We are about 2 months into the program, and at this point my
conversations with any Israeli I meet, whether random or not, seem to follow
the same dialogue.
“What is your name?”
“Desiree”
“Eich?! (How?!)”
“Desiree!”
“Ma?! (What?!)”
Begrudgingly, with a forced smile, “Daisy.”
“Ah Daisy! What are you doing in Israel?”
“I am here teaching English.”
“But you don’t speak Hebrew?”
 |
| Desiree |
 |
| My Israeli Alter Ego Daisy |
I then explain how I understand a little Hebrew but it’s
definitely not easy –the language barrier DOES make for some incredibly hilarious
stories though. For example, one day a student in Kitah Aleph (1st
grade) approached me and explained that she knew how to say 2 things in
English. Elated, I asked her to tell me what she knew.
“Good morning poopies!” she exclaimed.
“How cute,” I thought, “She is trying to say good morning
puppies!”
I smiled and said “Good morning puppies?! Very good! What
else do you know how to say?”
She responded, “Sheket!” which of course means quiet… in
Hebrew.
It was a valiant effort on her behalf for sure.
After this encounter, I had the opportunity to observe an
English class. As the teacher entered the classroom, she announced, “Good
morning pupils!”
It was in that exact moment that I realized the
student earlier was not trying to show off her knowledge of canine salutations
but rather say “Good morning pupils.” Safe to say I was a little embarrassed after
realizing I incorrectly rephrased what she was trying to say.
 |
| Puppies!!! |
 |
| Pupils!! |
Additionally, when us fellows first arrived at our school,
one teacher used an English lesson to introduce us to the students. She had us
share a little about ourselves, and then gave the children an opportunity to
ask us questions. One student’s hand shot up and he blurted out, “Do you know
Obama?” Before I could even answer, another student replied, “No but I know
Bamba!” For those who don’t know, Bamba is a delicious peanut flavored Israeli
snack. Well played child, well played.
 |
| President Obama |
 |
| Delicious Bamba |
All in all, communication struggles and language barriers do
make the job infinitely more difficult. While I do not possess a Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages (TESOL) certification, I do have the opportunity to really be in
the trenches and learn through experience. Most importantly, though, I have the
opportunity to be in the trenches and come back with hilarious stories.
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