso, la clínica HealthLinc, Porter County Prosecutor's Victim's Advocate Unit, y en unos programas de servicio que varios estudiantes hicieron durante Spring Break en Costa Rica y Honduras.  Hicimos las conversaciones en parejas, y luego cada pareja reportó sus conclusiones a la clase.  Las preguntas que hicimos y las instrucciones que les entregué a la clase siguen: 


REFLEXIÓN Y ANÁLISIS


Preguntas breves para hacer en parejas (tipo “speed-dating”) para reflexionar acerca del trabajo de servicio en la comunidad a lo largo del semestre.

Pónganse en parejas de dos / Escuchen una pregunta / Contesten la pregunta en parejas / Reporten sus respuestas a la clase.

1. ¿Cuáles son los 2 objetivos personales más importantes que tenías al comenzar tu proyecto, y cómo crees que has logrado esos dos objetivos?

2. ¿Cuáles son algunos retos o miedos que has podido superar a lo largo del semestre?

3. Nombra y explica 2-3 retos o dificultades con el trabajo en la agencia local? (La comunicación, las expectativas, la falta de orientación, etc)

4. ¿Cómo crees que tu experiencia de servicio te ayuda en tu futuros planes profesionales? ¿Cómo quieres servir en tu comunidad en el futuro?

5. Para otra generación de estudiantes y/o trabajadores que te sigan en tu agencia en la comunidad, ¿cómo quieres que se siga el trabajo que has comenzado este semestre?

6. ¿Cuáles son 2 cosas importantes que aprendiste de tu supervisor/a o del proyecto que estás llevando a cabo este semestre?

7. Da 2-3 razones que piensas que el servicio es un componente importante de la vida de un ser humano. (Aspectos posibles serían la experiencia, la educación práctica, el apoyo mutuo, etc.)

A Pioneer in Self-Correcting Grammar Exercises / Online Culture Activities

Colby College is a college in Maine.  Prof. Barbara Nelson teaches Spanish and for over 10 years she has been sharing self-correcting grammar exercises and culture activities online, for students to practice the concepts they're learning in class. 

http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php

My favorites are the song "Ojalá que llueva café" and the beautiful images for the Día de los Muertos activity.  On the right-hand column, the grammar activities are listed by topic.  When you complete an activity and submit it, you get feedback about your answers right away.

With Quia and Pearson's My Spanish Lab, many college classes have their workbook lab manuals available to students online, with auto-correct options for many activities.  But Professor Nelson was one of the pioneers, and her simple activities are still some of the best drills available. 

This website also provides instructions for making accent marks and setting up your computer with "international" keyboard settings.    Click on "resources'' to locate these instructions.