They’re Here!

When we watch for visitors and see them coming,

we often say in excited tones They’re here.

Going back to our first Fulbright Year, our two

were quite young at almost three and six years.

At home in Upstate New York they had plenty of

neighborhood friends and playmates.  Moving to

Germany meant preparing our two for the

upcoming trip.  As a language teacher, I knew

that younger children have less difficulty acquiring

a second language.  Fortunately, the BBC had just

published a new children’s series called Muzzy.  It

was like Sesame St.  In German!  Our two had daily

German lessons to learn the basics for attending

German schools once they arrived. Our son was going

into first grade and our daughter into kindergarten

which was for ages 3-5 years.  Total immersion!

After six months, our two were very comfortable living

in the village of Schweindorf where they had new

playmates for the year.  They learned a new language,

culture, country, and culture.  Child’s play.  Naturally.

At the end of our year, we again packed up our

belongings for the trip home.  A ticker-tape parade

minus the confetti awaited us in the neighborhood.

It was a hot July day.  My husband drove us with

open windows from the airport to our home. As

we turned the corner, most of the neighborhood kids

stopped playing and shouted They’re here!  They ran

behind our new green van.  What a homecoming parade!

Shouts, waving and smiles.   They’re here!   Their friends

spoke English!  They understood no German.  Not

a problem.  Friends are still friends.  Play is still

play.  Smiles are international.  They’re here!

 

Note:  It was a magical year for our children.  Yes, they still speak and understand German.

They also learned French.  To all our friends:  Happy Easter, Frohe Ostern and Bonnes Pâques!