What I Learned from My Students as a Virtual Language Teacher

Guest blog post by Jhenifer L.

As a virtual language teacher, I've had the incredible opportunity to not just share my love for languages, but also to connect with amazing individuals from all around the world, each bringing a unique background to our (virtual) classroom. 

Forget the idea that teaching is a one-way street; it's an exchange of life lessons and experiences. With every class, I discover something new! These are some of the most valuable lessons and facts I have learned from my students:

Countries Celebrate Different Holiday Traditions

Born and raised in Brazil, I always celebrated holidays in a way that usually differs from how other countries do it.

Take Christmas, for example – it falls in the middle of our summer, so that means no hot chocolate and no cute knitted sweaters for us. Instead, oftentimes we have ice cream-filled panettone as dessert after our Christmas dinner, or something refreshing, like fruits and jelly.

However, thanks to my students, I've had the opportunity to experience the snowy front yards and the "elf on the shelf" tradition through the stories they tell me and their webcams.

Persistence Can Take You Far

You might think I'm biased, but I am positive my students are the coolest people out there. Each of them carries such an incredible variety of academic, professional, travel, and life experiences, and I'm constantly inspired by their unique life journeys.

What I've learned from hearing about all of the exciting things they've done is that persistence can take you to the most unimaginable places. From applying yourself to studying a language all the way up to fluency, to swimming across the English Channel, or winning every single dancing competition, the common thread is clear — being persistent is the secret sauce to achieving your goals.

True Friendships Exist

During our first class, I always make it a point to ask my students the reason (or reasons) behind their decision to learn the language. It's not an uncommon answer that having a friend who speaks it, and wanting to communicate with them (or their family), is a strong motivator.

Ever thought about the power of learning someone else's language and culture? It shows your commitment to your relationship and your willingness to connect with their world, embrace their roots.

Throughout the years, I have witnessed so much love and genuine care for friends like never before, and the concept of friendship has definitely taken on a whole new meaning for me.

Love Has No Borders

I will let you in on a little secret: I am a  hopeless romantic. Nothing moves me more than a good and true love story, and have I heard the cutest ones in my years of teaching!

It is clear to me now, more than ever, that if it is the right person, it will happen – regardless of any language, cultural, or geographic barrier.

Keeping Bears at Bay

To this day, I vividly recall the precise moment when a student asked me how to say "bear bags" in Portuguese. I was not sure what they meant. For the next 10 minutes, the student proceeded to enlighten me on various types of bears you can find in their region, and how to keep them at bay.

At least now I can say I feel ready for my next (bear-free) adventure!

Cows Have No Upper Teeth

One last random fact I learned from a student who had spent their childhood on a farm in Canada: cows have no upper teeth!

If this is news to you as well, I highly recommend googling images for a good laugh; it just adds an extra layer of cuteness to these lovely animals.

As you can see, teaching and learning languages can open so many doors in the heart and mind, and in all areas of life!

Cricket eLearning offers online classes in more than 10 languages! Contact us today and start using the techniques above to reach your language goals this year. Use the code BLOG10 for 10% off prepaid packages for kids and adults!