Broadening Horizons

Broadening Horizons // HOW IMMERSIVE LEARNING OPENS INTERNATIONAL DOORS

In his life as a high school student, Dr. Andy Goodwin experienced the transformative power of being fully immersed in a Spanish classroom, “where the language was the object and the medium,” as he puts it. To him, having such a difficult experience shape his education and his worldview meant that when he became a teacher at Covenant many years ago, he knew it had to provide that same experience for his students.

For over 20 years, students have been studying their Spanish courses in full immersion settings, which means that teachers exclusively speak in Spanish while teaching the language. It can be tough for students at school and for parents at home who field the frustration, but to Goodwin, that difficulty is where true education is forged.

“Early on, there were parents and students who were mad at me,” he said. “They would say things like, ‘[My student] doesn’t even understand the instructions.’” But Goodwin said the proof proved to be in the years of investment, “especially when there were multiple siblings. The oldest tested out of their lower level Spanish classes in college and parents were sold. It had worked.”

So at Covenant, students study Spanish, in Spanish. To current department head Profé Ernesto Aguinaga, the curriculum sets students up to learn the language and to love the culture where the language is actively used. “We provide students with original content brought from authentic resources that we bring into the classroom to involve them in cultural events, not just linguistic experiences.”

Aguinaga is particularly proud of the yearly immersion project that students undertake to round out their classroom education. Students don’t simply learn the language; they become familiar with many different parts of Spanish culture from around the world. “We want to make students culturally aware of their own surroundings through the immersion projects that we

Profé Aguinaga, World Languages Department Head

Our students participate in an exchange program with Europa International School in Sevilla, Spain.

do. We send them to a hispanic store and Spanish churches where they will be aware that there are a lot of Spanish-speaking people around them in their city.”

One of the yearly benchmarks involves a multi-modal, semester-long project that immerses students in cultures that speak Spanish. Students listen to hours of music, watch TV shows and movies, go to Spanish groceries and Spanish-speaking church services. Students can be intimidated by the immersion style, but as the years go on, the fruit of their studies and the persistence of their teachers proves to be worth it. Covenant students who go through three or four years of Spanish typically expect to Because of those years of worshipping in Spanish “ test into advanced Spanish courses in college. And many Covenant students often have their Spanish education translate to a certification in their vocation or, for some, an entire context for their calling from God. Carrie (Bobbitt) Moss (‘08) and her husband Kurtis are in high school, I could currently serving as missionaries in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. She feels like there is a direct connection between actually worship in Spanish on Sundays. “ her Spanish education and her mission work. “We also sang a lot of songs every Friday in Spanish 4 with Mr. Goodwin. A few silly ones, but most of them were worship songs. Those Friday worship times were one of the highlights of my week at school. Little did I know the blessing they would be down the road. When we moved to Nicaragua, there were an overwhelming amount of things to learn and adjust to. Because of those years of worshipping in

Spanish in high school, I could actually worship in Spanish on Sundays.”

Carrie said that she sees her Spanish education as the start of a legacy of language-learning for her family. “It was really sweet of the Lord to plant those in my heart years before so that down the road when I was disoriented in a new country, I could connect with the Lord in a familiar and real way. I’ve started teaching my daughter many of the songs we learned in high school and have used them in countless places with other kids.”

At Covenant, connection is important. In all of the experiences, classes, and activities, there is an understanding that the community we have and the skills needed to build and maintain it are important. Perhaps no other experience embodies the investment it takes to know someone else and interact with them with love, patience, and understanding than the Spanish curriculum.

APRIL ‘18 EXPERIENCE COVENANT

COVENANTCHRISTIAN.ORG/VISIT

MAY ‘18 HAVE QUESTIONS? VISIT OUR SITE OR CALL OUR ADMISSIONS TEAM AT 317.390.0202

January 30 February 13 & 28 March 12 April 10 & 21 May 7

Shadow for a day.

Interested students are invited to shadow a Covenant student.

This is the best way to experience the Covenant culture firsthand and determine whether it is a good fit for your student. If your student wishes to shadow a particular current student, simply make a request. We are also able to match your student with someone who has similar interests.