​Spanish: Nuevo en Preshil​

 

Hola, I’m Kat... among the subjects I teach at Preshil is the Spanish ab initio course in the Diploma Programme

by Katherine Girbau,

Teacher of Spanish, English, I&S and Science 

I am Spanish on my father’s side. Motivated by the desire to communicate with family and with a good sense of adventure I set off in my early twenties to South America. I spent three months travelling through Peru and then got a flight to Colombia. I fell in love with the country from the first day and it is there I stayed for the following two years.

Colombia has a rich history and woven through this is a passion for life, family, music and art which makes every day there an adventure. I studied Spanish for some months in the capital of Bogota and taught English, which is where I discovered my passion for teaching.

I later moved to the countryside. It was there that my knowledge of the Spanish language really flourished. I credit my friends and neighbours, many of whom I consider family, for teaching me Spanish. Campesinos (farmers) of Colombia are humble yet strong people who give their all to those around them, even when they don’t have much to give. To me they gave the gift of a second language that I am privileged to share with the students at Preshil. 

Spanish ab initio is a language acquisition course designed to provide students with the necessary skills and intercultural understanding to enable them to communicate successfully in an environment where the language studied is spoken. This process encourages the learner to go beyond the confines of the classroom, expanding an awareness of the world and fostering respect for cultural diversity. I love this model of language acquisition as, initially, it requires basic vocabulary and grammar, however as the course unfolds the students can use that language to immerse themselves in a vast array of history, culture and communication.

The ab initio course is structured in three parts:

o    Individuals and societies

o    Leisure and work

o    Urban and rural environment.

Year 11 students are currently focusing on individuals and societies and learning to describe themselves and others.