THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 14, 1996 TAG: 9603120111
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
The youngsters greeted the young women with smiles and unabashed enthusiasm.
Grinning widely and chattering excitedly, the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders followed the teachers into the library as if they were pied pipers.
They weren't - these teachers were students themselves.
While Marygrace Llarenas, 19, a senior at Lake Taylor High School moved from table to table, helping the younger ones with review sheets contained in packets before them, Christine Hope, 17, a junior at Lake Taylor, wrote on a chalkboard at the head of the class.
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez.
One to 10, in Spanish, and the kids were soaking it up.
March 4-11 was National Foreign Language week. On Thursday, foreign language day at Fairlawn Elementary, the 14 youngsters were participating in a program that has, for five years, brought high school students into elementary schools to provide foreign language instruction. This year, approximately 20 upper-level foreign language students, juniors and seniors in the city's five high schools, are reaching almost 450 elementary students.
``For elementary students, foreign language class is a treat,'' said Ann Rolbin, coordinator of foreign languages for Norfolk Public Schools. ``Teachers sometimes tell them that, if they misbehave, they won't have it.''
The kids were clearly enjoying the session. As they greeted their youthful mentors with a cheery ``buenos dias'' (good day), one young voice called out ``buenas tardes'' (good afternoon), noting that the session began at 2:30 p.m. Before long, others were adding ``dos y dos'' (two plus two) and calling out the answer: ``cuatro'' (four).
``It's very important to start foreign languages at an early age,'' Rolbin said. ``They have no fear of expressing themselves, and they acquire the language naturally, as their own. They don't translate.''
Lacy Hernandez, 9, had a special reason for wanting to be in the class.
``I like it because I can learn the language and speak it to my father, who's from Cuba,'' she said. ``He likes it 'cause he thinks the way I'm learning it is good 'cause I'm learning it at school. The last time I went to New York, I used it on him. He really was surprised.''
``It gives you a chance to learn another language,'' said Leigh Ann Zagorski, 9. ``I think it'll be neat when you grow up to know another language.''
``When I grow up, if I go someplace where they speak Spanish, I can say something,'' explained Amber Landis, 8. ``I like the program a lot. They're good teachers.''
The young teachers take their responsibility seriously, and their youthful charges really look up to them. According to Rolbin, peer influence is important to the program's success. The impact on the student teachers, she added, causes some to consider a career in foreign language instruction.
``I originally wanted to pursue a career like interpreting,'' Hope said. ``It's beneficial to be able to speak two languages, at least.''
``When I heard Spanish was the second biggest language, I took it,'' Llarenas said. ``When my teacher offered this program (to teach elementary students), we signed up. She told us we had to teach the basics, and we know the basics.''
The program isn't limited to Spanish. According to Rolbin, the program includes all foreign languages taught in the city's high schools: French, German, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.
In addition to preparing lesson plans, the student teachers cover cultural aspects of the language.
``The thing I'm excited about with this program is having older children come back and work with younger children,'' Fairlawn principal Lou Page said. ``It's a resource we wouldn't otherwise have. We're seeking to form more partnerships between high school and middle school. We're in a project together, the PRIME Project, looking for ways to bridge the gap between elementary and middle schools, to get more continuity. We'd like to begin it in kindergarten.''
Page is familiar with the foreign language program from more than one perspective. His daughter was a student instructor in a school where he was assistant principal.
For all of its effectiveness, the program's cost is virtually nil.
``It shows that we can have a successful program without spending a lot of funds,'' Rolbin said.
Norfolk's high schools mounted many events and activities to mark National Foreign Language Week, including a citywide poster contest hosted by Granby High School, a Mexican fiesta at Norview High School and a citywide story contest.
But for the youngsters at Fairlawn Elementary, it is the one-on-one contact with teachers scarcely older than themselves that makes foreign languages come alive.
``The slogan for this year's National Foreign Language Week is, `The world can be a jungle without knowing another language.' '' Rolbin said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Lake Taylor senior Marygrace Llarenas, right, answers questions for
8-year-old Amber Landis.
by CNB