What Would Your Spanish Students Like to Ask Their Community Partners?

by Ann Abbott


Now that we are in the final weeks of the semester, we are looking back on our experiences with Spanish community service learning (CSL) and drawing some conclusions. Lección 19 in Comunidades is about reflection: what role does it play in our everyday lives, why is it important in a Spanish CSL class and what do your reflective essays reveal about your learning over the semester?

One activity in particular (Actividad 19-2, Paso 2 on page 127) asks students what they would like to ask their community partners about their interactions with our Spanish CSL students this semester.

This is what my students would like to ask:
    Comunidades
  • ¿Te gusta la ayuda de los estudiantes?- Do you like the students´ help?
  • ¿Prefieres una persona con más experiencia? - Would you prefer someone with more experience?
  • Desde tu perspectiva, ¿cómo he afectado yo a los miembros de la comunidad directamente? - How do you think I have helped the community members directly?
  • ¿Qué puedo hacer para mejorar mi trabajo en la comunidad? - What can I do to improve my work in the community?
  • ¿Piensas que es una experiencia buena trabajar con los estudiantes de nuestra clase? - Do you think it is good experience to work with students from our class?
  • ¿Reconocen los estudiantes las diferencias culturales que tienes? - Do students recognize your cultural differences? [I believe this is referring to the notion of providing culturally appropriate services.]
  • A fin de cuentas, ¿estás satisfecho con el trabajo de los estudiantes? - In the end, are you satisfied with the students´ work?
  • ¿Te incomoda revelar información privada a personas que no conoces? - Is it uncomfortable to give private information to people you don´t know [the Spanish CSL students]?
  • [For a school] ¿Cómo se sienten los padres cuando ven a los estudiantes de la universidad trabajando con sus hijos? - What do the parents think when they see their kids working with university students?
  • ¿Crees que nuestro trabajo ha ayudado a los estudiantes? - Do you think our work has helped the students?
We often wonder what our students are thinking.  All we have to do is ask!  I will follow up with our community partners and ask them if they can answer any of these questions for our students.

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