The Hungarian students chosen to be part of this exchange all speak English at a high level. Our students ask questions and are learning as many Hungarian words as possible, but there is really no language barrier. But how do we communicate with those with whom we do not share a common tongue? This was the question put to the Beth Tfiloh high schoolers in preparation for one of our programs here in Budapest.
We decided to have our students do some teaching in the SSG elementary school. Eventually, the third grade was picked, although we did not know exactly who they would be teaching at the outset. There was a great deal of skepticism on the part of many. The SSG elementary students know very little English – maybe a few words, but not enough to carry on a conversation or even follow directions. The question many asked was whether this was a valuable use of our very limited time in Budapest. Would it be just big kids and little kids staring at each other in silence? Or would it be a slow, stilted conversation with a translator in the middle? Neither was a very appealing option.
However, as a language teacher, I am aware that communication is much more than speech. The students and I met about a week and a half before I left for Hungary and I asked them to think about what I and their other language teachers did when we were trying to teach new words. I certainly don’t translate everything into English. In fact, when I used to teach elementary school Spanish and French, I rarely spoke English, to the point that often students did not know that I was able to. And yet, they were able to understand vocabulary, follow directions, and start to speak the languages themselves. So we brainstormed: pictures and acting can help to share ideas and teach new vocabulary. Games and music are universal. We thought of subjects that were recognizable to everyone. And we planned. The students created lessons on music, food, games, sports, and holidays, using pictures and props. When we found out the age and number of the students, we met again briefly to finish organizing, but the students were ready.
This morning, the students had their opportunity to teach. It was, in a word, magical. There was laughing, singing, playing, running – children having fun and being themselves. There was a little translation, a bit of aid from the bilingual folks around, but it would have worked without it. The BT students had planned to perfection, and the SSG third graders were loving it. There is no doubt in my mind that they will remember this experience for years. Isn’t that what we want? Isn’t that the kind of memories we want to make and connections we want to build? It doesn’t matter that they didn’t speak the same language. Because, you know what else is universal? A smile.
