TEACHER'S CORNER: EXPERIENCES IMPORTANT FOR LEARNING LANGUAGES

SCOTT CITY -- Spanish teacher Gloria Arnold believes that by forming classroom lessons based on her life's experiences, she can teach her students practical information they can apply to real-life situations.

Arnold has 11 years of teaching experience and is in her first year as a teacher at Scott City High School. Although she took a 12-year hiatus from teaching to work in another field, those experiences serve her well when working with her students.

"Although not in the classroom, I explained procedures to hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds," said Arnold, who worked in a doctor's office. "I also used my Spanish to explain procedures and pronounce names."

She often calls upon her first experiences as a tourist in Mexico when working with students. They need to know they should only drink bottled or purified water, and they also have to know that "frijoles" means beans in Mexico, she said. Other lessons include how to buy groceries and work with emergency personnel.

"My Spanish II classes have made menus and learned how to order food, and they've gone shopping in pretend stores so they'll learn how to barter at the market place," said Arnold. "Later this year we'll have pretend visits to hospitals and the police station. We'll also learn to ask people for directions to important places like the police station and the restroom."

Arnold said there are many benefits to learning a foreign language. Students learn to communicate regarding the necessities of life, but they also develop an appreciation for other cultures.

Learning a foreign language also reinforces grammar and enhances understanding of your native language, she said.

"The important thing to remember in learning a foreign language is easy for some and difficult for others," she said. "I tell students that somehow they learned English, so they need to hang in there and not be discouraged."