"If you speak to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you speak to him in his own language, that goes to his heart" - Nelson Mandela.
As a languages teacher, who has to do daily battle with the linguistic prejudices of the average English teenager, I find this quotation beautiful and inspirational. I have it on my classroom door hoping that, if I fail to do so, then at least the great Madiba might inspire them to open their minds just a little bit. If I had a euro for each time a child has said to me "Why do we have to learn a foreign language? Everyone speaks English anyway", then I would probably be comfortably able to bail out most of the Eurozone with a bit left over for a nice holiday.
As it happens most of the world does not speak English. Just 6% speak it as their mother tongue and only 25% speak any at all. That's three quarters of the world excluded. I know, I'm showing off - I can do Maths too!
I have been hugely thrilled to see that my posts are being read in France, Russia, Germany and Serbia as well as the USA, Canada and UK. When I told Bryn that I had page views from America and Serbia he said "That will be Obama and Djokovic!" Who knows? Whoever you are, wherever you are, thank you for reading and please do leave comments on any of the posts.
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Insomnia, School Trips and other Ramblings.
I find myself awake at stupid o'clock this morning, a time usually only experienced in any meaningful sense by shift workers and small infants. Speaking of small infants, I am taken back to the days when Bryn was tiny and 5.30 am was considered a lie in and you knew it was going to be a bad day if the baby had woken you up before the CBeebies channel had come on air.
There could be many reasons for my current bout of sleeplessness: clammy nights, feeling hungry, things on my mind. However, on this particular day I like to think that I have woken up in sympathy with my colleagues who, as I write, are setting off for Germany with 35 excited teenagers. I myself have been on this trip a number of times but, more recently, have gone over to the dark side and accompanied the Spanish jollies (let's face it, that's what all you non-teachers think they are!) instead. On the last German trip two years ago we had literally been on the road (or to be more accurate, the school drive) for 20 seconds when one 13 year old girl threw up over herself and her (ex) friend. At this early stage of the trip I was still feeling reasonably fresh and enthusiastic and so set about cleaning up the mess. If anyone thinks teachers have an easy job then they should try cleaning up someone else's child's vomit on a moving coach. The novelty will soon wear off I can assure you.
...and so it was that I earned myself the (unpaid) title of 'Teacher in charge of Vomit'. Later on in the trip, the lack of fruit served at the hotel necessitated the addition of 'constipation' and 'rickets' to my responsibilities. All in day's work!
There could be many reasons for my current bout of sleeplessness: clammy nights, feeling hungry, things on my mind. However, on this particular day I like to think that I have woken up in sympathy with my colleagues who, as I write, are setting off for Germany with 35 excited teenagers. I myself have been on this trip a number of times but, more recently, have gone over to the dark side and accompanied the Spanish jollies (let's face it, that's what all you non-teachers think they are!) instead. On the last German trip two years ago we had literally been on the road (or to be more accurate, the school drive) for 20 seconds when one 13 year old girl threw up over herself and her (ex) friend. At this early stage of the trip I was still feeling reasonably fresh and enthusiastic and so set about cleaning up the mess. If anyone thinks teachers have an easy job then they should try cleaning up someone else's child's vomit on a moving coach. The novelty will soon wear off I can assure you.
...and so it was that I earned myself the (unpaid) title of 'Teacher in charge of Vomit'. Later on in the trip, the lack of fruit served at the hotel necessitated the addition of 'constipation' and 'rickets' to my responsibilities. All in day's work!
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