personal writing piece
Learning with Valerie and Yelena Babyuk
So there I was, working in the dance studio, minding my own business, teaching lessons, when my boss calls me in her office. She explains to me that she has a couple from the Ural Mountains part of Russia moving to the Valley of the Sun to work in our ballroom dance studio. She informs me they are Russian 10 dance champions, so that means they really know there stuff. She proceeds to tell me of this idea she has that I will teach them English. But it’s not just an ESL class she has in mind, it’s a “learn English as you teach me International Style dancesport” class that she’s talking about.
After a few visa issues, Valerie and his wife Yelena finally arrive with their son Archie. They know a little bit of English but not much, and the slang is really throwing them for a loop. Yelena is very self conscious, and it seems like I spend a good portion of the time coaxing her into just trying to speak English. She is dainty and very well groomed; she always has her make-up on and her clothes are very classy. I don’t think she’s comfortable seeming imperfect, while Valerie is like a bull in a china closet with his words. Anything he hears even once is something he will try to repeat. As far as my dancing goes, I learn a lot about international style Cuban motion, which makes my legs and hips look sexier when I dance the rumba, and I learn about getting farther left in closed dance position, which makes my topline look better.
Even though they don’t know much English we have some common ground to start with; the syllabus for ballroom dancing is basically in English, so even if you were to have a dance session with a coach who doesn’t know much English, you can still get your money’s worth. How much and what they do know of the language, however, is very entertaining.
At one point we’re working on the box step, when Valerie asks me about something that has been puzzling him. Why is the slang for money, “bucks?” Then he dances the box step and says, “box.” Now I’m laughing because I finally realize what’s going on; when they say “box” with their accent, it sounds like, “bucks.” So without seeing any spelling of these words, they must sound the same them. This is just the beginning of the funny bumps in the road of learning English. We move on to phrases that will help them teach in their new county. The next thing you know I am explaining that instead of saying, “one box at a time,” to say, “one piece at a time.” So it’s their turn to laugh at me now. Why? Well apparently they know the slang word for urinate, and it changes the meaning of what I’m saying.
The dancing is a vehicle to learning English for Valerie and Yelena, but for me, these dance lessons are not just about learning more dance, I am also learning about the perspective of a foreigner in my country, and together we are finding a common ground to communicate through dance.
So there I was, working in the dance studio, minding my own business, teaching lessons, when my boss calls me in her office. She explains to me that she has a couple from the Ural Mountains part of Russia moving to the Valley of the Sun to work in our ballroom dance studio. She informs me they are Russian 10 dance champions, so that means they really know there stuff. She proceeds to tell me of this idea she has that I will teach them English. But it’s not just an ESL class she has in mind, it’s a “learn English as you teach me International Style dancesport” class that she’s talking about.
After a few visa issues, Valerie and his wife Yelena finally arrive with their son Archie. They know a little bit of English but not much, and the slang is really throwing them for a loop. Yelena is very self conscious, and it seems like I spend a good portion of the time coaxing her into just trying to speak English. She is dainty and very well groomed; she always has her make-up on and her clothes are very classy. I don’t think she’s comfortable seeming imperfect, while Valerie is like a bull in a china closet with his words. Anything he hears even once is something he will try to repeat. As far as my dancing goes, I learn a lot about international style Cuban motion, which makes my legs and hips look sexier when I dance the rumba, and I learn about getting farther left in closed dance position, which makes my topline look better.
Even though they don’t know much English we have some common ground to start with; the syllabus for ballroom dancing is basically in English, so even if you were to have a dance session with a coach who doesn’t know much English, you can still get your money’s worth. How much and what they do know of the language, however, is very entertaining.
At one point we’re working on the box step, when Valerie asks me about something that has been puzzling him. Why is the slang for money, “bucks?” Then he dances the box step and says, “box.” Now I’m laughing because I finally realize what’s going on; when they say “box” with their accent, it sounds like, “bucks.” So without seeing any spelling of these words, they must sound the same them. This is just the beginning of the funny bumps in the road of learning English. We move on to phrases that will help them teach in their new county. The next thing you know I am explaining that instead of saying, “one box at a time,” to say, “one piece at a time.” So it’s their turn to laugh at me now. Why? Well apparently they know the slang word for urinate, and it changes the meaning of what I’m saying.
The dancing is a vehicle to learning English for Valerie and Yelena, but for me, these dance lessons are not just about learning more dance, I am also learning about the perspective of a foreigner in my country, and together we are finding a common ground to communicate through dance.
posted by michelle @ 11:52 AM
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