mi primera clase de espanol

my first spanish class

earlier today i had my first spanish class. it was 3 hours long. there are 4 students including me in the class and we went over verb tenses for most of the class. i think i need to do some reading over the next chapter because the more prepared i can be for class the better. the class is kind of in a conversation setting where the teacher speaks totally in spanish...english is not allowed. and if you say anything in english...you are asked to explain it in spanish. this is ok because i have a lot of vocabulary knowledge but not much grammar practice. it's easy to learn how to be a good teacher...but having the exact experience of learning a new language that your students learn is a HUGE indicator of what they need and what they want. 

i thought i would be more shy in a class with 3 other students but i actually feel pretty confident. i try to say more information than expected and try not to just give short or simple answers. although i don't like to always speak spanish and don't speak spanish with my spanish and english speaking friends...i try to play around with the language and not be so safe. 

i dont think its possible to learn unless you're willing to make silly mistakes and try saying something new.

yesterday i went to visit my host family. i hadn't seen them or even called them since i had moved out so it was refreshing to visit with them again. i was over for about two hours almost and spoke in spanish the whole time (because they don't know english). so that was really nice actually. i told them about my new job and that i was going to start spanish classes. when i spend time with them...i actually feel like they ARE my family and not just a couple of people i lived with for a month. it's nice to know i have a family here to look out for me.

i hung out with my friend leslie last night for a little while. she is really fun and its always nice to have a little girl talk here. 

  [this is a picture of my friend leslie and i at my apartment.]

that's something that i really miss actually because most of my friends here are guys...and they are also not the girl talk type haha. i get together with at least one of my friends everyday which is super nice...even if its just to get something for class or to go grocery shopping. i've starting bumping into my friends on the street or at the store...that really makes this place feel more like home than a vacation spot which is such a great feeling.

i'll let you know how the rest of the spanish classes go. 

oh and one more thing: parrots live outside my apartment in the trees. they dont sing any pretty songs...but they are so pretty when they are flying around. sometimes when i look out the window and see them flying i feel like im at a zoo because seeing parrots is still not normal to me. 

abrazos y besos (hugs and kisses)

love and miss

PPP with my ELLs

hey readers what's shakin?

[first of all PPP is a type of format to teach an english class and ELLs are English Language Learners.]

so to clarify (because i think the following points were misunderstood):

1. i LOVE chile

2. i came to chile in hopes of teaching english. when i arrived i did not have a teaching job. when i arrived i had a teacher training program that is the ultra fast equivalent of a teachers education program (BED) at a university. It only certifies me to teach English as a foreign language and not in Canada or other English speaking countries. During this month long class, as part of my course, I had to teach 6 one hour classes to students. i was not being paid for this...i was being graded. 

3. i was hired by the same language institute that i took my training certification program at. I work there now and just taught my first official english class. i say official...because i was getting paid haha.

so like i said, i just taught my first class. i am so happy with how it went too. of course, like anything, it could have been better, i could have been more prepared but i think it went very well. it is my first class that is set in stone. let me explain:

my language institute hires teachers to teach english to business men and women. then they ask your availability. THEN they call you when a company calls my institute interested in having their employees learn english. if you have your cell phone on you at all times...you get classes. if you don't have your phone with you - you're out of luck. 

therefore: cell phone in your pocket= money in your pocket

on friday i was walking around town with my friends jamie and patrick when my phone rang. it was my boss asking me if i wanted to take a class with a private student for saturday. i came to chile to teach...not to have a blast and stuff (even though that just naturally comes with the job)...so I didn't care that I would be teaching for 3 hours, on a Saturday morning....the morning after I had planned to have a big bbq at my apartment with my roommate. I had to say yes or the class would be given to someone else. i walked to my language institute (which is about a 7 minute walk from my apartment) and picked up my teacher guide and audio cds for the class. i started looking over the unit i was supposed to teach when i got home and decided i would do my best and make the most of the short notice. 

my student is a successful business woman and really fun. she is an intermediate student who has had many english classes before. we were able to have conversations in my class which was great. intermediate students to me are the easiest because you can ask them more complex questions and they aren't afraid to ask you more detailed questions about the language. although the thought of sitting through let alone TEACHING a 3 hour class is a little terrifying...we had a good time and the 3 hours actually went by pretty quickly. i taught musical moods and we discussed the importance music can have in people lives and the role that it plays. we listened to different types of music and then i also taught her a couple grammar points. its really fun incorporating fun ideas into more bland subjects like present perfect continuous tenses and noun clauses (which i what i taught). 

