Language Exchange of Northern Colorado, LLC

Peace One Day - 3 Month Countdown to Peace Day 2010

2010-06-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I let it pass me by...

2010-05-07T06:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days with a lot of little blessings in it. They were not giant fireworks so it took finishing the day to be able to reflect and realize "Wow, what a basket full of goodies today was for me." I know we can all be distracted with fluff in the day and I was guilty of letting the great things pass me by. I reflected on my day and realized I let them pass me by. Here are some of the day's magic and if you were a part of it. Thank you so very much.
My preschoolers didn't want to play they wanted to read word cards-OK that's amazing but even better is that they are all reading in Spanish! That filled my cup about half-full right there.
In my after-school class I had only seven year-old boys today. My girls were out. I had to help a customer at the front desk. I was feeling annoyed because I have no help to field these situations right now. I was out of the classroom for about 5 minutes. When I came back, my bouncy, electric, gotta-move boys were not running around or goofing off, they had taken it upon themselves to collectively make their own patterns, cut them out and had completed their projects when I returned. They were sitting in the same spots practicing telling time in Spanish! If you have one boy do that, it's very impressive but three is a large miracle and I should have kissed them all right then and there but I let pass me by. My cup is nearly full at this point.
I began my evening Adult class and have a teenager with a non-teenager. It could be an awkward situation because not even teenagers know how to interact with other teenagers on a good day but my Adult commented that she really enjoyed being in class with our teen.( I think her cup filled a little too) Then he had the moment when he realized "So you should probably really research where you are going in the world before a trip because they might have different customs in the language and you don't want to be rude right?". I only wish the greater population realized that. There's no more room in my cup at this point.
But wait...there's more. In my Level II class later in the night I have an entire family taking the Spanish together as part of my group class. This is the first group in quite some time that has completed all of the material ahead of time. They were working on the role play scenarios and I just watched and listened and was so happy for them all. They will have an amazing time on their next trip together and have joined a new sub-community in this city. They now belong to the group of people who can and do communicate in a second language. The bank employee who takes this class will make new friends and gain trust of customers and have a great big smile on her face when she can carry on with confidence and ease in Spanish. They are proficient at their level but more, they are proud and confident and can do and say things they could not 4 or 8 weeks ago. I am really proud for them and now my cup is spilling on to the table and pouring on to the floor and I am really going to miss these days come next Spring but I cherish today and all the days like it that I have had in the last 5 years. The stories that will stay in my heart are too great and I will have to start sharing them with you.
Yesterday I let those little moments pass me by but not today. My sleep was visited by the warm feeling and it woke me up and bade me to write it down.

Spectacular Kite Festival-thank you Pak Rams!

2010-05-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

We could not have asked for a more perfect day to enjoy the annual Pak Rams Kite Festival. Culture comes to us in so many ways and this was a delicious drop in the bucket. Thank you for all the work to make my family's day so memorable. The demonstrations and the public turn out were magnificent! Now we are off to Severance to listen to a local Blues band.

More pics from Lunar New Year Celebration

2010-03-01T18:10:00.001-08:00

Once again thank you to the Coloradoan for covering a great community event put on by a local organization and thank you to all the parents, families and friends who braved the cold, inhospitable weather. We had a great turn out and a wonderful day! The information and culture was plentiful.

Look, Mom! We're famous!

2010-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

Titan Flynn, 7, watches as Anie Pelletier plays the bonang with the other members of Kyai Brojo Marto, a gamelan orchestra, Saturday during the Lunar New Year celebration at the Language Exchange of Northern Colorado in Fort Collins. (Dawn Madura/The Coloradoan)

Thanks to Marcy Miranda, who is a reporter over at the Coloradoan, our local paper did a feature on The Language Exchange and the Lunar New Year Celebration we hosted last week! She wrote a great article and even mentioned a few of our students by name. When one of our students, Galen saw the newspaper article with the picture of Titan he said, "Titan is famous!" Then he saw his name and said, "I'm famous too!" I don't think their moms have ever been so proud. More pictures to come! You can see the article here.

