As a student, my journey with bilingualism started in kindergarten. I was part of my school’s Spanish immersion program where my first day was entirely in Spanish, before then English was all I knew. While it was more than fifteen years ago now, I still being confused, a little lost, and relying heavily on the students in the class who already spoke Spanish to translate and help those of us who didn’t. 4a1p6e
This program remains the essential foundation for my Spanish abilities. To this day, I find that my skills with the language often sur those of my peers who learned through school, the only difference being how early I started. Now, I can look back on my education with gratitude towards the program.
That being said, while I was in the program, I hated it.
Hate is a strong word, and perhaps a little dramatic. It wasn’t all bad; I had amazing teachers, made great friends, and learned a lot. But in the moment, much of that was overshadowed by my dislike for Spanish.
As a kid, I was always told that I was lucky to be in the Spanish immersion program and that I would appreciate it when I was older. But I didn’t feel lucky. Learning Spanish felt like a chore, and the adults who told me how much I would appreciate it when I was older only served to annoy me. What good did future appreciation serve me as I struggled in the present?
I valued English more because it came to me naturally, I was good at it. Spanish just made me feel dumb, a sentiment that was not very conducive to learning. Now, I do appreciate starting my bilingual education so young (you were right, Mom), but that doesn’t mean the experience couldn’t have been improved.
Learning the language is a part of how I grew up. When I arrived at university, my education felt incomplete without a Spanish class, certainly a testament to my evolving relationship with the language. Now as a university student, I am pursuing a Spanish minor. Through Boston University I have the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid and work with Smile and Learn. This experience has shown me that bilingual education doesn’t have to be a struggle, it can be fun at all stages.
By creating a learning environment that is both educational and fun for the student, Smile and Learn enables them to appreciate their education through all stages, not just in hindsight. It prevents students from forming the aversion to Spanish that shaped my early experience, allowing bilingualism to become something they can appreciate in the moment, rather than something to endure for the sake of the future. Smile and Learn brings that joy from the future and shares it with the present.
