I didn't get much sleep last night. I was anxious about my first day at the high school. There was absolutely no reason to be nervous, though. The 13 students who came today wanted to be there and were extremely sweet, polite, respectful, and helpful. They were also incredibly gifted and excellent English speakers. One young man, Alex, has been taking English classes since kindergarten and he spoke perfect English with no accent. Most of the students said they had been taking English since third grade; many of them have taken Cambridge exams and hope to go to college in the U.S. Our youngest student, Maria, loves French literature; she's 13 and she's read--and loves--Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I didn't ask, but I'm sure she has read it in French. Have I read it? No. And I have an MA in English.
These young people are really the first post-Communist era generation. Their parents don't speak English at all, or if they do, it's only enough to get them by in their jobs. These students speak English, and many of them speak French fluently as well. Some of them speak multiple languages. They are all unique, they all have different tastes in music (most love British and American bands, even underground bands that probably few of us have heard of), many of them are artistic, but most importantly, they share a passion for learning that I rarely see in the U.S. They seek out knowledge instead of being passive. The fact that they are willing to spend up to four hours with four volunteers from the U.S. when they could be sleeping or playing video games speaks volumes.
I didn't take pictures today, but I will tomorrow. The school was built in the 1870s; it is old, but it is truly beautiful--the floors are marble, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, pots of flowers line the main stairs, and pictures of famous graduates cover the walls of the foyer and main hallway. The sense of history and tradition pervades and perfumes and atmosphere. It is truly amazing and breathtaking to be here.
These young people are really the first post-Communist era generation. Their parents don't speak English at all, or if they do, it's only enough to get them by in their jobs. These students speak English, and many of them speak French fluently as well. Some of them speak multiple languages. They are all unique, they all have different tastes in music (most love British and American bands, even underground bands that probably few of us have heard of), many of them are artistic, but most importantly, they share a passion for learning that I rarely see in the U.S. They seek out knowledge instead of being passive. The fact that they are willing to spend up to four hours with four volunteers from the U.S. when they could be sleeping or playing video games speaks volumes.
I didn't take pictures today, but I will tomorrow. The school was built in the 1870s; it is old, but it is truly beautiful--the floors are marble, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, pots of flowers line the main stairs, and pictures of famous graduates cover the walls of the foyer and main hallway. The sense of history and tradition pervades and perfumes and atmosphere. It is truly amazing and breathtaking to be here.
Here's the team picture (thanks, Stan!)
No comments:
Post a Comment