an equal exchange

I have a group of students who have decided that in exchange for my Spanish lessons they will teach me Chinese. I love it. The students get to be in a position as experts. But more than that, I am able to honor them for who they are, and for their culture. I am enforcing the idea that languages are important, not just Spanish.

One of these students was a very weak student, but now she is doing fantastic. And amazingly, although I know I am butchering the language every time I open my mouth, they adamently refuse to laugh at me. Instead they offer constant encouragement and model the words over and over again. In a sense we have become a team.