im starting to feel more confident about my teaching skills and really comfortable with this job. im looking forward to getting more calls about new students and expanding my classes. i know this will happen...but i'll give it time. i'll be sure to fill you in on any exciting teaching stories i may have...im expecting to have at least a few to report. 

thanks for reading

love and miss!

besos (kisses)

-jacquie

its a love hate thing

i may as well start by saying...i love chile. i love teaching english (im not teaching at the moment...but i HAVE taught English here and will be teaching again next week), the mountains, the people, the generosity, the palm trees, the lights, the quirky spanish, the sound the loose sidewalk cement tiles make when you walk on them, and the feeling of realizing that i'm now LIVING in Chile. I love it here and would only change one thing. 

I hate spanish. i love it because its beautiful (i love just listening to people speak in spanish because its so soothing and pretty). i hate it because i don't know it. i'm not about to spend my time bitching about not knowing something...@ least not without addressing my attempts to learn and the fact that i have been teaching myself. i arrived here without knowing more than 5-10 words in spanish. the basics - hola, si, gracias, habla ingles?, chao, no entiendo...

(hello, yes, thank you, do you speak english?, bye and i don't understand) so now when i can understand and answer simple questions about who i am and what i'm doing here in chile and for how long...im pretty proud of myself. i have taken NO classes other than the ones I conduct for myself. 

i've been told that this makes me brave and adventurous. "wow that's so cool and brave of you!"...says a friend of mine. yeah...its great and exciting and everything except i cant even order a hamburger! i feel like i can't do anything without someone holding my hand to help me through it. i'm a lost little puppy here when it comes to spanish. it's a cute idea and everything and although i have people around me all the time to help...it's a lonely feeling. i'm a 23 year old, successful woman with a university AND tefl degree. I know my stuff...however...4 year old children can spit out spanish sentences more comprehensible than mine. 

i've learned here that language is one of the most valuable things you can own. even if you have a 5,000,000 karat diamond ring...you can't do anything with it unless you have language. you can't tell your friends about it, you can't sell it or put it on display and charge people tons of money to see it...without language. i've come to a very clear, undeniable realization. Language can do more for you than money ever can. have you ever thought about that? money can buy you anything in the world. BUT if you can't say what you want or know where to get it...you just have a pile of money to sit on and nothing to do with it. if you can't read or write or speak language...you can't do anything. you can't eat, you can't go places, you can't have a job...you can't do anything. 

so with that said...not knowing a language that you are surrounded by...is one of the loneliest feelings. i enjoy my own time, my own space. i don't mind being alone and sometimes, i prefer it...but here when you know that you can't walk outside and discuss anything you want with anyone...you're alone. plain and simple. like i said...i love chile and im so happy here. but sometimes...the language barrier can remind you that you're different...you're not from here and you don't belong.

chileans are a very helpful and generous breed of people. once they hear a foreigner (also known as a 'gringo') speak spanish...they know they are going to have to slow down and realize they are going to have a humorous conversation that probably won't make sense. and while this is a fun and silly situation....i've had enough of them already.

maybe i'm being dramatic here, i know i'm not a failure...because i CAN understand some conversations people are having. I've been able to say where im from, where i'm living now, what i like to do, where i work and how long I will be here. I know how to say how old I am and to ask other people how they are doing. I know that zappatos are shoes and that palta is avacado. I have even convinced a lady on the bus that she was going in the right direction to get to the subway. I did this all in Spanish...not perfect Spanish, but Spanish none the less. It is difficult however to have the feeling of unpreparedness or uneasiness when you walk out into the street and have no idea really how to ask for help with something or how to answer an question someone may ask.

i believe that sometimes things come along at the most beautiful times to help us in our journey. we are brought problems in life and if we are unable to find a solution, help comes along to make it a bit easier. so...not only does the tooth fairy exist...but now i know there is a language fairy as well:

today was my second and last day of on the site job training at the school i will be working at. i had a quick meeting with my boss where he asked if i was offered the 2 weeks of FREE spanish classes. 'ummmm NO!?' i said. he told me that he would try to work something out. before i knew it i was back in my room at home completing a placement test for my first ever spanish class. with no surprises i scored in the beginner level on my placement test and my first lesson is on monday. maybe this is my ticket out of lonely-ville?! wish me luck!

chao x

love and miss

es bonito

home sweet home

I have moved into my new place. I have completed my teacher training and I’m starting to feel like I live in Chile…and not as much a foreigner now. I saw 4 girls the other day asking for directions from an old Chilean man on the street. I heard one of the girls say “Mucho grassiass” (meaning her ‘s’s were very pronounced. And anyone who is living or has lived (or even visited Chile for a few weeks) in Chile, knows that no one pronounces s’s here.) I could hear them talking in English amongst themselves and I wanted to interrupt and give directions…but for whatever reason I went on my way. They were walking behind me and seemed confident in where they were going so hopefully they didn’t need my help. I feel like I've lived here long enough that I know where I am and I can help out others. The funny thing is that I get asked by Spanish speakers for directions more than English speakers haha. People tell me thats like a pick up line here...but I'm not convinced.

