Yet another wonderful day here in Chongqing! Language class was very fun this morning! We acted out a very simple scene and video taped it. After several takes and cuts we mastered our acting which, I'm sure, was nothing short of grammy award winning. It was a very interactive and good a way to expand our comprehension of our new language. I noticed today after class I was even able to pick up a few words in the conversations I heard on the street!
Yesterday, I learned the hard way not to wear flats (dress shoes) so today I dressed smarter for our school visit. We were able to visit an elementary school and what an experience that was! The school we visited was downtown and has over 1000 students. There are approximately 300 in each grade, and 50 in each class. We arrived right after the rest/nap time and the children were partaking in the singing of English songs. There was so much energy and enthusiasm in the singing and dancing! I heard songs ranging from "Little Indians" to "B-I-N-G-O" throughout the school. After they finished, children filled the hallway like we were famous! Surrounding us wanting to talk, shake hands, and give hi fives! It was crazy! We had to quickly make our way up the stairs after a few minutes of this!
We observed in a 4th grade English class during our visit. The lesson was very well prepared and very engaging. The energy level in the classroom is very apparent and students were eager to learn. Students sat boy, girl, boy, girl in rows, and with only one signal students were on task and listening. The teachers do not have a desk in the classrooms, only a podium. Instead they have a teachers' office in another part of the school. The teacher was teaching the students about farm life and animals. She did so by modeling what she expected, having the students act out scenes, repetition, by playing the sounds of animals, songs, utilizing word families, drawing, and much more! It was great to see the children practicing out loud without embarrassment; students helped and encouraged one another.
We ended the school visit with some interaction with students in the library. They showed me how to write some calligraphy, sang some songs to us, and we taught different dances and games to each other. It was very enjoyable and the students really liked practicing their English and hanging out with us. It was interesting to see that they have different versions of some of the same games such as "Duck, Duck, Goose!"
Some of our language partners visited the school with us and were then able to do a little shopping with us before dinner. The prices of clothes are very comparable to the US but for the most part other things are very cheap! We ate dinner in a restaurant outside of campus tonight thanks to the help of our language partners. Afterwards we met with a group of nutrition students expecting to answer questions about our diets but instead we engaged in conversation and went shopping again! It turned out to be a great night and some of us found some great buys. It is always nice to have someone along who speaks the language so they can bargain for us! We are making so many new friends who I hope to keep in contact with!
Tomorrow is another big day. We have our morning language class, possibly a school visit, and then we are headed a couple of hours outside of the city to teach English for the weekend!
Yesterday, I learned the hard way not to wear flats (dress shoes) so today I dressed smarter for our school visit. We were able to visit an elementary school and what an experience that was! The school we visited was downtown and has over 1000 students. There are approximately 300 in each grade, and 50 in each class. We arrived right after the rest/nap time and the children were partaking in the singing of English songs. There was so much energy and enthusiasm in the singing and dancing! I heard songs ranging from "Little Indians" to "B-I-N-G-O" throughout the school. After they finished, children filled the hallway like we were famous! Surrounding us wanting to talk, shake hands, and give hi fives! It was crazy! We had to quickly make our way up the stairs after a few minutes of this!
We observed in a 4th grade English class during our visit. The lesson was very well prepared and very engaging. The energy level in the classroom is very apparent and students were eager to learn. Students sat boy, girl, boy, girl in rows, and with only one signal students were on task and listening. The teachers do not have a desk in the classrooms, only a podium. Instead they have a teachers' office in another part of the school. The teacher was teaching the students about farm life and animals. She did so by modeling what she expected, having the students act out scenes, repetition, by playing the sounds of animals, songs, utilizing word families, drawing, and much more! It was great to see the children practicing out loud without embarrassment; students helped and encouraged one another.
We ended the school visit with some interaction with students in the library. They showed me how to write some calligraphy, sang some songs to us, and we taught different dances and games to each other. It was very enjoyable and the students really liked practicing their English and hanging out with us. It was interesting to see that they have different versions of some of the same games such as "Duck, Duck, Goose!"
Some of our language partners visited the school with us and were then able to do a little shopping with us before dinner. The prices of clothes are very comparable to the US but for the most part other things are very cheap! We ate dinner in a restaurant outside of campus tonight thanks to the help of our language partners. Afterwards we met with a group of nutrition students expecting to answer questions about our diets but instead we engaged in conversation and went shopping again! It turned out to be a great night and some of us found some great buys. It is always nice to have someone along who speaks the language so they can bargain for us! We are making so many new friends who I hope to keep in contact with!
Tomorrow is another big day. We have our morning language class, possibly a school visit, and then we are headed a couple of hours outside of the city to teach English for the weekend!
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