From what I've heard, the parents from our school collectively bought about a bajillion copies.

Thank you to Marcy and the Coloradoan!
Crystal Ferreira

Kids learn about lunar calender through trivia, crafts and music

BY Marcy Miranda • MarcyMiranda@coloradoan.com • February 21, 2010

Inside the small suite on the corner of College Avenue and Stuart Street, a large and colorful celebration was taking place Saturday morning.

More than a dozen children sat in front of Anie Pelletier, a Loveland woman who was lightly pounding on eight hollow, pot-shaped gongs made of bronze and resting on strings held by a wooden frame. The Indonesian instrument Pelletier was playing, called a bonang, emitted deep and melodic rhythms that Indonesians call gamelan music.

Pelletier and members of the Kyai Brojo Marto orchestra, which play the traditional Indonesian music, were among the approximately 30 people present at the Lunar New Year celebration hosted by the Language Exchange of Northern Colorado, 1797 S. College Ave.

“The purpose is to draw attention to other countries and cultures who use the lunar calendar,” said Dannielle North-Decunto, owner and director of the Language Exchange, an organization that offers world language classes. She said other countries beside China celebrate the Lunar New Year and Saturday’s event was an opportunity to showcase how Indonesian culture celebrates the holiday.

In addition to performances, children on Saturday also made Chinese crafts, such as paper lanterns and bamboo hats. Kids also participated in a trivia game to learn facts about China’s celebration.

As 7-year-old Galen Cotton watched two students perform the Indonesian version of the traditional dragon dance, his mother, Vicki, explained that attending cultural events such as the Lunar New Year celebration are important because they help expose Galen to other languages and cultures.

“It’s extremely important to have a multicultural world view,” Cotton said. She said she’s teaching her son to be internationally-minded and that because of it, they like to experience a lot of different cultures.

Galen is learning Spanish through the Language Exchange and has been enrolled since he was in preschool, Cotton said.

Students learning Spanish and Chinese at the school kicked off the celebration by singing a traditional Chinese New Year song in Chinese. Students from the Inner Wave Pencak Silat also gave a demonstration of pencak silat, the Indonesian style of martial arts. Pencak silat is inclusive of the other styles of martial arts, as it requires agility both on the floor and while upright, said Steve D’Aurelio, an instructor and school manager at Inner Wave.

The dragon dance performed by students of Inner Wave is typically part of the Chinese New Year celebration because it’s believed to ward off bad sprits from the previous year, North-Decunto said.

Wendell Payton from Loveland attended the event because of the connection he has with Inner Wave. He said events that give exposure to customs from other cultures are good because they help broaden people’s minds and foster understanding.

“The more we understand other people’s cultures and customs the better so we can live harmoniously and peacefully,” Payton said.

2009-12-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Our Spanish Immersion Pre-K and Kinder students blew me away during our recent Friday field trip to the Little Thompson Observatory. The kids have been working hard; learning all they can about Space and they have an insatiable curiosity for Astronomy.

During the field trip, the kids were able to expand on their knowledge of the Milky Way (Via Láctea) in which our solar system belongs and discuss more about stars, such as the Sun. They even had the opportunity to look at the Sun through a solar telescope and see a solar flare! John Hiatt, our guide and local Astronomer, taught the kids how to find the North Star, the brightest star of Ursa Minor (Osa Menor), and in return the kids taught him all of the names of the planets in Spanish.

The kids explored the star charts on the walls of the Observatory to find constellations, galaxies, black holes and nebulae. The students learned that different cultures have specific ethnoastronomy and were able to look at and discuss the constellations used by the Lakota Indians. The children had lots of questions for John and spent the remainder of our time asking about astronomy research, the history of astronomy, telescopes, astronomy photographing, and space flights!

What an amazing opportunity for our kids! Thank you to John and the Little Thompson Observatory! We'll be sure to visit again soon!

Crystal Ferreira

Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

As we approach Thanksgiving, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you—it is such a blessing to have such wonderful families be a part of our school and to be able to work with your children.

