Seen in the Press
Spanish class helps Lakeville district staff connect with ESL students
Anna Cronk, Sun Newspapers January 25, 2006
In the bag of tricks she's learned so far, the phrase "¿Le puedo ayudar?" has been the most helpful, Sandy Giorgi said.
The English translation of "Can I help you?" has already come in handy when Giorgi greeted a new, Spanish-speaking family at Crystal Lake Elementary, following her first Spanish lesson.
Giorgi and 14 other School District 194 administrators and support staff are taking a 12-week Spanish course, focused on learning enough key vocabulary to connect and communicate with Spanish-speaking students and their parents to improve understanding, cooperation and academic achievement.
"I've been getting really good at some key phrases," said Giorgi, Crystal Lake's learning specialist.
But more importantly, she said, learning a few everyday Spanish phrases will help Spanish-speaking students and their families feel more comfortable in a new setting.
"If you try to meet them half way, they'll meet you half way, too. If you use just a little Spanish, you see them light up just like a Christmas tree," Giorgi said.
Crystal Lake Elementary Principal Bill Mack, who is also taking the class, said knowing some commonly used Spanish will also help ease stress for school employees.
"Staff have a natural tendency to panic when families come in who speak no English," said Mack. "It would be helpful if we knew just enough words."
The interest in an occupational Spanish class has accompanied the changing demographics in the Lakeville area school district.
The class is taught by Edwin Adorno and Harold Torrence through Dakota County Technical College's Customized Training program.
"The flood gate has been opened. They're coming. They're here," said Adorno to the class. "The Latino community is going to be a very significant part of what we do in the United States and even here in Lakeville."
Giorgi, who has taught at Crystal Lake Elementary for 14 years, said she has noticed a remarkable change in the student population.
"We do have some attendance areas that are different from in the past," she said. "It's much more diverse, but, we embrace that diversity. It is a change and it does require us to make a shift as a staff."
Between now and early April, the Spanish students will learn basics like Spanish pronunciation, greetings, days and months, numbers and time and colors and shapes. They will also focus on school-related vocabulary and cultural lessons that will help communication with students with limited English skills.
The class has weekly homework following a two-hour Wednesday evening meeting.
First, the students are asked to use the Spanish learned from previous lessons in a daily setting with a Spanish speaker.
"If you just say 'hola,' there is going to be a little brick that's going to fall from that barrier," said Adorno.
He wants to help his students understand how every little attempt to communicate with students and families will help break down the communication barriers.
The students' other assignment is to watch a Spanish news program on television and write down the words that are recognizable.
While the class doesn't emphasize perfect grammar, Giorgi said she thinks it will be effective and that hopefully the trend will spread through more staff in the district.
"I would encourage it. It's a great opportunity that would give classroom teachers some confidence, even with simple phrases," she said. "I think this is a real eye-opener. We're in a different day."
'If you just say 'hola,' there is going to be a little brick that's going to fall from that barrier.'
- Edwin Adorno,teacher