— from Melina Cortina, the UVic co-op student who has been working in the ’Casita' for the past 3 months
A couple of weeks ago I began teaching English classes to the children from both primary schools in San Antonio Palopó. I teach six one-hour classes – one class per grade and school – through the week. I have around eighty students in total, from ages nine to thirteen. Although some of the children knew a couple of words in English, the great majority did not know more than a few letters from the abecedary, and some of the numbers from one to ten.
My main focus in the classes is the pronunciation of the letters and the words, and explaining to them the differences between the sounds some letters make in English and in Spanish. I want them to be able to write the words correctly, and also to say them out loud.
I have found most of the children to be enthusiastic and excited about learning English. They are always asking lots of questions and helping each other out.
