We are still circling students and conducting interviews in Spanish I.  The interviews are getting more and more lengthy as the level of language increases.  The Chinese students in my Spanish 1 classes are keeping pace. We check to see how much students are listening to one another and how much they are retaining with short Who Are You? quizzes.

We are all helping the Chinese students to learn Spanish. I tell the kids that they need to imagine what it would be like if they were an exchange student in China and also taking a Korean class at the same time. That gets them thinking about the plight of a Chinese student here in the heartland that is also taking a Spanish class.

I am the first to admit that these are amazingly bright young ladies, but the slowness and care is having a positive effect on the rest of the students as well. They are ALL acquiring due to the slow pace.  The are really listening to one another, remembering fun facts about one another. I think it helps them to see each other as human beings.

For this week’s ¿Quién Eres? Quiz I underestimated just how much language these Spanish 1 students have been acquiring. I gave the names of five students in the class. The task was to write at least two things about each student.  Students could write more for extra credit if they could remember additional details.  Here is what one Chinese student was able to recall:

Student #1 (This was a student that gave exaggerated comic details instead of real information about herself): Tiene cincuenta y seis años. Tiene diez hijos. Le gusta cantar opera. Le gusta jugar luchar. Le gusta jugar arco y flecha. Vive en Greeley. es de South Africa.

Student #2  Tiene quince años.  Está en el grado nueve. Le gusta jugar golf. Juega al golf por tres años. Vive en Johnstown. Es de Johnstown.

Student #3  Tiene catorce años. Está en el grado nueve. Le gusta pintar. Vive en Jonhstown. Es de Missouri.

Student #4  Tiene trece años.  Está en el grado nueve.  Le gusta bailar. Vive en Johnstwon. Es de Arkansas. Baila por siete años. 

Student #5  Tiene quince años. Está en el grado diez. Le gusta el futbol. Juega al futbol por cuatro  años. Vive en Johnstown. Es de Colorado.

She wrote 31 sentences in a language she did not know 4 weeks ago about kids that she did not know 4 weeks ago. She got a 31/10 on the quiz.  310%. That’ll help her grade percentage. Not that she needs it.

I sure hope we can keep this mojo going. This focusing on kids stuff is magic. Love my job.