Duolingo podcast spanish11/22/2023 ![]() ![]() For Norma, it was like a dream: teacher training in paradise. Martina: Varadero is a major tourist destination known for its pristine beaches. Yo todavía era muy joven, pero pensaba que convertirme en maestra me iba a dar una experiencia que no iba a obtener de otra manera. Martina: The first stop for everyone was a town called Varadero for a 10-day teacher training camp. Yo era pobre y pensaba que esta decisión me iba a dar otras oportunidades. Norma: Para mí, era una gran oportunidad para mejorar mi vida. Martina: When it finally came time to go, Norma was excited-her teaching 'brigade' would be treated like heroes. Yo quería terminar con todo eso y salir para ser parte de la revolución. Norma: El 22 de mayo, mi mamá me regaló el vestido. Martina: Norma's mother just had to get that perfect photo before her daughter left to become a teacher. Norma: Nosotros éramos pobres, entonces no tuve una gran fiesta, pero mi mamá era modista y me hizo un vestido rosado con flores. Norma's mother was a modista, or dressmaker, and she had a simple plan for her daughter's big day. It usually entails a coming-of-age celebration called a quinceañera. ![]() Martina: In Cuba, like in many Latin American countries, the 15th birthday is a big deal for girls. Norma: Ella me dijo: "Hija, tienes que esperar hasta tener quince años". Before sending her daughter on a literacy mission, there was one really important milestone on her mind. Martina: Norma knew what she wanted, but her mother was conflicted. Yo quería participar en la misión en el campo. Norma: Los maestros que iban al campo tenían mejor reputación que los maestros que se quedaban en la ciudad. Martina: Improving life for Cubans in the countryside was such an important focus of Fidel Castro's Revolution-the teachers who left the city were favored by the government. Otros no querían que sus hijos trabajaran en el campo, así que esos jóvenes se quedaron enseñando en la ciudad. Norma: Muchos padres decidieron irse de Cuba porque la revolución comenzó a darles miedo. Martina: Some parents agreed to let their kids go to the countryside-others refused. Norma: La prioridad de la campaña era alfabetizar a los campesinos en primer lugar, pero, para poder hacer eso, necesitábamos la autorización de nuestros padres. It was a big moment that began to polarize the Cuban people. Martina: The school year was canceled entirely. Ese año fue llamado “El año de la educación". ❾l objetivo? Educar a jóvenes de once a dieciocho años para convertirse en maestros. Norma: Fidel anunció que las clases se iban a cancelar en todas las escuelas durante el año 1961. Because in 1961, Fidel Castro required all children who could read and write to become teachers for the campaign, there was a particular focus on educating campesinos-people who lived in the countryside. Martina: She wanted in, but it turns out she didn't even have to sign up. Norma: Yo tenía solo catorce años, pero le dije a mi mamá que quería ser parte de la campaña. Martina: In the early days after Castro took control of Cuba, Norma was desperate to become a teacher. If you miss something, you can always skip back and listen again. The storyteller will be using intermediate Spanish and I'll be chiming in for context in English. Every episode, we bring you fascinating true stories to help you improve your Spanish listening and gain new perspectives on the world. Martina: Bienvenidos and welcome to the Duolingo Spanish Podcast-I'm Martina Castro. Norma: Yo era una adolescente, pero cuando Fidel presentó la campaña de alfabetización, supe que quería ser una maestra de la revolución. It marked the birth of the Campaña de Alfabetización: A massive literacy campaign. ![]() Castro set a goal of teaching every illiterate person on the island how to read. One in particular caught Norma's attention. Martina: Castro soon proposed a series of initiatives to shift the country to a socialist model. Norma: Nosotros éramos una familia de siete personas y todos vivíamos en un solo cuarto en Santiago de Cuba. So while others fled, they decided to stay. ![]() For an Afro-Cuban family like Norma's, from one of the island's poorest provinces, the revolution felt like a chance to escape crippling poverty. Martina: In 1959, when Norma was 14 years old, Castro completed his takeover of the Cuban government. Mis tíos también participaron en el clandestinaje junto a Fidel. Ese era el nombre que se les daba a los revolucionarios de aquella época. Norma: Yo vengo de una familia revolucionaria. Some of her family members even participated in the clandestinaje, as clandestine members of the revolution. A spirit of rebellion runs in the family. Martina: It's no surprise that Norma was caught up in Fidel Castro's Revolution. Norma: Mis botas son el símbolo de una de las etapas más emocionantes de mi vida: la llegada de la Revolución cubana. Every time she laces up a pair, she’s transported back in time. Martina: 73-year-old Norma Guillard loves her boots. ![]()
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