ESOL

This evening I went to one of the high schools where we have one of our ESOL classes to present to those in the class regarding going on to college. Mostly there were those that speak Spanish. Thank Goodness I grew up in So California where I had 5 years of Spanish in school. But not only that, my step mother Eva is Latina. She spoke Spanish around us... but I would always speak back to her in English. I had also a best friend and roomate in Huntington Beach when I was 18 that spoke (and still does) Spanish... which came in handy where we worked which was a mall called South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA. Teresa (my friend) doesn't look Latina and she would surprise many when she would bust out speaking to Spanish speakers in their language. Actually I did that tonight... I started out asking a question in Spanish like I would have done in Cali. All their heads looked up quickly surprised that I could but a sentence quickly. I did that so that they would warm up to me and they did. Most of the time they are the ones struggling with a new language, and they could see that I too was about at the same level they are only in Spanish. I realize now that I should have kept practicing and learned to speak Spanish completely.

I am still not completely well... but I am getting better. Hugs