I had the wonderful opportunity this past week to meet some adult ESL students and their children at the Inlingua Language School

in Key Biscayne, Florida where my son Matt teaches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While these Spanish-speaking students of English (adults and children) are actively learning English, I found it helpful when preparing my presentation for the group to learn a few corresponding Spanish words.

Monsters Are Universal

In sharing FROM THE GRAVE’s creative journey with the students, I wanted to confirm that they could relate to monsters (los monstrous) and misfits (los inadaptados). I quickly discovered the Spanish equivalent for fear (el miedo) and intolerance (la intolerancia), primary themes in my fantasy story. 

 

Los Monstruos!

From the excited responses to the monster pencils I passed out, I knew I was on the right track.

While it was a small group of mixed ages, there were some eager young readers of fantasy and horror ready to experience the sights and sounds (las vistas y los sonidos) and smells (los olores) of my monster world setting (el scenario).

Scary On!

I’m hoping my misfits’ story (el cuento) will prove an entertaining and affirming tale to students who must often feel ostracized due to the language and cultural barriers. I certainly hope that after reading about my monsters, the students will feel more empowered to Scary on! no matter the differences they face.

And perhaps they will create their own monster stories with characters from their own cultures to share with all of us!