Languages are a huge part of our world today. Learning new languages can be fun and exciting, as it is a new way to communicate with classmates, expand your mind, and travel the world. We wanted to learn more about the teachers that are teaching us these languages. We interviewed Mrs. Mazzu, Mr. Drake, and Madame Okacha. We’re excited to share the importance of learning an additional language.
Mrs. Mazzu-Spanish
. Mrs. Mazzu is from Santiago, Chile, where she was born and raised. Spanish is her first language, but she wanted to study English in Chile. In 1997, she continued studying English in the United States before applying to get an MBA (Master of Business Administration). When she had kids, she decided that when they got older, she was going to continue working. She wanted to have a job that had the same holidays as her kids so she could still spend time with them. For fun, to learn more about her culture, we asked what her favorite food was back in Chile. She states that her favorite food is humitas and empanadas. Humitas are made out of corn, onion, and basil wrapped in the leaves of the corn. It was one of her favorite childhood foods. Lastly, she explains why she loves teaching Spanish. She is passionate about her native language, and Spanish has become much more relevant in the United States. A perk of teaching is that she gets to see her students progress in Spanish as they get older. For example, 25 students at Algonquin passed the “The State Seal of Biliteracy” in Spanish. She got to see the results from an email sent by the superintendent. We enjoyed meeting with Mrs. Mazzu who has truly shown us the importance and her love for Spanish and its culture.
Mr.Drake-French and Spanish
Mr. Drake enjoys teaching in general and likes being able to help students exceed. Mr. Drake started learning Spanish in fourth grade and is originally from Massachusetts. Mr. Drake got to practice speaking Spanish even more when he worked at an orphanage that was only Spanish-speaking. He also studied abroad and is able to speak not only Spanish but French and English too. A couple of Mr. Drake’s cousins lived in Southborough and they loved the schools, so Mr. Drake came to teach here at Trottier in 2001. After our interview with Mr. Drake, we got to learn a lot more about him and we were even more inspired to be able to learn a language like he did in middle school.
Madame Okacha- French
Not only does she speak French, she also speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and Arabic. Madame Okacha is passionate about languages and has a love for them. She also teaches French at Assabet to adults. Madame Okacha loves seeing the progress in students from when they first arrive at Trottier to when they move on to high school. She has spoken French since she was five years old and was born in Casa Blanca, Morocco. When she first came to the United States, she lived in Malden, Massachusetts. In 2004, she applied randomly to be a teacher in Northborough but ended up at Trottier. Her favorite childhood food is Ratatouille, which is a traditional vegetable stew made with tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and eggplant. She also enjoys savory crepes which are also childhood food. After interviewing Madame Okacha, we learned more about her background and her love for teaching, Trottier, and all of the languages she speaks.
In our world today, there are so many different and unique languages. We are lucky enough to have Spanish and French available to learn at our school. Trottier is so fortunate to have three amazing world language teachers.
