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Speaking Spanish
UGA helps bridge gap at school
Conversations in the hallways of Chase Street Elementary School have a distinct personality. Many students roll their R's, make their V's sound like B's and their 'goodbyes' sound like 'adios.'
With 30 percent of the student body hailing from Spanish-speaking families, Chase Street is a true test in bilingualism. Lily Erp, the school's bilingual parent liaison who works to minimize language and cultural barriers between Spanish-speaking parents and the school, is harmonizing the two languages -- and pulling in the University of Georgia's department of Romance languages.
As a result of Erp's vision, Teresa Perez-Gamboa, UGA's Spanish language coordinator for the department of Romance languages, is giving weekly Spanish classes to Chase Street teachers. Thursday afternoon, her lesson was dynamic enough to enliven 15 teachers fresh from the classroom.
''Te-quil-a,'' Perez-Gamboa recited. ''I'm sure you've heard about tequila, no?''
Perez-Gamboa then showed a video of men kissing each other on the cheek in greeting -- which got a laugh from the ladies and a nervous grin from the men.
Teacher Jennifer Aaron said it was vitally important to know at least some Spanish -- a couple of her students do not speak much English at all.
''It's validating their native language,'' Aaron said. ''That is something that's important and not to be shunned when they get to the school doors.''
Earlier this month, 40 UGA Spanish students came to Chase Street to translate parent-teacher conferences. Erp said the UGA students were extremely nervous at first, especially when the teachers had bad news for the parents, but warmed into their role and were extremely enthusiastic.
The UGA students, working with professors Perez-Gamboa, Elena Adell and Monica Ruiz-Melendez, are receiving class credit for their involvement at Chase Street.
''The best thing is that the university students are gaining just as much as Chase Street from this relationship,'' said Erp. ''They need to practice speaking, and here they can do it in the real world.''
As another partnership activity, the UGA students have just started coming to Chase Street to read books in English and Spanish -- each page is read in both languages before moving on.
''It is a wonderful experience,'' said UGA graduate student Lenora Hayes, who read to students Friday. ''The English-speakers participated as much in Spanish as they did in English. They were really overwhelmed to be speaking another language and were really excited.''
Erp's visions for the partnership stretch far beyond Chase Street.
''We are like a test,'' Erp said. ''If it works here, they can go into all the schools that need it.''
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, November 17, 2001.
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/111701/uga_1117010054.shtml
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