OK – This is the first time that I have been to Brazil and I have the greatest classes of people – so very diverse, young 14 and old 61. Students and teachers, mothers and fathers, all together speaking English. There are about 10 to 15 students in each of my two basic classes each night – Monday thru Thursday 5:30-7 and 7:30-9 but we never finish on time – we keep going and going, losing track of the time, and most are not shy and shout when I shout and ask so many questions! I have told them that when they enter my room only the English language is spoken and then I bounce in the other room and tell them that that is the place that they can speak Portuguese! They laugh with me! They chant with me and they are trying so very hard. In a way I envy them and give them so much credit, I never learned another language out of school. My third class is Friday and Saturday for conversation – It was fun the first night I read and they read a story about murder and they had to figure out from many interviews by the inspector, who was the murderer? There was a lot of discussion and questions and opinions, and mixed into the story were the past tenses of many irregular verbs! It was a good beginning and a great time. I have about 8 – 10 in that class.
