project

While I was in Spanish last semester I participated in a project aimed at making the language gap less difficult for the preschooler in the volunteer based division of the Macon Cove Campus Kids Corner. Even in situation where the child is aware of a fair amount of English, socializing and keeping up with assignments can still be hard. Think about what it's like to learn a new language as an adult. Processing the information fed to us into something we can understand takes a great deal longer than regular interaction. In addition to this, children at this age have developmental issues that interfere with there ability to pick up a language in the same fashion as adults. In many cases children who are in a situation were they must learn a new language go through a period of time where they refuse to speak the second language, and in some cases, will refuse to speak at all. While some might consider this to be a set back, if forced to speak against his or her will, it can be devastating to a child's future ability to communicate with others in both languages.

As my main goal last semester was to comfort the students with a language barrier, I propose that this semester I take a closer look at the affect and progression of language in Latino youth in Memphis. The Latino population in Memphis has risen greatly in the past ten years and they are a prevalent part of the community. As a student interested in Spanish and psychological studies, this is something that has intrigued me from the moment it was presented.