My Students Inspire Me

I love my English students. They are all very sweet people. I have noticed even in advanced speakers of English that there is still a problem with using "in," "on," and the feminine and masculine words "he,she." They will say "It is in the table" or "It is on the car." When speaking of women in the past tense, they will say "...and he said" instead of saying "...she said." The reason for this is that in Spanish, there is no separation between "in" and "on." There is one word only, "en." Same with possessives; instead of "his" or "hers" it's simply "su."

They are encouraged by my trouble with some Spanish words, and when I explain to them my problem with past and future tenses (there are FIVE tenses in Spanish) and figuring out whether the subject of my sentence is masculine or feminine, they don't feel so bad.

We discuss all kinds of things, sometimes resorting to Spanglish to make the point. It's really fun.

In addition to getting paid I always get snacks, such as coffee and cookies or little sandwiches and cake. These people are very generous and the warmth of being in their company is wonderful. They are such hospitible and grateful people, very open to me with their stories. They trust me and that is an honor. They will often tell me things even their spouses of families don't know. To be trusted with personal information and engage in psychological support is an amazing experience.

It is said that Mexicans are the 2nd happiest people in the world. It's not hard to believe. No matter what, these people find something to be festive about. They are happy people who love to have a good time. An invitation to play a game is always accepted, they love games and will often make a game out of something if there is nothing else to play with. Toothpicks, matches and bottle caps are no exception. If it can be played with, they will do it, young and old.

I love my new home more every day. These people are extraordinary in my eyes.