Bikes and Empanadas
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Many of us remember language classes as endless practice of verb conjugations and lists of vocabulary words. At Breakwater, Spanish class does not resemble that kind of language practice at all. Pablo Casasbuenas, Breakwater’s new Spanish teacher, believes that giving students opportunities to practice language in real life situations will boost their confidence and help quell the fear of using Spanish with native Spanish speakers. Two of the phrases that Pablo commonly teaches his students are “Cómo se dice…” (How do you say) and “No entiendo” (I don’t understand), giving students the permission they need to speak Spanish in real world applications without first feeling like they have to excel at it. Students play unique games using common Spanish phrases, make videos, and have conversations from both sides (ex. ordering food as well as taking an order for food). Every day, they become more confident language speakers.
“Sometimes we think that learning a second language is about filling our memory with vocabulary and concepts that we take from books and courses in the classroom. What if we changed our classroom for our city and replaced our books with real real-life interaction? For us, learning a language is also learning how to solve situations and react properly when we are interacting within a context where people use different language, different codes. ”
Last Thursday, a small group of seventh and eighth grade students took this practice out in the real world and went on a grand adventure.
It was relatively cold for a sunny afternoon in November, barely reaching 35 degrees, but armed with hand warmers, extra layers, and bravery, students hopped on their bikes and prepared for a twenty-or-so minute ride to Maiz - a Colombian restaurant on Forest Ave. in Portland. The expectation on the trip was to use only Spanish words for giving and taking direction on their bicycles. They used:
A la derecha, A la izquierda, derecho o recto, sigue, para, despacio
The Route students took from Breakwater to Maiz and back by bicycle.
Jesse McDonough, 7th and 8th grade teacher as well as the forward thinker who established our bike program at Breakwater, believes that taking bikes rather than buses offers students many wonderful opportunities. After leading bike tours for over 15 years in both New York City and Portland, Jesse has seen so many examples of students and bike riders finding a deeper connection with their community, a greater understanding of landscape and culture through using all the senses, and a powerful freedom of letting your body do the work to take you to your destination.
“Getting out and about on bikes is such a great way to interact with the community around us. And, when you add a second language element to those interactions and directions, the learning and understanding can really be profound.”
The trip was relatively smooth. The students were cold but excited to be greeted with empanadas and arepas when they got to their destination. Upon arrival, after piling up and locking their bikes, students poured into the brightly lit restaurant and prepared for the most challenging part of their trip yet: Ordering a meal entirely in Spanish. Pablo stood close for support and encouragement as students took turns approaching the counter ready for their “Me gustaría”’s and “Yo quiero”’s. Some students held papers and practiced phrases while they waited. Others nervously announced that they planned to “just order in English” (but ultimately pushed up against their comfort zones and proceeded in Spanish). In the end, all of the students on the adventure ordered their food with confidence and accuracy - with several polite ¡Gracias! sprinkled in. The food at Maiz is pretty phenomenal. We attached a menu so you could see what the students were able to choose from!
Ultimately, this trip did a few important things for our students: They used their strength and endurance to get them the 5 miles round trip to their destination - using Spanish words and phrases for giving and receiving direction. They ordered Colombian street food, in Spanish, without help. When their orders arrived, food was brought to the tables by Spanish speaking servers, so students also had to translate and receive their order based on the number on their ticket. “¡Veinticinco!” “¡Diecisiete!” They enjoyed some independence eating and socializing with friends in the restaurant. They pushed up against their comfort zones, took risks, and found success.
As they biked back to Breakwater, the snow started to fall. They arrived back to school just in time for pick up with cold fingers and toes, full bellies, and some rich experiences in language, diversity, and culture. Thank you to Jesse and Pablo - for one amazing adventure.