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CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
(A word of Explanation)
In a few minutes Spanish class will
begin. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that the
language of communication in the class will be Spanish. This may
cause you some frustration at first, but there is an extremely
important reason for doing this. I assure you that I do not want to
torture you, nor am I trying to make you feel dumb. It would be
easier for me to teach you in English, but, paradoxically, that
would be the worst thing I could do to you, because I want you to
learn SPANISH. To do that, you have to learn to think in the
language, both listening and speaking. It is as if you were walking
along the countryside and came to a river of murky water. You must
cross; there is no way around. The only solution is to lower
yourself into the water and somehow float across. For a while you
may not be totally under control, but eventually you will get to the
other side. Your tendency will be to hang on to the willows on the
far bank (your English) and not let go, but if you do that you’ll
never get across. To cross that river is absolutely necessary if
you want to learn to communicate in Spanish. Very faithfully
following the classroom procedures listed below will make your task
much easier.
1) Listen
carefully to what is said, trying to understand.
At first you will not understand all
or any of what I say. I know that. I do not expect you to. But,
don’t tune me out and don’t panic. Stand your ground, grit your
teeth, and try to catch the gist of what I am saying. Watch for
gestures, facial expressions, words that are familiar in English,
and other clues. While you will have to tolerate a little vagueness
at first, a successful language learner is a good guesser; use your
imagination.
2)
Communicate as best you can in Spanish.
At first it will be just a few words,
imperfectly uttered, but for a while you will have to return to the
level of a child. Try to accept that. If you are learning to play
the piano as an adult, you would not start with a concerto, you
would start with simple little pieces. As soon as possible I will
give you the tools to communicate with. We will practice with a “COPING
CARD” and you should use the words and phrases on it as often
as you can. I will conduct a number of activities which will help
you practice using these tools until they become second nature.
3) Try not
to feel pressure or anxiety.
Do not have unrealistic expectations,
such as speaking at your English level in a few weeks. Grades will
be based on your performance, but I view this as a process of
“perfecting” not “perfection.” I will give you ample time to
prepare for tests and quizzes, and will help you get ready for
them. I am on your side, remember? I am just as eager as you are
for you to learn Spanish. Accept correction and suggestions with
good humor. Take the attitude that “I’m going to have to make a
million mistakes before I learn Spanish, so I might as well get
started.” I will try to correct with tact and gentleness. Do not
be alarmed if others in the class seem to be understanding more or
seem to be going faster than you are. It will just seem that way.
Or it may be that some have studied Spanish before and naturally
will have an advantage. Others may have more ability to learn a
foreign language easily and quickly. But these same differences
exist in music, art, athletic skills, public speaking, etc. Adjust
and accept the differences, rather than getting down on yourself.
Evaluate your individual progress in terms of your OWN growth, not
by the apparent progress of others. If you want to quicken your
pace, simply spend more time studying and using the language.
4) Learn with
and from others. Language
is best learned with someone else. Find a partner from the class
and practice before or after class or on the phone. As you learn
new ways to say things, try them out on friends who speak Spanish.
Listen to what others say and get ideas from them. If you can’t
find another person to practice with, practice with yourself. Make
up little plots and conversations in your head, practice what you
would say in different situations.
5) Ask for
help or clarification if you need it.
Never assume that you are the only one who doesn’t understand
something. Don’t hesitate to say “No entiendo” (I don’t
understand) or “Otra vez, porfavor” (Again, please) or
“¿Qué quiere decir________?” (What does _______ mean?) I will
be happy to try to explain in some other way. I will not usually
respond to questions in English (so don’t ask in English), but I can
often anticipate what you want to say and can help you state your
question in Spanish.
6) Prepare
yourself outside of class.
The grammar explanations are quite
clear in the book, and we will not spend a lot of time going over
them in class. I will come to class wanting to use the text
materials, not explain or lecture about them. I
EXPECT YOU TO HAVE STUDIED THE MATERIAL PRIOR TO COMING TO CLASS AND
TO HAVE PRACTICED AND DRILLED THE ASSIGNMENT.
7) Be
spontaneous and uninhibited.
Learning Spanish can be fascinating
and fun. Laugh at/with me, at/with others and at/with yourself. I
may even “clown” a bit. Feel free to laugh. Add enjoyment to the
satisfaction you will receive as you gain fluency in the language.
When you understand, smile or not; when you don’t, shake your head
or look perplexed. Help me out.
8) Think
positively. Everything I
do or say has a positive interpretation--never negative. Please
reciprocate by being positive at all times. Come visit me in my
office, not just when you have problems, but just to talk to me and
tell me how things are going. Most students never do this. I want
to help you to do your best. We are on the
same team.
With affection,
Your Spanish
Teacher
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