The Bus Station Moment
By Spanish Teacher and Guest Blogger Micah J. Mercurio
From the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards: “Lifelong learning- Learners set goals and reflect on their progress in using languages for enjoyment, enrichment, and advancement.”
There I was, wandering through a bus station in Mexico with no intention of purchasing a ticket. I was drawn in by a vague thirst and a strong desire to give it a try. I wanted to go on a test run for real. I had spent so much time, five years to be precise, preparing for this moment. I had never spoken Spanish with a native speaker, and here I was, standing on the precipice of what I would later reflect on as a new phase of my life. I approached the counter where a man stood at the ready. I simply said, “Quisiera una coca cola por favor.” The man smiled, turned, grabbed a coke out of the cooler and cracked the cap with a bottle opener. After paying, I left on a wave of excitement and satisfaction, the type of excitement and satisfaction that comes after realizing that years of passion channeled into study had actually paid off. As I walked through the streets of Cuernavaca, I simply said to myself “it worked.”
That was the moment when it all really became cool. I had communicated effectively in Spanish with a man that didn’t speak my native language. It had worked and now I felt more driven than ever to continue to hone my ability to speak more fluently. This wasn’t some great exercise in communication nor was it even close to the most difficult task I had completed in Spanish. However, this simple Spanish 1 exchange was one of the most important and influential moments in my life. At the beginning of each year, I make a point of sharing this moment with my students as we discuss the importance of what we are about to embark on. I want them to have vision and to keep their eyes and minds open to their very own “bus station” moment.
In a time when educators are inundated with standards and mandated paperwork we very infrequently have the opportunity to reflect on the elusive concept of happiness. Now please don’t stop reading at this point. I promise that this isn’t going to be a glorified excerpt from a self-help book but I do think that it is important to give happiness its due time and to consider our role in promoting it within the context of the world language classroom.
At a recent department chair retreat, our principal led us through a discussion on the newly revamped graduate profile adopted by our district. One of the most salient descriptors was tucked neatly and inconspicuously under the heading skills. It simply reads seeks happiness. A room full of professional educators was acknowledging that the ability to seek happiness is a fundamental characteristic that we want for our graduates. I fear that some may interpret this descriptor as code for equipping our students to pursue careers that will provide them with all the material accoutrements that life has to offer. However, I am convinced that we, as world language educators, can and, frankly, should feel compelled to play a much more intentional role in cultivating those skills that allow our students to live a life of having enough and living fully.
So what does this all mean for us as language teachers? I would like you all to reflect for a moment on your “bus station” moment. What was that critical moment when you realized how profoundly important language could be in your life? Maybe it was on a trip to another country or maybe it was in the classroom of your favorite language teacher. Picture it and remember it as you continue to read. I would venture to guess that this moment had very little to do with finally conquering the imperfect subjunctive. Rather, I suspect that it had something to do with a human connection that was made, no matter how small, thanks to your ability to communicate effectively in your language of study. Isn’t that what is at the core of what we really want to share with our students? What will their “bus station” moment be? How will we work collaboratively with them to get to them to their own “bus station?”
I must admit openly that I love grammar. I have several colleagues who regularly poke fun at me for my affinity for the proper and natural use of the subjunctive. Grammar is so critical to communication but I have come to believe that we need to view it as a means to an end. That end should be a high level of language proficiency. I promise you that no one will describe that time they were stopped on a street corner in Caracas and asked what the third person form of the verb decir is in the preterite. Again, I can’t emphasize enough that I love grammar but we need to realize that it is a tool that our students are adding to their communicative toolbox. We should strive to foster a culture in our classroom that encourages learners to practice and use their ability to communicate within the context of activities designed with student interest in mind.
I have three children and I have spoken to them exclusively in Spanish since the moment I first held them in the hospital. My wife and I didn’t decide to make this a part of their upbringing with the expectation of potentially increasing their future salary. Rather, we value the opportunities for human connection that knowing another language can afford us. My greatest wish for my own children is happiness and real human connection and opening them up to knowing approximately 400 million new people certainly can’t hurt. I know that for me it has been life changing. Some of my closest friends live in Venezuela and don’t speak English. I simply cannot imagine my life being as full and rich without them in it.
So when you read this, please take a moment to reflect on your “bus station” moment. I hope it brings a smile to your face. Then set out to do the work of designing activities that push students to their limits in terms of communication. When they struggle to respond help them to feel comfortable being uncomfortable and to push through to produce authentic language. Yes, of course, teach grammar and vocabulary. Yes, read stories by the greats and some of the lesser known authors in your language of instruction. Provide them with the chance to listen to music and watch movies in the target language. Do all of this but remember that the lessons you teach and the opportunities that you provide your students just might be contributing to their ability to live more rich, full and happy lives.
Micah J. Mercurio teaches IB Spanish year 1 and year 2 in Dublin, OH. He also serves as the IB CAS coordinator for his school. This opportunity allows him the opportunity to help his students make a connection between the Spanish classroom and practical language usage in the local and international community.
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