Our kid’s immersion Spanish classes joined in the Thanksgiving fun with some great art projects! As they talked about the first Thanksgiving, the kids made cute little turkey centerpieces that list the things they are thankful for.

They also learned some useful table manners in Spanish that they can utilize over the holiday. Our teachers set the stage for success through practice. A "fancy Thanksgiving table" was set up and the kids got to ask questions and practice so that they are now comfortable and familiar enough to wow everyone with their great table manners! So much fun! The students were adorable!

Please remember, school will be closed November 25, 26th and 27th for Thanksgiving.

Have a lovely holiday week with your family.
Happy Thanksgiving!

One-Bunny-One-Language

2009-11-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Our new bunnies are one year old now. As we celebrated their birthday we tried out some IQ tests at home to see how they were doing. My son, James, who’s now four years old and attends Spanish Kindergarten five days a week at Language Exchange, set up a timed language test for them.

‘Dinner!’ (Bunnies run across room and eat food one minute later)
'Cena!’ (Bunnies run across room and eat food two minutes later)

James decided they reply faster to English than Spanish, probably because we always speak English to them. It seemed weird to speak my second language to an animal, and James simply followed suit. The Bunnies do have a role to play though. They are a shining example of the one-bunny-one-language strategy, because now James speaks Spanish to the bunnies. The conversations can go on for quite some time. He even made up special songs in Spanish for them to the tune of 'Little Bunny Foo-Foo.'

The OBOL approach may not be high level language use, being rather limited in subject matter (food, water, carrots, the weather), but at least it gives James a chance to use the minority language with a willing and cuddly listener.

Crystal Ferreira

2009-10-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today we took advantage of possibly the last beautiful day before some cold weather hits us and brought a little reminder of summer into our classroom. One of our grandmother's is a Master Gardener. As a retired preschool teacher of many, many years she brought her expertise in both plant care and child care to our immersion Spanish group of preschoolers. We planted an herb garden to keep in our room and which will later serve as some wonderful experiments in the 5 senses for this Fall. We learned about care and vocabulary for plants in Spanish. Muy divertido! Gracias Gramms. Please visit us again.

2009-10-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Fridays are always fabulous at LEXNC. We call it Vamos Viernes and the kids and I have even come up with our own jingle for the day. This Friday we finished up our Spain studies but we also had Pet Pals day. The children talked about "mascotas" which pets we have at home, what is required to take care of them, how we treat them and then..we got to share our best Pet Pals. Conejos (bunnies) came, Ratas (rats) and dos perros (dogs). It was a regular petting zoo! To remind us how we care for our pets, Hathor and Isis have become our new classroom mascotas and Lex the beta fish has been brought out of his sabbatical.

Finished up Spain study

2009-10-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Our young students have had quite a run these last few weeks. We have met and walked alpacas, made sangria, eaten tapas, danced the flamenco and acted out and played with our Don Quijote characters about as many ways as you can. It was a blast.
The most amazing thing to me is how they no longer really notice the Spanish factor. It's all the same games and fun for them. The most wonderful thing though has been watching the preschoolers slide into that same level of comfort with Chinese. Wait! Did I say Chinese? That's right...our preschoolers also get one hour of Chinese including Tai Chi every day of class. They are already more globally astute than most of us adults!!

2009-09-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

OK, I made the hummus recipe for 11 people Sunday night. It really worked! Tasted great, and took 20 minutes total (not counting the boiling time). Let's hear it for healthy, delicious, fast-food to feed the masses.

