Technology doesn’t only make everyday tasks easier, but it makes our world smaller, allowing people to connect, converse, and learn from one another even though they may be thousands of miles apart. Take Señora Rios’ D-period Spanish class, for example.  They recently used FaceTime to connect with various people throughout the world on three separate occasions already this year.

“The first time we used FaceTime was to communicate with a student in Colombia,” said Rios. (The student was Rios’ niece, María Camila Rios Vergara, who attends Santo Tomas University in Medellin, Colombia.) “The second time, we used FaceTime to interview a [native Venezuelan who was a] former anchor of Univision in Washington D.C. The third time time, we [conducted a “Mystery Skype”] to communicate with another class. However, I can’t tell you where that class is from…because my students are supposed to guess their location.”

Rios wants to expose her students not only to Latin culture through these FaceTime sessions, but also wants them to understand what a well-spoken Spanish speaker should sound like.

“I choose people that are native Spanish speakers but also that have a good language proficiency level in the Spanish language,” she explained. “This is the first time in the history of the World Language Department in the Benjamin Middle School that a class [used] Skype or FaceTime with native speakers in another country. The students are thrilled!”

However, you don’t have to just take her word for it. Sophia Smith, a seventh grader in Ms. Rios’ class, can’t wait for the next time they participate in this project.

“I think it is very educational because we are using our oral skills and coming up with questions and answers on the spot and it is very casual, like a real life situation,” said Smith. “I was looking forward [to it] because you are able to converse with someone [from] a different culture.”

Fellow Spanish teacher Mr. Charles Maddox also plans to hold a Skype session for his A-period class with a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

“It is my first year Skyping someone from another country,” explained Maddox. “I want to give my students an opportunity to interact with other Spanish speakers than myself and their classmates. This type of activity helps bring a cultural encounter that students have not experienced before.”

Maddox’s relationship with the Peace Corps volunteer will hopefully be one that he and his students can maintain throughout the year. “I registered with the Peace Corps and they matched me with [an individual named] Jackson. He will be my class partner for the school year.

In preparation of their session with Jackson, Maddox’s students had to come up with  questions in class and write them down. Like in Rios’s class, the videoconferencing session will allow the students to ask their questions and maintain conversations in Spanish with their Latin counterparts. Maddox hopes the Skyping sessions will provide students with a valuable perspective about life in another country.

“I hope [Jackson] will share cultural aspects of his experience with my students like the different types of food there, the Dominican Republic’s Spanish accent, and how he is helping small businesses.”