After a summer full of camps, activities, and new experiences, Rockin’ English is back! As the new school year begins, we are hitting the road again and joining the children in the Pink Program for another year of learning English through music, games, and fun.
This past weekend Rockin’ English made its way to Veliko Tarnovo for three different English clubs. This time, we set sail with How Far I’ll Go from Moana and used this song as a starting point to explore a whole new set of vocabulary: Nature. Together we learned words for landforms, weather, things we would find in the sky, and other things we might encounter in the world around us. Then, of course, we turned those new words into a game to give the children a chance to put their new English into practice.
One of these children was Alex. She was one of the youngest children in one of our groups, surrounded by children five to eight years older than she.. But you wouldn’t have known it from watching her. Alex was just as engaged, just as excited, and just as eager to learn and join in the game as everyone else. One of the words we practiced was “sky”. Reading English can be challenging for young learners, and words like this can be especially tricky; the y sound can easily turn sky into ski. We went through the words a few times together, and eventually Alex read it on her own and said it perfectly. Her face lit up with pride as she realized she had remembered it. The room filled with a big “BRAVO!” from our team, and her smile said everything.
It was a small moment, but it captured exactly why these clubs matter. Rockin’ English is about more than learning vocabulary. It is about giving children the opportunity to discover that they can learn something new, participate alongside their peers, and be proud of what they accomplish. Every new word remembered and every question answered is another opportunity to build confidence and curiosity.
How Rockin’ English Supports Broader Bulgarian Educational Goals
There is a phrase being seen more and more on billboards in Bulgaria: “Success speaks English.” English can help young people communicate beyond their own communities, access information, connect with people around the world, and open doors in education and future employment. But perhaps just as important is the experience of discovering a desire to learn. Moments like Alex’s remind us that these children have a genuine passion and deep eagerness to learn more. Our role is to meet their curiosity with encouragement, create a space where they feel comfortable trying, and celebrate them when they succeed.
That is why, as Rockin’ English returns for another school year, we want to give children more than a collection of new words. We want them to experience the feeling of learning something difficult and realizing, I can do this.
So here’s to another year of songs, games, new vocabulary, new confidence, big laughs, and plenty of English. Rockin’ English is back; and we’re just getting started!
0 comments