Spanish and English…

Mark’s future Leader of English at La Escuela, was in touch a few days ago and we learn that she has a daughter in her early teens attending the school who now speaks excellent Spanish and even has a Mexican accent but of course I realise it’s much easier to learn at that age. 

However, there is about to be set up “a little learning group for children in the local community”. Two of the teachers should be starting this just after Easter, mostly to teach a bit of reading and writing and provide some help with homework “to children who get a bit of a rough deal in life”. This will apparently also involve the older students in school - as it will all be in Spanish and it’s mentioned that I “will be very welcome to get involved - the more adults the better”.   In addition it’s been asked if I might be willing to give some basic English tuition to Mexican members of staff on the basis that “the level is quite basic so not very challenging, but worth thinking about".  That certainly sounds interesting…  this is proving so helpful with advice over and above school matters, and with such a welcoming attitude to me as Mark’s partner, which I am finding really gratifying (so long as Mark prepares the lesson plans!).

We have learned that the school is in a place called St Pedro Martir, a village on the southern outskirts of Mexico City.  The English Department Leader lives in a house with a garden in which she says she can “enjoy a cold beer” on a warm summer evening.  The house is very close to the school which she says is a great advantage but several of the staff live a bit further away in accommodation close to La Plaza de Tlalpan, “a quite picturesque area with a nice square with restaurants and cafes”  somewhere I can sit to people-watch and read maybe.  The village is also “very Mexican – you won’t find anyone speaking English here” and she has sent a few photographs, some of which I’m sharing with you:

I am finding all of this very welcoming and, of course, I’m more than happy to give it a whirl but from my recent  revision lessons in Spanish with Mark, it’s become clear that I also need to revise my verb conjugations in English as well.  It’s been a helluva long time since I did this at Burford Grammar School all those decades ago, and I admit most of that theory is forgotten.  

We all speak our mother tongue 

naturally and as a matter of course but it’s become clear that verb conjugation is going to be an imperative if I’m going to succeed with my Spanish.

I’ve also been told that it might be possible for me to join in classes run by the school for new members of staff wanting to learn or improve their Spanish. This will be very welcome if it can be arranged but I must try to brush up on what I’ve learned to show that I’m not a complete greenhorn.

Coupled with all of this is that once the school heard I was interested in gardening, they said there is a small gardening project on the site and I will be more than welcome to get involved with that. 

What is becoming clear is that all of this simply confirms the impressively helpful way in which I too have been embraced by the school and some of its members; all part of a great ethos on which Mark picked up when he did his initial research into the school when he saw the TES advertisement way back in January.