Group Classes
Aaron Shaver Spanish Class
¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español!
¡Hola! My name is Aaron Shaver.
First, I’d like to tell you a little about my Spanish background. I began learning Spanish in high school, like many Texas students. Even then, my teacher instilled in me a love for the language and the cultures that speak it. After coming to Abilene in 2007, I had the opportunity to spend four months in Uruguay and Argentina. I later completed an eight-week internship with an urban development institute in Arequipa, Peru, while attending language school daily. I also spent a month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I learned more about the best methods for language acquisition, even though their primary language is Portuguese. Between travels, I completed a minor in Spanish at ACU, and in this past spring served as a language lab instructor for Beginning Spanish at the university level.
Over the last two years, while completing a BA in Vocations Missions at ACU, I have worked in Abilene’s Stevenson neighborhood as a sort of state-side missionary. The men I live with have adapted a simpler lifestyle in order to better relate to our low-income neighbors, to stand up for a neighborhood that tends to be overlooked, and to live out our faith in Jesus Christ. We regularly host large meals for our neighbors and friends and spend quite a bit of time playing and mentoring the children in the area.
When I first learned Spanish in high school, I had the benefit of learning through a unique method: “Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling,” or TPRS. I credit this method for much of my love of the language, and I believe it is far better to learn through this technique compared to most grammar- and conjugation-based methods, which are, frankly, boring for both student and teacher. Here is what Linda Kemp, experienced Spanish teacher and firm believer in TPRS here in Abilene, says about the method:
“TPRS is changing the way many teachers go about teaching a foreign language today…Your students will find they are thinking in Spanish, reading Spanish, and enjoying their new language skills. The method is fun for both the teacher and the student, and this enthusiasm creates a fantastic learning environment that is enjoyable for everyone.”
The class is totally comprehensible. Also it must be repetitive and interesting. We teach the class an interesting story that is invented as the teacher asks students repetitive questions. Using either translation or gesture, meaning for any Spanish word said in class is given meaning.
After establishing meaning for vocabulary, the students are ready for a story. Like any good story, ours start with a problem. A boy or girl needs or wants something. After the problem is established (say, “the boy wants an elephant”), a method called circling teaches the vocabulary and sentence structure through repetition. So the boy wants an elephant. Does he want an elephant or a monkey? “An elephant,” students respond. What does the boy want? “An elephant.” Who wants an elephant? “The boy wants an elephant.” This circling technique is used in TPRS to get many repetitions. The story progresses as the teacher asks more questions and the class adds more details.
If you are interested in seeing your child’s progress, you are welcome to sit in on our classes from time to time if there is enough space. I will be sending home notes with the students for their reference during the week and to see what your kids are learning.
Thank you for the opportunity to teach your children!
Aaron Shaver
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Or 903-920-6108