Mr. Spanish Speaker

A friend of ours has asked me to teach him to read in English. I love teaching kids how to read and was excited he asked me to help him. English is so hard though. I was one of those lucky people who learned to read with ease. It wasn't until I started teaching phonics and first grade that I realized that English is nuts. The 26 letters in the alphabet make about 40 sounds individually, then there are all the weird letter combinations that make even more sounds.

I think most Americans take English for granted. We expect that US immigrants should learn English and get extremely annoyed when they don't. I think we forget that it is hard. And it's even harder if you aren't around English speaking people that often. From the people we have met, the men speak much better English because they are at work, while the women stay home and therefore aren't around English speakers.

This year I've said I want to learn Spanish, and I have learned some, but I don't think I have as much initiative as some of my Hispanic friends. In the words of Mr. Bud Man, I salute you native Spanish speakers who are trying to learn English. Maybe I can learn from you and soon I'll be able to learn Spanish too!