Cittadini del Mondo Intercultural Library by Joelle Toney
One day a week the Italian language class at Cittadini del Mondo sings songs together. It's a great way to reinforce vocabulary and grammar in a fun and interactive way. I shot a discrete video of myself singing along with the class.
At Palazzo Selam, we are face to face with the people we serve. Here I am talking with a man who is translating for another resident who needs medical attention.
I noticed that during the Italian lessons hosted by the intercultural library, the students young children became restless and rowdy. This was a distraction for both their parents and other students trying to learn. One day walking past the toy shop on the way to the library, I found a solution.
Dr. D'Angelo is the organizer of Cittadini del Mondo and the person with whom I corresponded before my arrival. On our last day working together we took a picture.
I bought a puzzle for the children and I to play with outside during the Italian lesson. Outside on the steps, they could move around and play as loudly as they wanted. I taught them numbers in both Italian and English and they learned quickly. We had a lot of fun together putting the puzzle back in place and taking it out again. Their parents expressed their gratitude after the lesson since they could concentrate on learning without worrying about their children being noisy or bored. They were also happy to have a small lesson for their children and could hear us having fun outside.
At Cittadini Del Mondo's intercultural library, I taught English classes to adults of all speaking and reading levels. Though it was difficult to tailor a lesson to a classroom of students at varying levels, I tried my best to incorporate different technologies and keep the class engaged in my lessons.
This is a selfie I snapped after the very first English class I ever taught. The volunteer who usually teaches English couldn't make it that day so I was asked to substitute for him. They enjoyed my teaching style so they asked me to return the following week and hold regular classes.
Here you will find updates on our organization, and blog posts written by each of our Blum Fellows about their experiences abroad. Make sure to check out our website at blumcenter.ucdavis.edu, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCDavisBlumCenter to get regular updates and see our upcoming events.
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