A good mix

We talk, we practice grammar, we drink coffee. And when we talk, it’s about real things, not just a drill for the sake of the language learning. The talk is, in fact, the basis for learning new words and basic usages and vocabulary. There is a structure for the instruction here related to learning verb tenses and rules, but it tucks into the context of what we are talking about. I like that the context takes the lead. As the joke goes, the em-pha’-sis is on the right syl-la’-ble.

And I care about what we are talking about. It’s motivating to me. The language learning is not an end in itself, but it’s the means to an end. I know my purpose – to establish real relationships with people from other cultures and countries. And I’m clear that I am also here to strengthen my activist work. I’m aiming to be able to have more meaningful conversations with Latinx people - those just trying to have a decent life in my own country and threatened by ICE; and also those struggling to get through our militarized borders, away from the chaos we have helped to wreak in their countries.

My teacher is right on the same wavelength as I am with this worldview. We both see the historical and ever present sicknesses of capitalism, racism, sexism, and all the other isms. We’re both pissed off about it all. That makes our conversations lively and interesting, and it pushes me to try to use, or ask for, or find words to express real stuff. And this is where my teacher is very responsive and skilled. She listens really well, sometimes doesn’t correct me at all so that I can complete a thought, sometimes takes the teachable moment to tune me into a mistake or a point of usage. It’s a good mix – real conversation and focused language work.

I think I’m also developing another good mix emotionally. Part of me wants so much to understand and use the language well and that gives me a drive, but it also prompts frustration. Another part of me is getting comfortable with being wrong a lot. My teacher gave me a nice pep talk today when I showed that I was getting discouraged. It helped me to gain perspective about why I’m here and what I’m doing. As she says, this is la vida. Poco a poco, I’m on a journey, getting somewhere. And aren’t we all?