Under the shade of tree, a skinny Jamaican girl with hair braids wears a green skirt. She stood with a chalkboard in her hands and introduced herself. "Hi, my name is Tineka Dixon," she said. "I am nine years old, and I attend the Sommerset Primary School. I have two brothers and three sisters. I like to study. Bye."
Those simple words began a friendship between my students at Jinsha Elementary, and students halfway around the world in a small country called Jamaica. This year, my college friend, Lindsay Papsin, is teaching in Jamaica. We thought it would be great if our students could get to know one another. The girls at Jinsha were the first to respond. Julia He, a fifth grade student at Jinsha, recorded an introduction of herself and we sent it to Jamaica.
For both my students in Kinmen and Lindsay's students in Jamaica, it is the first time many have ever communicated with a peer of another nationality or race, especially on the other side of the globe. I hope that several of my students will consider study abroad opportunities for high school like Rotary International, or that they will seek out similar opportunities in college.
Many of the students got involved more easily using videos because they are more hesitant about reading and writing than about speaking English. Later, students began to write letters using a very basic sentence structure. I asked students to fill in the blanks and finally to decorate the letters. In some cases though, the students wrote their own original sentences!
I hope to pair students up individually this semester so that we can create lasting friendships. I will also involve a local teacher in the project so it will continue after I leave Kinmen. With persistence, Lindsay and I believe we can create lasting relationships between our students that will enhance their English language abilities and broaden their perspectives.