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America’s rapidly growing Hispanic population is giving some high school language teachers a golden opportunity to help their students learn Spanish from native speakers – without their ever having to leave the country.

Every Wednesday, students at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta go to a shopping mall – where most of the patrons speak Spanish.

The kids put up a sign: Practice English here…and teach us Spanish.

“This is a fifth year Spanish class,” says their teacher, Stan Moor. “So after being in a classroom for four years – and studying vocabulary and doing grammar exercises and reading plays or stories – it’s one of the first opportunities that a lot of the students have had to actually go out into the community and speak to someone.”

“I was just, like, really nervous,” says junior Ginnie Tallie, “and at first when I started talking to them I didn’t really know what to say, and I didn’t know how to, like, start a conversation.”

Many of the people who stop by want to talk with the students about how they came to the United States and what they do for a living.

“It really does immerse the students,” says Moor. “When they are speaking to someone who does not speak their language, and they have to communicate in some way, it’s probably the closest thing to going to Mexico and spending some time with a person there.”

He says students no longer need to leave the country to learn Spanish.

They can watch Spanish-language television, go a Mexican restaurant and order in Spanish, or go to the mall like his students do.

“The most exciting thing I hear from the students,” says Moor, “is when they say, ‘I can’t believe that I was speaking in Spanish this morning – and they understood what I was saying and I understood them!”

How much have their Spanish skills improved?

“A lot,” says junior Brittany Wade, “because I actually get to use my knowledge of conjugation of verbs and stuff to talk to people – rather than just taking a test.”

Moor, meanwhile, has been chosen to present details on this innovative program in Spain at this summer’s conference of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

What We Need To Know

• Parents and educators around the country can look for ways to get students interacting with native Spanish speakers – as part of language classes or extra-curricular activities. At the Westminster Schools, students are bused to a local shopping mall every Wednesday during their normal class period. The students spend 45 minutes interacting with native speakers. (Stan Moor, Spanish Teacher and Community Service Coordinator, The Westminster Schools )
• If your child’s school does not have programs in place where students can interact with native speakers, look for volunteer opportunities with reputable organizations. Try the United Way, Catholic Social Services, or the Latin American Association. (Stan Moor, Spanish Teacher and Community Service Coordinator, The Westminster Schools )
• Encourage your child to spend time listening to Spanish-language television or talk radio. (Stan Moor, Spanish Teacher and Community Service Coordinator, The Westminster Schools )
• If your child has an MP3 player, he or she can download Spanish music or instructional material. (Jim Wolfgang, Georgia College and State University )

Resources

• Stan Moor, Spanish Teacher and Community Service Coordinator, The Westminster Schools
• Jim Wolfgang, Georgia College and State University
• Latin American Association

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