Spanish Sometimes

Among foreign language teachers, students´ talking in their native language during lessons instead of practicing the subject at hand is a common frustration. At our JumpStart camp in Carrizal de León Cortés, one of the co-facilitators, Maria Gabriela, has developed a creative strategy to maximize the amount of time her kids spend listening to and using English while in class.

She's made a Spanish hat! Unless they're wearing it, everyone is supposed to speak only in English. That rule applies not just to students, but to Maria Gabriela and her co-teacher, Marielos, as well. At the beginning of class each student receives 4 tokens; any time they speak in Spanish without the coveted Spanish hat, they loose one. At the end of the day Maria Gabriela and Marielos record the number of tokens each student has left on a chart, and the student with the most tokens at the end of every week receives a small prize! The Spanish hat concept is dedicated to Maria Gabriela's cat, Oliver, who is accompanying her and her students in Carrizal throughout JumpStart. The tokens are even shaped like cat prints!

When Maria Gabriela and Marielos are explaining more complex activities and grammar concepts to their students, and adding gestures and demonstrations isn´t enough for them to get their point across in English, they put on the hat. Ocassionally, they will also let their students wear it. Whether it´s most effective to speak only in English when teaching the language to non-native speakers is a topic of considerable debate. In Carrizal, the goal isn´t to completely eliminate Spanish from the classroom. Rather, it is to better ensure that everyone makes an effort to express themselves in English first.

Regresar a Donde Empezamos

Además del campamento en San Carlos de Tarrazú, hay otro en la zona de Los Santos para este año, el cual tiene lugar en Carrizal de León Cortés y comenzó esta semana. A principios del año pasado, cuando JumpStart fue una iniciativa totalmente nueva, Carrizal fue el primero y único pueblo donde realizamos un campamento de inglés. El que la comunidad haya trabajado para tener otro campamento este año ha sido para nosotros un indicador motivador de que sí estamos desarrollando algo provechoso para el pueblo costarricense.

El campamento en Carrizal es único en más de una manera. Mientras los demás están siendo facilitados cada uno o por un voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz o una pareja, un voluntario y un docente local del inglés, el campamento en Carrizal esta a cargo de dos ticas! Una de ellas, Marielos Varela, ha vivido en la misma zona de Los Santos desde hace veinte años. Es profesora de ingles en otra escuela cercana, y tiene 10 años de experiencia como maestra. Para Marielos, enseñar el inglés es una pasión,  lo cual se nota al verla trabajar con sus estudiantes. Al preguntarle por qué se había incorporado a JumpStart, ella respondió con estas palabras:

 "Porque me encanta enseñar y porque es una gran oportunidad de brindar un servicio a estos estudiantes y facilitarles su transición de la escuela al colegio en el área del inglés. También porque creo que a la vez hay un crecimiento intelectual y profesional al interactuar con hablantes nativos del idioma inglés, intercambiar ideas, actividades, estrategias y experiencias. Pero sobre todo, el hecho de ver las caritas de los estudiantes cuando aprenden y son capaces de producir por sí mismos e interactuar con extranjeros, y la satisfacción de saber que yo contribuí a que ellos lograron eso. Este es el mejor premio para mí y compensa cualquier sacrificio. Así que gracias por la oportunidad y por confiar en mí. Pueden contar conmigo cuando lo necesiten."

They Grow Up So Fast...

We were sad to see JumpStart's 2012 Volunteer Teachers, Cameron and Seymour Smith, head back to Massachusetts this weekend, but we are so grateful for their more than two months of hard work and support for the kids of JumpStart. Here they are in early March with some of their students at the Vocational High School in San Pablo de León Cortés (see previous post for more information), including three original JumpStarters: Christian (directly in front of Cameron), Valery (with the shoulder bag), and Noella (kneeling, front and center). We met them as sixth-graders, wondering what high school would be like - but as you can see, they are certainly seventh-graders now, confident, and flaunting their English skills!

Taking High School By Storm

"I know, I know, I know, I know! I want to answer!"
"Me me me!"
"Three hundred thirty-three thousand, three hundred thirty-three!"

Those were just a few of the things overheard during a visit to a classroom at the San Pablo Vocational High School, where most of this year's JumpStart students are now well into their second month as seventh-graders. We heard that the students are showing off their new English skills and, even more important, great confidence as they enter this new phase. JumpStart Volunteer Teachers Seymour and Cameron Smith continue to work with them intensively, having them tackle everything from complex numbers to songs about the weather. We are pleased to say that today is Cameron's birthday! Happy Birthday, Cameron, and thanks so much for spending this day - and all of these months of hard work - with JumpStart.
Photos to follow.

Graduation Day!

It was a big week for JumpStart Costa Rica. On Tuesday the 7th, 25 kids graduated from the first-ever edition of the program at the Carrizal School, León Cortés, Los Santos, with big smiles and, according to them,

Also, the project was featured in today's edition of The Tico Times. Check it out here!

More soon on Tuesday's event and what's ahead for the kids and teachers. If you're just joining us, see donation information at right, or visit the tab above "What is JumpStart?" for background on this project.