STARTING JANUARY OFF BY NEVE MACRAE

It seems as January has come and gone in the blink of an eye! I am going to write a short recap of what has happened in the bilingual classes this past month and my opinions on the student’s progress.

Fourth ESO are extremely hard-working. They are focused yet they have a good balance and know how to have fun. In our English classes, we focus mainly on conversation and utilising the grammar concepts that are taught. At the beginning of the year many of the students were shy, but their confidence has grown exponentially. I see that they feel more relaxed while speaking. When students are outside of the classroom, in the halls or during break time, they speak to me in English. They ask questions and talk to me about their weekend all while having fun. We have gotten to know each other more on a personal level. Our conversations are a great transmission of culture. I learn about small town pueblo Spanish life and they learn about Canada. I am so proud of all of their hard work. I know they can work just as hard to grow even more before the end of the year!

First ESO students are so much fun! I spend most of my time with them during the school week, so we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. The first year students have grown leaps and bounds. In the beginning they had a limited knowledge of English, but little by little they are growing. Their effort and curiosity in language is what has allowed them to flourish. The teachers and I incorporate English classroom language into each subject and encourage asking questions in English. Every student tries their best to listen, understand and form questions. I am so proud of their consistent effort. We have a lot to learn and work on and I am so excited for everyone to see their progress!

I am overwhelmed by the support that everyone has given me at IES Nuestra Señora de la Estrella. Students who I don’t teach say hello in the hallway and try their best to engage with me. I know speaking a foreign language can be daunting at times especially with a native speaker, but everyone has gone out of their way to immerse themselves as much as they can and learn little by little. There is a lot to learn and work on, but I am so excited for the students and teachers to see how much progress has been made over course of the year! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your community. I am forever appreciative.