Serving in the Peace Corps

I had the good fortune of serving in the Peace Corps in El Salvador.  That's where I was first introduced to Spanish.  I quickly learned conversational Spanish as I would have had NO ONE to speak with in English in my village of Victoria, Cabañas, El Salvador.  It was a great time of my life as I was young , energetic and ready to make a difference.  Little did I know!!!  I quickly learned that I knew NOTHING in my new environment.  You see, I was part of a group that work in Agriculture Extension.  We all had some background in 4-H or FFA or lived in a rural area, etc.  We were suppose to know something about homemaking and agriculture.  I had worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken so when the women asked me to show them how to make "American chicken" I remember thinking that I could do that.  The end result disastrous!!!  I had never cleaned and dressed a chicken.  In the states, they are delivered all ready to go.  I was not skilled at controlling the temperature of an open pit fire, nor did I know anything about frying in a clay round pot!!!  Finally I admitted that the women should take over and add tomatoes and whatever else to salvage the chicken, a prized commodity. 

My initiation into the Salvadoran culture helped me  to listen and learn from others.  The Salvadoran people changed my life and they continue to teach me about life.  I am grateful for my Salvadoran community.   

I was successful at teaching the children to do some sewing and public speaking through demonstrations.  But even sewing was a challenge.  I was an accomplished seamstress having made my clothes throughout high school BUT I sewed on an electric sewing machine and I used a pattern to cut out the fabric.  In El Salvador the seamstresses sew without a pattern and they can make any dress you ask them to make from a picture!!  I was able to buy patterns in the capital and borrow a treadle machine to make my own clothing but I was only able to help the children make a skirt by hand. 

So you might ask, did she do anything constructive in the Peace Corps?  I do consider myself a successful Peace Corps Volunteer.  According the  Peace Corps website are:  1)  Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, 2)Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, and 3)Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. 

I can proudly say that I accomplished all of the mission to some degree.  As a result of my understanding that culture and customs are different from country to country and sometimes from region to region, I see that teaching culture along with teaching language is an important component to world understanding.  I created BiLingo Kidz, a Spanish software program for ages 7-14, that has culture embedded into the mini stories of children from Latin America.  This software program is unique.  According to HISPANIA, a Journal of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Sept. 2008, "all narrators are native speakers from the featured countries.  BiLingo Kidz is a fun way to learn not only Spanish, but also Latin American culture in general.  The stories, photos and films, self-pacing features, and recycling exercises make this language learning software a pleasure and will please, instruct, and challenge kids of all ages."