Howland native teaching English in Argentina

HOWLAND -- A large "welcome home" sign was in the yard of the family home in Howland, welcoming Tracy Taiclet de Montagna and her husband, Ignacio, and their 6-year-old son, Nico.

The sign had the word "Bienvenido" -- which means welcome.

Taiclet de Montagna for the past 12 years has lived in Pilar, Argentina, near Buenos Aires, where she teaches and coaches English to students at a bilingual school.

She said where she teaches in the southern hemisphere it is now winter, and students are on winter break for a few weeks. Taiclet de Montagna said she wanted her husband and son to be in Howland to experience the July 4th holiday celebrating America's independence,

"It is the coldest time of the year now in Argentina. It doesn't snow where we live, but we do wear heavy coats and scarves," she said.

Taiclet de Montagna said they try to come back to Howland to see family, including her mother, Norma, and siblings, Kristan, Julie and Michael. Her father, Warner Taiclet, died last year, and she was in Ohio several times.

She said her son has been to Howland on four prior trips, but this is the first one around the July 4 holiday. Before their son was born, Tracy and Ignacio came to Howland several times.

"For me this is the first time in 13 years we have been back in July," Taiclet de Montagna said.

The family hosted an all-day get-together and a bonfire.

She said Argentina does have its own Independence Day on July 9, but because it is in the middle of winter, there is no big celebration outside.

"They are patriotic but not the way people in the United States are. My husband was surprised by all the flags everywhere. Argentina does not do parades like we do here," she said.

Taiclet de Montagna said at Christmas and New Year's in Argentina -- which are in the middle of summer -- more celebrations take place outside.

EXCHANGE STUDENT

Taiclet de Montagna was an exchange student in Howland in 2000 through the Howland Rotary and went to Argentina after she graduated from high school. Being in the country for a year after high school gave her an understanding of it.

"I repeated a year of high school in Argentina. To this day, I consider my host families there as my family. They are always in my heart," she said.

When she started college at Youngstown State University, she wanted to study a foreign language and was in the international studies program.

"I chose Argentina as one of 10 countries. The Rotary chose Argentina for me and 10 years later, I chose Argentina and the University of Belgrano, the university that received me," she said.

She said she met her husband through her host family.

She now works at a primary school teaching and coaching English for grades first to sixth and does private language lessons for adults.

Taiclet de Montagna said in the morning, children learn Spanish and in the afternoon they switch and learn English.

"They take pronunciation classes, public speaking classes and other English learning. The appreciation that I have now is for the patience of studying a language. I learned a foreign language as an adult, they are learning as children. I also had the advantage of living in Argentina when I learned Spanish. The children are being taught English, but not being forced to use it," she said.

Taiclet de Montagna said her father was a history and government teacher for many years, which inspired her to be a teacher.

She said with the coronavirus pandemic no longer surging, it is easier for the family to travel. While visiting, Taiclet de Montagna also was seeing high school friends.

She also walked the neighborhood and saw the "Yellow House," which her father had a part in getting moved to its new location by Howland Middle School. Taiclet de Montaga said her father would be so proud that house now is down the street from the family's home.

"My husband loved seeing the mailman deliver all the mail and put it in mailboxes. In Argentina, we do not have mailboxes. He wanted to see the neighborhood I grew up in. He could not believe all the flags up," she said,

"I know that the Fourth of July here is so different with all the patriotism of the people in the United States.

The American people show why they are proud to be here. There is so much celebrating," Ignacio de Montagna said.

He said Argentinian people celebrate when the soccer teams play in the World Cup.

"Everybody is celebrating. We are very proud of our flag and our country," he said.

Son Nico said he was excited to see the fireworks and have a summer picnic at his mom's childhood home.

The family also will spend time in Florida before returning to Argentina.