The course of this project took place over two weeks from July 17 to July 28 where I taught about 50 kids of different ages Spanish. For the first week, I worked with my local JCC and engaged with a group of about ten preschoolers and taught them about colors, animals, and food in Spanish. Although they were young, they were still eager to learn, asking me questions about more than I had presented them with. The next week, I worked with two different groups daily (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) of kids about 10-11. Because they were older they were able to engage to the fullest extent with the material I taught them. By the end of the week, they were able to have a simple conversation in Spanish.
In addition to learning, I felt it was important to incorporate another interactive aspect to learning languages. In order to do this I included short Spanish cartoons with subtitles, time outside, and at the end, we all baked a classic tres leches cake. I hope that this experience not only introduced them to a new language but I also hope it taught them to appreciate the culture behind languages.
My initial goal going into this was to introduce students to a new aspect of learning while still teaching them something they would be able to use in the real world. Along with accomplishing this goal, I too have a new perspective on learning. The eagerness and commitment everyone brought every day has inspired me to stay committed and eager to learn in and beyond the classroom!
Thank you to the CSGC and the Workman fund for the opportunity to share knowledge with those around me while learning more about myself in the process!
-Hasini ’24
