For many students, their world language class is a lull in the school day to sleepwalk through. They show up to maybe learn some infinitives, maybe learn some vocabulary, only to forget it all over the summer. But imagine using your class to move across the world and attend school in a completely different environment.
For junior Sandra Martin, who moved from Leon, Spain to Washington over the summer, this story becomes a reality.
“It’s a dream of all the people in Spain to come here to learn English,” Martin said.
Martin takes classes like photography, history, and math in her junior year at Liberty. Because she uses her classes to practice English in addition to her subjects, things can get complicated. However, she assures she is not working too hard.
“I think the studies here are easier than in Spain, so it is not very hard for me to understand what we are doing in class,” Martin said. “I think that here they give more practice and tests. In Spain we have an exam where you have to write and answer things like ‘tell me all the things about this,’” Martin said.
The test taking culture, while jarring for Martin, was not the only thing she had to get used to at Liberty. Things like passing periods and certain elective classes were new for her.
“The difference between high school in Spain and here are the classes. Like, the students don’t change, but the teachers change.” Martin said. “And we don’t have a lot of subjects like culinary or photography. We only have things like the same maths.”
Despite the differences in studying, Martin welcomes the change.
“It’s really different in Washington than in Spain,” Martin said. “Studying here is more colorful: there’s always something going on.”
Martin has been attending the football games with friends like junior Grace Howie. Howie says that exchange students offer a welcome perspective change for both sides.
“I think she’s super cool. I’m super glad that I got to meet somebody with a different culture,” Howie said. “I just think it’s so cool that we have different perspectives on things.”
Howie says that exchange students inspire learning even outside the classroom. Things like differences in culture and values can not be taught by school.
“She’s learning things about America, and I get to learn a little bit about Spain,” Howie said.
