Spanish Teacher Mark Mallaney attempts to further immerse the TJ community in the Spanish language through a new club.
Mark Mallaney starts up the Spanish club with high hopes. Photo by Ryan Woods
Foreign language teacher Mark Mallaney, or “Profe” to his students, is a very popular teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School. Mallaney uses many self-described unorthodox teaching methods that have paid off, proving that one doesn’t need a textbook to learn a language. Mallaney says he wants only the best for his students and has come up with another great way to help them develop their Spanish skills.
Mallaney says he always tries to come up with ways to help his students. When asked what prompted him to create his club, Mallaney said, “I wanted a situation where students who are interested in speaking Spanish in more of a small group setting could get together and have fun conversations and just get better at Spanish in a fun way.” Mallaney feels that many students find it difficult to speak up and try to participate in a group as large as the normal class, so this club allows those students to have an easier outlet to strive to improve their Spanish.
In addition to practicing Spanish, club members will also have the opportunity to learn about the everyday culture of the Spanish community. Mallaney says he will try to organize trips to visit Spanish-related locations, like local restaurants, to give club members a chance to experience the cuisine that they probably don’t have a chance to enjoy very often. In addition to this, there will also be days when club members have a potluck with Spanish-themed foods.
This club is open to anybody who would like to join, not just Spanish students. Mallaney says that the only requirements to join are, “That you are committed and have an open mind and are willing to try to get better. Anybody can join as long as they can converse in basic Spanish.” As long as a student really wants to improve his/her Spanish skills, this is the perfect club for them. Mallaney says his main goal with this club is to, “Prepare students for the Costa Rica trip, or even for speaking with Spanish-speakers in their native language. You can find Spanish-speakers almost anywhere in the world, so Spanish is a very good language to master.”
Mallaney says that this club is not completed yet; it is still being formed, but people are welcome to come to him to ask any questions about the club. He plans to use the Spartan Edition, the TJ Journal, and “word of mouth” through his students. He expects the largest turnout from students that are already a part of his Spanish classes, but the hope is that some other people will also come to participate in the club.
This club is not just a place for people to hang out at lunch. Mallaney tells us that he wants, “the club to be student-lead. We will choose a book in Spanish for club members to go home and read and come back to discuss. This will be done outside of class, as this club is specifically an extension activity for people to practice and get better at Spanish.” Many people find it difficult to focus with the distractions that a large classroom generally presents. Mallaney says he has a solution to fix this problem within his club. “I know that we have a limited amount of time in class and that isn’t enough time to help every single person every single day in a class of 36 people. This club is more of a way for me to help students who want extra practice in a way that is best for them.”
So, if students are interested in improving their Spanish-speaking skills, Mallaney’s Spanish Club might be the perfect club for them. Mallaney says that students can always go and talk to him after class or during lunch to find out more information. If students have a strong desire to improve their Spanish-speaking abilities, this is the club for them.