My new home is fantastic. I love coming home to it. I feel like I live here and I’ve only been here for a few days now.

The street is louder than my host family’s street but I’m living in the city here and not out in residential las condes anymore haha. I moved from Maria and Edgar’s home because I was only renting their place for the first month I was staying in Chile. I overstayed my paid rent there with Maria’s permission and a welcoming hug. Maria made sure to tell me many many times before I moved out that if I didn’t like it in my new home…I always had my Chilean family to go back to. She let me know I will never be alone here in Chile. :)

This is my host family and I on the last day I was there before moving out. It was definitely a sad but lovely "see you later" as I plan to visit with them often.

I am forever grateful for the love, support, laughs and care my host family has surrounded me with since my arrival to Chile. We took some ‘family’ photos before I left yesterday and I almost shed a tear when pulling out of the driveway. They have had many many many other students and teachers from all over the world like me, stay in their home for months at a time. Maria and Edgar let me know that if I didn’t find an apartment I liked…not to worry because they’ve had someone stay with them for 2 years before haha. I would have done this…however, their home is a little more remote and more difficult to get back to at night. They will always be a part of my family and I really do love everything they have done for me.

Now I live in Providencia (the neighbouring city to Las Condes). My friends all live one or two metro (subway) stops away which means I can walk there in 10-15 minutes or so. It’s a beautiful area with so many trees and lovely people. I didn’t realize this before moving in…but I think the building I live in now has one of the best views of the mountains.

 I don’t need much when finding an apartment…but a view is always an added bonus. This is the view of the mountains from my living room window.

My roommate is an architect. He (yes he) is a really nice guy. One of his “rules” of the apartment is that we both have to feel at home here. So that means that my friends are always welcome, I can paint my room if I want and so on. He seems like a very easy person to live with and he is very easy going and genuinely cares about others. He speaks perfect English but he is Chilean so I can learn more Spanish by living here as well.

                  

the first pic on the left is my bedroom, the second is the living room. the sliding doors on the right, lead to a little balcony :)

I still have not been able to travel around very much and my Spanish is still pretty terrible. These are two things that bother me most right now. The lack of Spanish more so than traveling. I can travel whenever…but I need Spanish now. I went to buy groceries this morning and forgot to take out some cash before hand (Chile is cash using country as apposed to using credit cards and debit cards for everything). I thought I would try out my debit card here seeing as it works perfectly at the ATMs. No dice. My card didn’t work and I had to figure out how to say “I’m gonna get more cash…one sec” haha. So I mustered up “puedo regrasir aqui despues de yo visitar un banco?” “Can I come back here after I visit a bank?”. I think she understood what I said because she said yes and kept my stuff there for me for when I came back…but the look on her face was like “I think I heard some Spanish words there but I’m not sure” haha. It’s a funny story for later…but when it happens…I just get frustrated. I ALWAYS think how independent and adventurous I would be here in Chile if only I knew the language. The people are so nice and you can do anything you want when you have language. If you’re lucky…you can walk into a store and use your rusty Spanish skills and the sales clerk will know a wealth of English somehow to explain their product and help you with what you need. Sometimes that’s a lifesaver…but other times I wish I could just speak to them in Spanish.

 

Whenever I’m in a store or near a lot of Spanish speakers in a confined space where they can hear me speaking English…I also think of how I felt when people back in Canada would speak Chinese or Portuguese or something and I wouldn’t have a clue what they were saying. It’s a shock when you hear another language because we are so used to picking up on what others say…when you can’t understand someone…it’s a strange feeling. So the opposite is true when you are immersed in a language other than your own…you can easily hear your own language a mile away haha. When I hear English words I always see who it is that is speaking and then I usually smile as to say...yeah….I’m an English speaker too…we’re like this (crossing fingers).

