“¡Qué frío!” call out my Bumblebees, panting out little puffs of steam. I’ve joked with them that they’re breathing fire, and are destined to become dragons once they’re grown-ups. Even at 4 years old, they’re skeptical of my antics.
It’s Christmas camp, and we’re wrapping up a short excursion to the playground to let off some steam (literally and figuratively). Our hands are turning red and it’s time to head inside for a snack- pilla-pilla with the older kids warmed us up, but only temporarily.
As our jackets, scarves, and gloves reclaim their spots on our little hallway hangers, I’m reminded of home.
“Who has been to Canada?” I ask. Silence. Perhaps the present perfect tense was confusing things.
“Who knows Canada?” I try, pointing to my head to signify what it means to know something, and I think they’re getting it this time. Most of them shake their heads, but a couple smile tellingly.
“Canada! I fly to Canada!” Chimes in one of the 6-year-old Hunny Bunnies joining us for the day. I smile, wondering whether this cross-continental trip is common for Spanish families, and assuming it might not be.
“In Canada it is cold!” I say, gesturing for repetition by cupping my hand around my ear and leaning forward.
“Cold!” They repeat proudly.
“And where I’m from, there are a LOT of trees!”
“Trees!”
“And bears!”
“Bears!”
“And rain!”
“Rainy!” (Note to self, teach weather nouns in addition to adjectives).
“I’m from Vancouver!”
Silence. Understandably, this last word is a little too strange to make sense right away. After all that’s not one, but TWO buzzy “V” sounds!
“Bonjour!” Chimes in another Hunny Bunny impressively. Clever, I thought that this kid knows about Canada’s two official languages. But…
“People don’t speak French in Vancouver,” I claim boldly (they do, but very poorly). “But that’s very good! Bonjour means “hello” in French.”
“Hello!” (With this, I’ve recaptured the attention of the 3-year-olds).
One of the most exciting realizations I’ve had after moving to Spain has been that Vancouver is not very well-known by many Europeans. When I’m getting to know new friends, I get to complain about the weather, politics, and cost of living all from scratch as if it’s brand new information! But I love Vancouver, and I always tell people to visit- the mountains, beaches, and trees create a lush urban-rainforest mixture that feels pretty magical in the Spring and Summer.
The poetic ways I feel about Vancouver- its sunsets, the places where the forest meets the sea, the special relationships local residents have with raccoons- are a bit much to explain to a 5-year-old who’s never been. So, I keep my explanations tight and informative, hoping to integrate my experience of home with the learning goals of the week we’re in:
Transportation week, it was “In some places in Canada, people drive snowmobiles!”
Food week, it was “Vancouver has hundreds of amazing sushi restaurants!”
Home week, it was “Where I’m from, all bedrooms have outdoor windows!”
Over time, I’ve come to recognize that these little bits and pieces about my home are changing the way my students think about learning English. The more questions they ask me about Canada, the more satisfied I feel that what they’re learning in my classroom is both linguistic and cultural.
After all, language and culture are so inseparable they literally create one another. Intercultural competency is a critical part of language education; without it, students may be able to communicate “accurately,” but inevitably miss out on so much of the subtext that exists in everyday communication (Hossain, 2023). For example,
Why do we say that an Eagle “soars” but a plane “flies”?
Why do we say that time moves forward and back instead of East and West (like some Aboriginal Australians; Boroditdky & Gaby, 2010)?
Why are there such profoundly different connotations for the words “cool” “cold” “warm” and “hot”?
Why is it called “The American Dream” and not “The American Goal”?
These questions, I reckon, could be fairly provocative for many English speakers. They beg deeper questions about how language shapes our perception of the world. Someone could speak English with perfect grammar and fluency- but without any cultural knowledge, I’m willing to bet that these questions would be very difficult to answer.
Language and Cultural Curiosity
I was privileged to grow up with opportunities to learn about the indigenous peoples belonging to present-day Vancouver; their languages are a window into their cultural worldviews. For example, in the Coast Salish Hun’qumi’num’ language, certain things like homes, canoes, the sun, and flowing water are grammatically animate objects, with abilities to act and interact intentionally (Suttles, 2007). This is hard to capture with English; though many try (see “Is a River Alive” by Robert McFarlane), animating otherwise inanimate objects is more of a clever literary device than an actual worldview within English…
… Which brings me to the famous quote from Charlemagne: “To have another language is to possess a second soul.” Language-learning is cultural learning– it’s about developing the tools to learn more about the diversity of people, places, and perceptions that exist in our world.
I hope that by sparking my students’ curiosities about Canada, I’m fuelling their motivation behind learning English. There are so many places and people in the English-speaking world to explore, and as a teacher, I’m proud to offer a window into my own culture that adds depth to my students’ education.
La Casita’s focus on experiential learning with native-English-speaking teachers means cultural competence is always a core part of the lesson-plan. A cold playground can spark a learning moment about weather, a conversation about Canada, and a new curiosity that gives more reason for my students to care about English in the first place! At Casita we don’t just study English- we live it.
References
Boroditsky, L., & Gaby, A. (2010). Remembrances of times east: Absolute spatial representations of time in an Australian Aboriginal community. Psychological Science, 21(11), 1635–1639. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610386621
Hossain, K. I. (2024). Reviewing the role of culture in English language learning: Challenges and opportunities for educators. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100781
Suttles, W. (2007). Musqueam Reference Grammar. UBC Press.