English allowed

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”

- Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher

As learners of a second or a subsequent language, we understand the struggles and beauty of knowing and understanding another language. Learning a language is more than simply reading a book and identifying grammatical structures: it’s the having a conversation about street art;  talking about families and hobbies: it’s connecting with another human being. Learning a language is understanding who one is and who others are. It’s the learning of another culture.

On Friday, we took a walk to Liceo Benjamín Vicuña Makenna, a public school near Valparaiso. There we were met by a group of Chilean students who are embarking on a similar journey to ours: learning another language. The teacher set up activities where students, Chilean and American, conversed in English about family, free time, pets, music and art. Students took turns asking and answering questions with their groups, getting to know eachother better. Only this time, the American students were able to help our Chilean friends with their English! At the end of our English class, we were challenged to a ca-chi-pun (rock, paper, scissors) game, where we played until only two students remained until a winner is determined. One of our Chilean friends won and it was overall a great time with the students. After our activities, we experienced an emergency evacuation drill. All of the students had a lot of fun and were able to connect with the students through social media to continue their newly formed friendships.