Greg Mortenson tonight at Moby Arena

2009-08-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

Greg Mortenson did not disappoint tonight as he spoke to a packed Moby Arena. He remains a humble man earnest in his convictions, hopes and gratitude despite the fact that many nights he stands before a huge crowd with no less than 5 jumbo screens on him and on this particular night an elite little circle of Fort Collins' civic celebrities hanging on his every word. It meant so much for me to see him tonight and I was grateful for the company of Crystal and Missy. You cannot underestimate the power of inspiration. His book, "Three Cups of Tea", which recounts his personal journey in building peaceful and respectful relationships on the other side of the world and schools which specialize in educating girls in places where it was never before allowed, has inspired the masses. It truly is a must-read book and in fact, has become so for the Pentagon and military in Afghanistan. And yet, it is a book that speaks to me in my minuscule little city trying to spread the same ideals and understanding for respect, cooperation and communication. When I first began reading the book I was trying to finnagle the exit strategy of my beloved Language Exchange. I was at the end of my rope. Over and over I ask myself "Why, why is the work of creating opportunities for our community to learn from, interact with and benefit from the richness of each other's heritage and language like trying to bathe a cat"? I am so tired of hitting my head against the brick wall with the community-at-large. In a city of more than 186,000 people are you seriously telling me that the number of folks who value, really value language acquisition, multicultural interaction and diversity in their day-to-day lives is only about 200 people?
This, unlike tonight's speaker, does not inspire hope.
A year and a half ago I read "Three Cups of Tea" and cried through the entire thing because my cause, my school, my city means just as much to me. I understood again that the work and purpose of Language Exchange of Northern Colorado is bigger than my 60 hour weeks without pay, bigger than not seeing my children in their formative years, bigger than my financial well-being and bigger than any one popular language or culture.
By the end of the book I decided to dig in and keep swinging as Greg Mortenson had done so many times.
I came to Fort Collins 13 years ago and even then I knew this place was special. It wasn't perfect but it came pretty close. My belief then and now is that if you love a place, the way I love this city you should preserve those things which are important to you, those things which are good about it and work to change the imperfections. That's what the school has been for me; a missing piece in this city that I could be responsible for filling.
As I talk to Crystal I know that it is so deeply appreciated by some, that my heart floats knowing that I have some part of it. Vicki says that I have to get the word out because this is so important. When I watch our students interact with their Chinese teacher during Tai Chi or see people making lasting and impressive relationships at our cultural events for the community I feel in my soul that I am in the right place, that this school must survive. But when I listen to parents complain about paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars a month in tuition for schools where they are dissatisfied but can't see spending half that on immersion education, when I get phone calls from city offices who don't want my business to dawn international flags I can get more than a little discouraged. Today unfortunately was one of those days. But I got through it. Parents of our students get me through it, my family gets me through and today Greg Mortenson got me through it...again. Thank you to everyone who gives me the reason to do it all over again.
See you tomorrow.

2009-08-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hashana begins Sept. 19th. I would love to receive some links to information or personal explanations from the Jewish community here in Northern Colorado. Also if there is someone who would like to give a tour of a Temple for non-Jews please contact the LEXNC office.

2009-08-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Ramadan began on August 22, there will be information for adults and children who aren't very familiar with the Islamic holiday. From my own experience with it as a non-Muslim, it is a hallowed time of thoughtfulness and reflection and the Eid celebration is a celebration for the taste buds alone. Keep an eye out on the calendar for information regarding when and where the Eid will be. This year we hope to have an open invitation for each of you to learn about and even experience the feeling of community which revolves around this Islamic Holy month.
If you have any information regarding Ramadan events here in the communtiy please post them on this blog or contact the office.

2009-08-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

Next Monday, August 31st at 7pm Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea will speak at Moby Arena. Tickets are sold out and folks are clamoring to get a hold of one. I have one ticket that I have saved for any enrolled student of Language Exchange of Northern Colorado,LLC. You are eligible if you have a child enrolled here as well. Simply submit your name to our email and I will pull a name out of a hat on Monday morning. The winner will be phoned. You must be able to attend that night. Doors will open at 6pm. This lecture is not to be missed and I look forward to going with you.
Submit your name to: info@languagexchangeofnoco.com
by Monday morning no later than 8am. I will pull the name at 8:30 before the start of Language Sprouts class.
Good luck!

