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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

Dominican Republic, transfer students, public school, teachers

College

Humanities

Department

Spanish and Portuguese

Abstract

Alfredo had been in the United States for only three weeks when he began in the local public school in Provo, Utah. Native to central Mexico, Alfredo spoke no English. Assigned to work with Alfredo as a volunteer, I began by asking his teacher how I could help or where I should begin with his schooling. She responded desperately, “I have no idea!” Even though my Spanish minimized the language barrier, the teacher was still frustrated as to where she could begin with her new student. We realized that, to help Alfredo adjust, we not only had to overcome the obvious language barrier but also the dramatic difference between his former school and his new one. Her ignorance on where to begin with Alfredo was understandable, especially because she had never been to Mexico nor had the opportunity to understand the schooling process there. She had no way to relate to the educational background of her new student.

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