Now that I am at the halfway point in my TAB Madrid experience, I find myself feeling as though I am now at the mid-point in crossing the bridge created by the meeting of the worlds: the old (Canada) and the new (Spain). Becoming evermore immersed in Spanish cultural and educational environments, has granted me greater insights and experiences for reflection. Which has allowed me to think back upon my experiences in learning: the first, as a student at the Alliance Française in Madrid and the second, as a teacher, when helping students in their own learning journeys at SEK El Castillo. In highlighting both experiences, I want to share how I, as an emerging educator, am continually developing my own skills and abilities to challenge my own pedagogical and professional development; continuing to improve in my own learning journey. Which has enabled me to apply a responsive approach to assisting students, as they make progress in their learning journeys.
Early in my TAB experience, I had anticipated embarking on a journey of living and learning in Paris, France, which unfortunately was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Leading to an overwhelming change of plans. Thankfully, the TAB Team did a remarkable job in relocating me to Madrid, Spain for my TAB experience. So, in knowing that I would be immersed within a Hispanophone linguistic and cultural environment, I sought out opportunities in which I could continue developing my French linguistic and cultural competencies while living and learning in Madrid. My search led me to finding the Alliance Française of Madrid, one of the cultural and linguistic centres that is a branch of the Alliance Française organization, that offers language courses for all (children through to adults); I enrolled in their two-week September Level C1 intensive course. It was a small group of us, ten students and our teacher, everyone except for myself and our teacher were native Spanish speakers, which I will admit felt daunting initially. As I had never been in a language learning environment, where the majority of learners were from a linguistic and cultural context, that I still knew little about.
Fortunately, my fears and hesitations were unfounded. Everyone, from my class and the administration, was kind, welcoming, and to my surprise, fascinated by my being there as a Canadian student coming from afar on the TAB program! The awkwardness of that first introduction melted away and was replaced by the exciting energy of anticipation and enthusiasm for the new knowledge and learning ahead of us. It was as if I were experiencing La Francophonie in real time: each of us from different parts of the globe, meeting and embracing one another for our shared language and diverse identities. The intercultural exchange was vivacious and lively, breaking the ice between us in an instant! Since, the course was a two-week commitment, I would go every evening weekday for 3 hours of speaking, listening, reading, and writing exercises, which made the intensive more enjoyable and though intense; the invigorating efforts and care from my peers to keep going and continue learning made each trial and triumph all the more worth it. As it was a classroom community, where our collective, unique and vibrant experiences allowed us to leverage each other for support, insight, and clarification. When the last class ended that day, it was bittersweet: like bidding farewell to some good friends, each of us having improved upon our respective language learning goals and having greatly benefitted from walking together for a time, following this path. Now having taken different directions, going back to the usual routines of university or work, I am still happy to have taken and succeeded in the course; making for an enriching experience all around.
Bringing this new experience into the classroom and applying a responsive approach to teaching, my time spent in the Alliance Française allowed me to become more cognizant of how language as connection (both socially and academically) is crucial for my teaching practice. It is something I never truly realized for its full value, until I met a group of students in the teaching rotation of classes with my partner teacher. A group of boys in Grade 6, who utilized their French mother tongue to connect with one another socially and discern the meanings of the subjects being taught to them, whenever they didn’t fully understand the English or Spanish name for a concept. My ability to communicate with them and answer their questions, assisting their developing comprehension of new concepts in biology, geography, and English classes was an unexpected asset. A wonderful surprise in how I could help in facilitating students’ academic success, while also aiding in making connections to students’ experiences, and enable them to reach out; beginning to familiarize themselves with the new linguistic and cultural contexts that English and Spanish present.
As English and Spanish are two of the predominant languages spoken at SEK El Castillo, it must not be forgotten that it is first and foremost an international IB (International Baccalaureate) school, where many more languages are spoken too! From French to Arabic, Chinese to Turkish, and more, these linguistic and cultural groups have much and more to offer to the classroom and school community as a whole. In encouraging these students to continue to utilize their mother tongue to help them in their learning journey, as well as by me meeting them in the middle to bridge any distances between them and the subject, I am doing my part to ensure students can use their knowledges to best support them in their learning journey.
Looking ahead to the remaining weeks of my time here in Madrid, Spain, I am continuing to recognize and be inspired by how these tools of connection: language, culture, environment, etc. come together to influence how the learning and teaching spaces of a classroom/school function. Chiefly, how channeling the positive social energy generated by such spaces can promote students’ engagement and participation in the classroom, during lessons, and beyond. Until then, I’m spending my time in TAB slowly and savouring the memories I’m making.