Word by Word

        Tia Taylor, a rising senior at Southern Methodist University and Physical Education assistant at Fe y Alegría leans into the language barrier, surprises, and life in Peru - word by word -

I have taken more Spanish classes than I can count. Learning numbers, colors, verbs, conjugations, and tons of vocabulary. So, therefore, I thought I was pretty good at Spanish. I mean, I should be right. 

Well, boy, was I in for a surprise.

 My first-day teaching at Fe y Alegría Primaria school was a challenge. I silently stood, nodding my head, not understanding a word that was spoken to me. I felt so lost and struggled to keep up the whole day. However, I kept going, nodding and smiling along the way. At the end of the day, some of the teachers had gathered at the front of the school.

They eagerly began conversing with me and invited me to play volleyball with them…or so I thought. I followed the group of teachers, and we got on a bus. At first, I thought we were maybe going to Urcos or another town nearby. However, 45 minutes passed, and we were still in the bus. I was so confused, nervous, and honestly a bit scared.  We pulled up to this large stadium with multiple soccer and volleyball courts in a town I still do not know the name of. I was given a Fe y Alegría polo and told to sign in. It slowly hit me that I completely misunderstood what they invited me to. At this moment, I realized I was at some tournament. Again, my lack of knowledge of Spanish threw me by surprise. However, despite my limitation in communication, the group of teachers made me feel like a team member. As I cheered them on, I found myself more confident and comfortable. We shared many laughs, and the language barriers slowly began to dissipate. This experience crafted the beginning of new friendships with my colleagues and “teammates.”

The next day as I entered the school, I was greeted by the teachers, and we recapped our crushing defeat in the tournament's final round. With school beginning shortly (8:20 AM), I was asked if I would be willing to help with the PE classes, and I eagerly agreed. I was secretly excited because I believed that I would not have to use as much Spanish. Well, I was once again in for a surprise. Fiorella, one of the gym teachers, asked me to lead a game with the fifth-graders. Here I stood in front of 30 kids, and suddenly my confidence from the volleyball confidence had completely left me. After introducing myself, I tried to think of the right words and how to say them in Spanish. One of the girls in the class noticed this and decided to help me. She came up to me and began helping me with what to say. Together with her, I was able to do a warm up and start a fun game of tag. Throughout the day, I slowly became more confident and began to pick up the new words. The children were filled with joy and energy and were excited to help me and answer all my questions. Interacting with them did not only help me transition to a new language but also to a new culture.

In only a week and a half of being here, I have embraced moments uncomfortability. This has truly allowed me to experience the region, people, and culture. Allowing moments of nervousness and fear to come and taking them head-on has allowed me to progress to a sense of authenticity with the community. While I may not be fluent right now, this immersive experience has put me on track to achieve a deeper understanding of the language, one day. And while language is just one part of a culture, it has the transformative power to formulate relationships. Even if just a few words, it creates a sense of connectivity that has already led me to new places.