2009-08-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, summer came to a close and the Fall semester is upon me without warning. I could not be happier. We have a wonderful new location, great sized rooms and a stone's throw from some of my favorite places...the park, Tortilleria, Oasis Mediterranean Market, the Taqueria and my son's favorite Chuck E. Cheese. I think however the most votes go to Dairy Queen!
Monday morning, the first day of classes here at LEXNC was glorious. It was one of those days when I knew that I am where I am supposed to be.
Our preschoolers stood in the park with their Chinese teacher, Mei, learning Tai Ji in Chinese!! Is that not the best? Thist morning I had the whole Kindergarten class practicing Yoga in the same park taking deep breaths with eyes closed, the sun rising behind them and they just look like little(international) angels. Our children are so truly amazing! I am blessed by their presence.
Right now we have Spanish Afterschool going on in the room to my left and Teen Japanese to my right and we're making copies for tomorrow's Rusian class. There is absolutely no where else in this world I want to be than right here in the heart of Cosmopoitan Colorado. Thank you Language Exchange, you give us so much!

French/Francophone Week '09: A Great Success!

2009-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

After months of preparation and anticipation, French/Francophone week finally arrived on July 13th. We were heartbroken to have had to cancel our very first event at the Poudre Library, but we still had the extraordinary kick-off we were looking for at the Bastille Day Picnic thanks to the turn-out from our Fort Collins French and Francophone community. The amount of support during the entire week was truly touching. A sincere thanks to everyone. Un gros merci a tous!

We spent the evening of the 14th listening to the live music by Ken Beecken and his fellow musicians while enjoying the dishes and desserts everyone graciously brought, and speaking French, of course! Although English speakers may have been the minority, many conversations were a welcoming "Franglais". This was a really great networking opportunity among French, Francophones and Francophiles. We hope you made some lasting connections...we know we did! And how could we forget our little committed cyclists who raced in the Petit Tour de France. Go kids, go! (See the picture at the top and at the right)

The supportive and spirited atmosphere continued through to the Francophone cuisine and French wine night on the 15th. We had a wonderful representative from Wilbur's Total Food and Beverage come to give a short presentation and introduction to the many types of French wine and to the 6 specific bottles available to taste that evening. As we whet our palates with samples of the red and white wines, aromas filled the air from our Lebanese, Senegalese and French food dishes. It was wonderful to watch traditional hummus and babaganoush being freshly made and even better to taste them. Take a look at the recipes on the right and make them yourself at home! Finishing with authentic crepes and the locally-named Senegalese dish, "Peanut Sauce", I think it is safe to say no one left hungry from this event. (See the above left picture of our Lebanese cook with her spices and our French cook organizing the wine, a true Frenchman :) ) (See recipes on the right)

As for the movie night, the hilarious physical comedy of "Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis" made up for the fact that there were no English subtitles. Look at it this way...no reading! In seriousness, this French blockbuster broke nearly every French box office record and has grossed over $193 million in France alone, and for good reason (Wikipedia). This film showed that comedy is comedy in any language and our constant laughter served as proof! The evening really captured the essence of the week by breaking the language barrier and bringing a diverse group of people together as one.

Thank you again to everyone who volunteered to help us and thank you to everyone who attended. It would not be possible without each one of you. Thank you!!!

*Check out more pictures on our Facebook page:

2009-06-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

The first week of camp has come to an end and all of our Li'l Trekkers had a wonderful experience touring the land of Flamenco, Bullfights and acting out the stories of Don Quixote. Can't wait till next week when we go exploring the caves of Altamira and work on our own sculptures after the great Antonio Gaudi.

2009-03-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Since 2005 the Language Exchange of Northern Colorado has been the premiere school for language acquisition and cultural exchange in northern Colorado.

We offer programs beginning from 18 months to adult in over a dozen languages. Every instructor at the Language Exchange is a native speaker and represents the best of his/her country and culture. Whether you're just trying to get the most out of your next vacation or getting back to your own roots, we are here to share our passion and expertise with you.

Come by, learn about the world around you, and in the process share of yourself!