Alternative Spring Break
Guanajuato, Mexico
Essay Exhibit
"At first glance this picture may just seem like two young girls posing for the camera, but in reality one of the girls is holding an English/Spanish dictionary. After speaking with these girls in broken Spanish, I learned that they were really eager to learn English, but did not have the resources in their local schools to do so. So I gave them my pocket dictionary and showed them how to use it - after that, they were engaged in it for the next hour. This just really meant a lot to me, because children are so eager to learn, and want to be educated so bad, especially when it comes to learning another language.
I want to inspire kids back in the US to feel the same about foreign languages, and that is why ESL and dual language programs are so interesting to me. I feel like Latino students are stereotyped as not wanting to learn English - the fact is they do, the resources just aren't there for them to do so. And when they do learn conversational skills, it takes an additional 4-10 years to become academically competent. The excitement that these girls showed in the pueblo of El Gusano just made me more determined to spread the gift of education. -Lindsay Mirchin |
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