Finishing my IDELT (English teaching Certification) training has given me more opportunities to explore more of Santiago. I actually can actually have time to walk around and visit with friends and see new things. i also have had time to look for a job. I have a job offer at the language institute in while I took my training course. I went in for an interview and was told about the work visa process and job in general and I am going in for a two day training session next week :D. It's a good school however, it is one of the schools you will get paid less at. I still want to look around at other places though and see what they have to offer. It's difficult thought because of the language barrier...even schools hiring English teachers don't have many administrative staff that have fluent English.

 

These are the girls I took my training course with. From the left - Femi, my trainer Katie, Corina and myself.

 

Here is another photo of most of my training crew at Bridge Linguatec. From left - My trainer Katie, Tom (Corina's fiance...not part of the class), Jorge (in the black t shirt in the background)...he is Katie's boyfriend and also one of my students in the beginner classes I taught, Corina (in the front in the green), Femi (the girl with the headband and the guy kissing her shoulder is her chilean boyfriend), Patrick, myself and Jamie. Paul was missing from this picture :(

It’s going to feel really good to have a job here. Although it would be nice to be on a long vacation in Chile, that’s not why I’m here. A 7-8 month long vacation in Chile with no job would not be fun. It’s a great place, there is so much to do and see…but without something to do (or money to spend)…it’s just boring and unrealistic. I'm looking forward to working and having some more teaching experience. I love the feeling of being a professional. When I was working back at home before coming to Chile I felt so useless. Here I was...a cashier with a University degree. I just felt like I wasn't smart...or that I wasn't able to show others that I was smart. Here, I feel like I'm a professional and I'm putting my brain to use.

It’s been so hot here over the past month I’ve been here. I think the most pleasant time of the day is around 7 30 or 8 oclock when the temperature drops to comfortable jeans wearing weather. During the day I usually wish I could just go swimming…it’s nice having the sun out so often and being able to wear skirts and dresses and shorts…however….sweating is not fun haha.

I've been spending some time with my Chilean friend Joseph. I met him at a party I went to during my first weekend here. He is very nice and really wants to show me around Santiago.

 This is my friend Joseph and I

He has a car so we are able to see parts of Santiago I would never be able to get to by bus. The other day he drove me to this really ritzy neighbourhood near Las Condes. It was on a really big hill and had very fancy houses. We drove down these winding streets and all of a sudden you get an amazing view of all of Santiago. It was so beautiful! Apparently you're not allowed to be up there because the cops came along shortly after we got out of the car to walk around and told us to leave. The people that live there don't want people who don't live there to hang out (typical mindset of a greedy person living in a fancy neighbourhood...this is our land...go away). I think it's a little terrible personally. You pay for a view and can't share it with anyone else. Just plain greedy. but the 5-10 minutes we were there was good enough to take in the beauty of it so I was grateful. Joseph also took me and my friend Breanna to the most amazing concert I've ever been to (and I've been to see Madonna, Dave Matthews and Feist people haha). 

this is my friend Breanna and I. She is such a great friend :)

It was an outdoor concert on this really cool arts faculty University campus. There were two bands. The first was a native Andes mountain band that played the drums and flute and there were about 10 men in this band. It was beautiful. 

The second band was fantastic. They are a Chilean band and it had maybe 15-20 members. There was a tuba, saxophones, flutes, clarinets, guitars...EVERYTHING. it was amazing to see. I kept having to tell myself where I was and reminding myself what I was doing - I was in Chile, watching a Chilean instrumental band with tons of University students from Chile and all over the world. It was beautiful.

 

The next day, I went out to this club on top of Santa Lucia...a castle near the San Cristobal mountain. It is such a beautiful place and it was so much fun. The dress code is pretty fancy and it was so busy there. I went with my friend Breanna and some of her friends. The girl in the picture below on the far right is also from Canada! I met some great new friends that night and had such a blast. Even though I love going out and I've met so many great friends...there are some things that just aren't the same without people back home to share it with.

This picture was taken before we went out at Breanna's apartment.

From left - Stephanie, Breanna, myself and Kate.

