We Made the Paper!

As I mentioned in my last entry, a journalist in Le Mans interviewed me and another assistant about our jobs, our opinions on language learning and French culture, and our aspirations for the future. Below is the newspaper article I translated from the original one published in French.

Adam and Rachael teach English to Sarthe schoolchildren

Two Americans came to Le Mans in October and intervene in Pre-school through Fifth grade classes

One recognizes them from their accent, but their French is almost perfect. Rachael, 23, and Adam, 29, are Americans. In Le Mans since October, these assistants are discovering what it's like teaching foreign languages in France.

Monday through Thursday they teach English in the schools where they have been assigned. And Fridays, with seven other assistants, they roam the department to host English day in the schools (read below). "We teach them the culture of our country, while basing it on holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or essential aspects, such as the New York metro, and associate it with the vocabulary that goes along with it," explain the young Americans.

Learning in High School
"Here, foreign languages are taught early, even if it's only an introduction. In the United States, we learn French when entering High School," indicates Rachael. "Americans can be centered on themselves and not very open to the outside world," Adam analyses as he tells about when he announced to his mom that he was going to France, after having studied in Spain and taught in Columbia, and she responded to him: "But why do you travel so much when we have everything here?" "I started by learning Spanish. With the immigration, it's the second most spoken language in the United States. It was important for me to be able to understand it."

Rachael confirms: "When one knows other languages, they are more open-minded. It allows us to have another vision of the world and of life, to better understand other cultures."

In their professional life, Rachael and Adam don't see it any other way than being surrounded by people coming from all horizons. Rachael would like to return to the United States where she hopes to become an English professor at a University..."but for international students." Adam also wishes to teach his native language, but in Europe. He doesn't know exactly where yet. While waiting to find his Eden, he signed up at the University to take classes... of Japanese.

A Slower Culture than in the United States
What the young Americans particularly appreciate is the French rhythm of life. "It's a much slower culture than in the United States. Here, you always take the time to eat dinner with family, for example. And for lunch, the kids have a two hour break... It's a lot! Americans are always in a rush," recognizes Rachael.

In Adam's opinion, Le Mans has "the qualities of a large city - notably with the public transportation - even though it's a pretty small town after all." But what surprises this young assistant the most, is that "Sundays, Le Mans no longer exists! I like this idea, but the reality is a bit more difficult to live," he said with a burst of laughter.

English day: learning while having fun
"This day is so cool! All we do is play games!" Evidently, English Day proposed to schoolchildren from Suzanne-Bousson this Friday was a plebiscite.

Dressed in dark pants and a white top, resembling the English uniform, the students played along, some of them making a tie out of paper to complete their outfit.

After an assembly about the assistants' citizenship, the children left in groups of mixed ages to participate in workshops hosted by their teachers, parent volunteers, and the English assistants. Numbers, colors, ingredients, utensils... "We leave behind the textbooks and whiteboards and they don't realize that they're learning. They just have the impression that they're playing," observes Marie Gueusset, educational advisor of modern languages. "It's a break from their class routine," continues the director of the school, Gilles Papillon. "They are confronted by students that aren't the same age as them. The older ones are welcoming towards the younger ones, while helping them voluntarily."

And it's not the young Lina, in First grade, who will contradict it. One wouldn't even know what to say this young lady preferred that day: the making of jello - a colored and gelatin dessert "that we're going to eat at snack time" or the moment where she assisted in a workshop "in the big kids' class." This "privilege" seems to have been enough to embellish this young lady's day! 

When Work and Play Collide

My Students:
Are you married? Do you have kids? Are you going to have kids soon? Did you come here on a boat? Why do you have a different voice than us? Do you like bananas? My mom's name is Rachael.

Those were the first questions I was bombarded with when I presented myself to my students the first day of work. Even now, they are still curious about me, my country and my culture, and are eager to learn my language. This makes my job even more enjoyable. The first day I went out to recess, three children gave me bouquets of leaves and one gave me a Pokémon card to keep so I "wouldn't forget her." Already feeling a bond with the children, I knew I would love this job.

Some days at work, I walk past a window where the kids outside at morning recess are pounding on the glass yelling, "Rachelle!" Otherwise, I'm usually greeted with groups of children surrounding me and yelling "Hello!" at me repeatedly. It's definitely their favorite English word. Other days I can't help but feel like I'm in a zoo when the kids peer through the windows and play peek-a-boo with me while I'm in the break room. But I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, because it's not everyday that I will go to work feeling like a celebrity. 

It hardly feels like work when you're playing games, singing songs, doing crafts, and reading books all day. But my favorite part is "Question Time" after I talk to them about American culture and holidays. The kids always surprise me with questions I never expected. Why is the Indian not wearing very many clothes? He's going to get wet if it rains. Are Santa's elves black? Does Santa speak English too? Showing kids something foreign always provokes their curiosity and I love that. 


Comparison of school systems:
After having experienced working in schools in America and Mexico, it has been interesting to work in the French school system and be able to compare the three. Here are some differences I have noticed so far:
1) After being used to having 30 minutes for lunch in the US, I feel really spoiled having a 2 hour lunch break in France.
2) ... especially when the teachers serve you wine during this break.
3) Some of the formalities in the classroom still do not cease to amaze me. The obsession with rulers I find to be amusing. "Use your ruler to underline the title and date."  "Use your ruler to properly cross-off the words in the word bank on your test." My first mistake in the classroom was not using the giant ruler to underline the title on the chalkboard.
4) Students raise their finger, instead of their hand, to answer or ask a question.
5) Contrary to American kids, French kids are taught to write in cursive and write this way all the time. Pen and white-out are usually required for writing. Emphasis is often put on neat handwriting.
6) For teachers who stick to former rules of courtesy in French classrooms, students will stand when you enter the room and say, "Good morning, Rachael" and will only sit when you tell them to. It doesn't seem to be that common anymore, but I still see it occasionally.
7) Students or teachers must knock before entering the classroom and wait to be told to come in. Like I experienced in Mexico, students who are late must ask to enter the classroom.
8) There aren't any "recess teachers," but rather it's the school teachers who observe the kids at recess. The playgrounds at my schools don't have swings or big toys, but just a blacktop where the kids run around and play games.


English Day:
Most Fridays I go to a different school with four other English assistants where we have an English Day. Different workshops are run by either an assistant or teacher and the kids rotate through the stations every 30 minutes. The activities consist of playground games, story time, cooking, singing songs, crafts, card games, etc. - all in English, all day long. The kids are having fun while simultaneously learning English - whether it's from understanding a story from my gestures and the pictures, or attempting to sing along to a new song and do the motions. It's a fun day for everyone involved.

During my most recent English day, there was a journalist who visited the school, interested in writing an article about it. The following week, she invited me and another assistant to her office to be interviewed in French about our job, our life in France, our opinions on language learning, our future plans, etc. The article will soon be published in the region's newspaper, so stay tuned! It was a good experience and fun to talk about topics that interested me (e.g. culture, language, teaching) and a job that I enjoy.

It is very motivating for me to see the kids who refused to learn English at the beginning of the year eager to participate and excited for English lessons. My goal is to continue to spark their interest, ignite their potential, and not let their flame of enthusiasm diminish.