NARRATIVE REPORT by Bim Sagun

 It has been an incredibly fulfilling experience to be an auxiliar de conversación in IES Nervión. From the moment I arrived, both students and teachers have shown their welcome and appreciation for me.

 One of the most rewarding aspects of being an auxiliar is the opportunity to work closely with everyone in the school community to help students develop their language skills in a meaningful way. I have made a handful of subject-specific presentations and activities (CLIL), but activities rooted in my Filipino culture made lasting impressions.

 As a Filipino auxiliar who is an authentic resource of Philippine English for IES Nervión, I have drawn from my multicultural background to promote students’ understanding of both the English language and aspects of Filipino culture. To reify the auxiliares’ dual role of being language learning resources and cultural ambassadors.

Here are some of the activities I have organized for IES Nervión:

 Nervión Berde

I proposed Nervión Berde as an activity in consonance with 1º ESO students' celebration of the International Day of Languages on 10 November. It was supposed to be an interdisciplinary activity for their Geografía e Historia, Biología y Geología, and Inglés classes. It took a turn for the better when the school accepted the proposal and expanded the scope of the activity to include all students and submissions in Spanish and French as well.

Students had to submit poems following the stylistic features of an ambahan—a poetic form indigenous to the Hanunuo Mangyans of Mindoro— that is, comprising seven-syllable lines, mono-rhyme scheme, and figures of speech describing the interplay between man and nature.

 

Nervión Berde poster

 

 One of the three cork boards filled with the students’ ambahans

 Parol-Making

As the Christmas season began to approach, Mamen, the bilingual coordinator, inquired if the Philippines had any distinct Christmas tradition that the students can do. I told her that it's customary to put up parols outside houses as decorations. I thought it would be a fun hands-on activity for students to create their own parol from recycled materials.

 

2º ESO C students gluing bottle caps along the cut-out base of a bottle

where the arms of the star will be attached

 

Empty plastic bottles being filled with torn and scrunched scratch paper

Finished parol decorating the door to the classroom

Oral History Project

Karaoke de Recreo

Because karaoke is a culturally important pastime in the Philippines, where it is frequently enjoyed at social gatherings, family reunions, and even in public places, I thought about how I could share it with everyone at school.

 I took the chance to propose having karaoke during the students’ break (recreo)—hence, karaoke de recreo—to avoid disrupting classes. The activity encourages students to sing English songs to make the process of learning English engaging.

Graduation Song

Ideally, 4º ESO students sing this during their graduation as homage to their parents and teachers. It also serves as a showcase for the school to establish itself firmly as a bilingual institution and successful partner of the Auxiliar de Conversación program in not just improving the students' English language skills but in promoting cultural exchange.