Many things have happened since I've arrived in Chile. I feel that I am becoming a different person...but not a different Jacqueline...just a grown up one. I do things more on my own because I have to, I'm more vulnerable because I have to be (in terms of language...and that goes for confidence too...I'm more confident), I'm more appreciative of those around me. You have to love the friends you make here because friends are the family you have when you travel. I'm so fortunate to have met the wonderful people I've come across so far and I hope to meet many more :)

Now that I'm settled and have the internet hooked up in my apartment...I will write more often. and hopefully they will be faster to get through than the novels I've been writing haha.

love and miss

x

-jacquie

un poco - a little

(this entry was written a few weeks ago but published today...sorry)

almost 4 weeks in Chile

I've met so many amazing people here in Chile already after just 4 weeks which is quite shocking considering I'm in class the WHOLE day and rarely have opportunities to meet new people. My schedule is always so busy because I'm in class from 9 am till 5 30 or 6 pm every day. Not to mention a few hours of homework added to that everyday. 

I've taught 5 classes so far to volunteer students from the area. They are in their 30s and 40s and there are 6 students in total - 2 intermediate level and 4 beginner students. I have found that it is much easier to teach the intermediate students than the beginner students. Beginner students can struggle with the simplest of verb tenses and often mispronounce words (not that I'm complaining because they certainly know more English than I know Spanish). 

One thing I've noticed is that I get so proud of the students when they get something right or understand what is being said. It reminds me of my struggle with learning Spanish (on my own) while hearing Maria tell her friends and family that 'ella aprend Espanol muy rapido!' (she learns Spanish very quickly) haha. My last class was recorded on a dvd to show future employers that ask to see a demo (which is apparently common) of my ability to teach. i brought it home yesterday and showed Maria. She couldn't really understand what I was teaching because she doesn't know ANY English but she kept saying "muy buennno!" (very good). She looked so proud that I was teaching people haha. It's always nice to hear that...but when you can see that on someone's face...it's a great feeling.

I don't have as much time now to practice my Spanish as I did in the first week I was here. I'm always at school (where we only speak English) and then I'm doing work, looking for apartments, keeping in touch with you in my room the rest of the time. I have been able to comprehend most of what is said when reading apartment ads (that are written in Spanish) and I've been able to send back some decent replies haha.

I've kind of lost track of time but here are some things I have not written about:

I met up with a girl I met through facebook that is also teaching in Chile. Patrick and I met her at the subway on our way to our friend Paul's apartment. Earlier that day (Saturday, Feb 14) we met up with Patrick's friend (Lior) from Israel (that he met on an earlier trip to the south of Chile). We spent most of the day with Lior eating empanadas, guacamole and sandwiches at Patrick's place while watching funny commercials and comedy skits on youtube. 

The more people I meet here, the more I realize we are so tiny in comparison to the rest of the world's population. You may think you have the best friends in the world...and maybe you do...but there are so many other people out there worth giving a closer look. There are beautiful people (inside and out) all over the place if you just open your eyes.

Later on Saturday, Patrick, Lior, Leslie (the girl I met through facebook) and I went to Paul's apartment and drank some Chilean wine and we also had pisco which is a hugely popular liquor here. You mix it usually with Coke-a-Cola to make "piscola". Some of our friends from class were there and a few others met us there as well. 

Here are some pics from the event

 (from left) Lior, Pancho, Me, Paul and Leslie.

 (from left) Patrick, Leslie, Lior, Me, Pacho, Alex, and Adam.

This past week in class was hectic. BUT I did get to meet up with a girl that is good friends with another girl that went to UPEI also! Her name is Breanna and she is lots of fun. She arrived in Chile on the 20th and we met up last Sunday. We just hung out at this little ice cream restaurant. It was so nice to have a girl talk with someone for once. A lot of the friends I've made here are guys...I don't know why but I've just met more guys than girls here. 

We talked about our home towns, our family and friends. She reminded me of the type of person I would/have met at camp because we became great friends in the first 10 minutes of talking and anyone who has been to camp before...knows this is exactly what happens.

I have been thinking about where I'm going to work and I think I will look into jobs at the school I've been taking training classes at. It is a language institute that has spanish and english language classes (as well as this training class). March and April are supposed to be the months where language classes are really popular so I guess I arrived in Santiago at the best time haha.

The insititue doesn't pay as well as other colleges or universities but I am hoping to make a decent income off of private lessons as well. A 'normal' rate for teaching private lessons is 10,000 pesos per student per hour which is about $21 CAD. 

I've gotten used to counting in thousands haha. It's funny sometimes when I think about it. There is a little bakery/deli near my school where I go sometimes for lunch to get a little pastry or salad (to go along with the sandwich that I usually bring to school) they are anywhere from 300 pesos (for desserts) and 1,900 pesos for a big salad. it sounds like a lot of money if you've never counted in pesos before but food is generally pretty cheap here especially considering I'm living in a nice part of the city.

will write more later.

love and miss

x

-jacquie