Fulbright Student Brings More Than Language

Managing Editor

   Fulbright Student Teaching Assistant Leticia Sanchez teaches Spanish, but also brings many Mexican customs to her Elementary Spanish classes.

   Upon arriving in the United States Aug. 11, Sanchez noticed many differences between her hometown of Oaxaca, Mexico and Arkansas.

Photo by Latoya Shelton

La Maestra - Fulbright Teaching Assistant Leticia Sanchez explains the difference in verbs which mean "to be." Sanchez arrived on campus Aug. 11 to teach Elementary Spanish.

   “Here there are many different foods and things are very expensive. In Mexico, one dollar equals 10 pesos,” Sanchez said. “One thing I do really like about Arkansas is that it’s very green.”

   Sanchez said in Oaxaca commuters ignore pedestrians, while Arkansas drivers nicely stop for those needing to cross the road. Also in Mexico, people are more socially interactive.

   “We hug and pat each other on the back when we greet each other, but in Arkansas students ask me how I am and walk off which I found unusual at first,” Sanchez explained.

   Since Sanchez lives on campus, she must let someone know when she needs something because there is no public transportation.

    “In Oaxaca, there are buses and vans to take people from place to place because it is a large place,” Sanchez said. “Arkansas is very spacious, but I can’t walk from one place to the other.”

   Sanchez mentioned the many different festivals in Oaxaca such as the Jan. 6 festival, “3 wise men,” which includes a big meal with a cake called a “rosca.” A toy is hidden in the cake and the person who finds it must bring tamales to the celebration next year. On the third and fourth Monday of July, a festival called La Guelagetz, brings people from all over Oaxaca. People arrive in costumes and perform traditional dances from their particular region. During La Guelagetz, all of the people throw beads to the crowd.

   While attending college at the Instituto Tecnologico de Oaxaca, Sanchez applied for the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant position in order to teach Spanish to English-speaking students.

   While Sanchez arrived only about a month ago, many students praise Sanchez’s teaching ability.

   “Senorita Leticia is pretty awesome. She is so cute and little and her class is a lot of fun. She plans games for our class which helps me with learning Spanish. She makes it exciting and I enjoy her class a lot,” Sophomore Leisha Johnson said.

   Sanchez decided to become a teacher while working as an English teacher for more than 2 years at Facultad de Idiomas in Oaxaca.

   Junior Chris Ellington said, “She does an excellent job at breaking down the material for students just beginning to learn Spanish.”

   For more information on a degree in Spanish, contact Isabel Bacon, Instructor of Art and Spanish at baconi@uamont.edu or 460-1638. Bacon also serves as the Director of the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants.

  

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