Reflective Essay: Falling Out Of The Language Classroom

Falling out of my chair as the language professor walks in, is not exactly what I had in mind for what his first impression of me would be, but never the less that’s what happened. Dr. García-Castañón opened the classroom door as I was finding my seat. He walked into the classroom greeting the students in Spanish. I looked up to see what he was saying and was so focused on trying to understand by how his facial expressions were, and how the class was reacting to what he was saying, that when I went to sit down in my chair I did not notice that my chair was not underneath me. As I lifted myself off the ground in total utter embarrassment, unable to compose how mortified I felt that I had just fallen out of my seat, I look up to find the entire class looking forward completely unaware of my misfortunes and Dr. García-Castañón taking attendance in a nonchalant way, also unaware that I just fell to the ground. My misfortunes at the beginning of the class was not the last one I would encounter. Dr. García-Castañón spoke to the class about a reading assignment and

As the student I tried to keep up with what was going on, but it was very strenuous to try to decode the language barrier I was experiencing. I was at times difficult to focus on what was being said, because I couldn’t understand what was being said, so what was the point. I was embarrassing to speak and it was embarrassing to try to read. I almost felt unintelligent because I didn’t know what was going on or how to understand what was going on. I can imagine that this is how children who are immersed into a classroom where very few speak your language can be a difficult learning environment for those students. I cannot say that I have learned firsthand that emersion is not the most effective way to reach a student who does not speak the language being