A message to my teacher...

Tis the season for regional 5th-grade language evaluations. This period last year was particularly stressful, but this time around, it's been a breeze. Not only because I did it once before, but also because this year I had/have so much more confidence in the abilities of my students. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed with their results, and instead have been blown away by the great things they've shown they are capable of.

For one section of the in-class evaluations, the students were prompted to write a message to me, their teacher, introducing themselves (as though we didn't know each other!) and basically sharing all they could about themselves in English. There was a small word/phrase bank with things like “My name is...” “I like...” “I don't like...” “English” “happy” “sad” “My friend...” “My favourite...” [hence the British-ized spellings in the messages, because believe me, I didn't teach them that!]

Here is a sample of some of the more note-worthy.

From my “main” school:

My name is Romain. y ave [I have] ten years old. i live in montiny-les-metz. i like soccer. my favorite animal is lynx. i like chocolate and coca cola. i dont like snake. i am happy and slipi [sleepy]. my language do you spic [speak] is french. my friends is Benjamin.

Hello! My name is Nolan. I live in Montigny-les-Metz. Today i am happy. My favourite color is green and my favourite animal is guépar [cheetah]. I like also the chicken. [...not sure if he means as an animal or a food!] My favourite sport is soccer. Nolan. Bye!

My name is Yann. i am ten years old. I live in Marly. i am very very happy. My favourite colors is red. i love hamburger. I don't like school and soccer. My friend is Nicolas V., Antoine, Maël and Olivia.

A couple of “one-liners” worth sharing:

Victor says: I like Englishe. I don't like conjugaison [conjugation].

Camille says: My favourite food is chocolate ice cream but i don't like tomatoes.

From my second school:

Hello my name is Olivia. I live in Montygny les metz. I like play and my famyly. I love one boy on top secret [TV show?]. I dont like girafe or sckert [?!?]. My favorite friends is lisa P, lisa B, Bastien, Yoann, Yorick, piper, Altin and ricardo. My favorite food is pièce of chocolate cake and hot dog... I like English and Frencsh. I love my mum and Dad. I like my litel brother Kyllian and my sister Marie-Michelle. I lick [like] scool and The world. Funckieu Good bay [Thank you, Good bye].

Hello, My name is Lisa. i live in Metz. i love dance. i don't like french. my birthday is 30/05. my favorite color is purple. My names dog is Daisy. i love you daisy and my name is cat is Eden. i love Michael Jackson! What you favorite star? Good bye!

Hello! My name is Ricardo. I live in Montygny-les-Metz in French. My nationality is Portuguese. My friend favorite is Bastien. I am 10. I have a little sister. I like food. I love soccor. I don't like coly-floore [cauliflower!]. I love Portugal. I like bicking [biking]. My favourites colors is green, blue and red. I love the nissan skylan GTR34. I like sunny. I like swiming and i an HAPPY!!! BAY!!! Ricardo

HELLO! My name is Altin. H live in Montigny lès Metz. I like is grapes, strawberry and swimming. I love the pets. I don't like onions, rainy and watching TV. I happy. I like English. My nationalité is KOSOVAR. My friend he name is ENSAR and my sisters she names is VERONA and ERITA.

[By Lisa P, who decided to write in the first-person voice of a TV/movie character that I don't know. It's likely someone from High School Musical?!]

Hello! My name is Selena. I live in los angeles. I love familly. My favourite pets is hors. My nationality is Américaine. I dont like tennis, football. My mother is fabienne. My hors is black. I love my hors. I ame ten. My favourite boy is Léo. I love hot-dog. My favourite food is Hamburger. Bye!

Hello! My name is Bastien. I love mouse. I not live English, scuse-me! My brother is awesome. i love my brother! I don't like ognion. I am happy (ever). My favorite drink is the mix ice téa, orangina, coca [cola] and oasis. this is super mix, no?

[Bastien is 10 going on 30 and has the best sense of humor I've ever seen in a kid. His English is great and he not only immediately incorporates new words and phrases into his working vocabulary, but uses them to joke and be silly. Also, I'm pretty sure he's an only child, hence the emphatic statements about his “brother”!]

More one-liners:

Lucas says: My favorite color is orange. I love USHER. I don't like l'école [school].

Laura says: Today is Happy.

Amandine says: My Favorite language is english and espagnolais [Spanish/espagnol]

Yorick says: I like english is [and] basketballe. I don't like devoirs is école [homework and school].

And one final message from my dear Antoine at my main school. His mum is English, and Antoine is pretty much fluent and really helpful to have in class. He rarely seems to be bored or frustrated when others don't understand. And his classmates have nothing short of admiration of the fact that he already speaks English.

Hello Miss Emmons. My name is Antoine, I am 11 years old. I live in Marly near a playground where I play with my friends Yann, Olivia, Maël (and my brother). I love English but I hate géometrie. I love swimming but I don't like tennis. My favorite food is pizza and strawberry cheese cake. Goodbye, Antoine.