Before moving to Israel, I imagined I would spend my days teaching English to students the same way I was taught Spanish as a young child. I started to learn Spanish in the second grade, at a similar age to which my students learn how to speak English here. However, I did not imagine the difference in commitment between the students learning English here and my experience learning a foreign language at home. I studied Spanish throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, and eventually minored in Spanish and lived in Spain for four months, yet I feel as though some of my students here have a higher level of English leaving elementary school than I had entering college. The community puts a very high emphasis on learning this language and the importance of being able to communicate with English speakers. I have seen this both in and outside of school.
The need to learn English in a country where English is not the first language has really caused me to reflect on my own life. I feel very lucky to be able to speak this language that is considered so vital in today’s world. I feel as though I have a leg up, because I was brought up speaking the language. However, at the same time, I feel jealous of the students who are in the sixth grade and can speak three languages, as their culture values this imperative skill.
