Lesson 14: Conversation

01

José interviews a student and asks him when he was born. The student replied that he was born the third of July, 1939. José asks him in what town he was born. The student says he was born i a town called Ticul. José the asks him if his parents live in that same town. The student replies that his father is not now living, that he died ten years ago. José asks him whether his mother is not alive either. The student replies that she is alive, but that she's living in Mérida, not in Ticul. José asks the student where he learned to read and the student replies that he started to school long ago when he was very small and that he's been student for ten years now.

02

José inquires about his past life as a student. José asks him how old he was when he was sent to school for the first time. The student says he was seven years old then. José asks him how long he attended school in Ticul. He replies that he spent three years there. José says he must have studied well. The student answers that he did learn a little, although not very well. José asks him what his first teacher's name was. The student says it was Don Alfonso Mártino. José asks him what all he learned in school. The student says that he learned to read and to write Spanish in school. José asks whether they taught him how to write Maya. The student says that they didn't, that his teacher did not know Maya well. José asks about how many students there were in his school. The student replies that they were twenty. José asks how many boys and how many girls. The student replies that there were fifteen boys and only five girls.

03

The student tells José about his first years in school and about his present job. José asks him where he went to study after his three years in Ticul. The student says his parents moved to Peto. José asks how his studies went in Peto. The student says his parents thought he was doing well. José asks him how long he studied in Peto. The student replies that he studied there three years, too. José asks him where he went when he left Peto. He says he went to Mérida where he studied in the Colegio Americano. José asks him what he's doing now. The student answers that he is now working as a teacher, but that he has to continue studying.