domingo, 30 de agosto de 2015

Classes at Indiana University

I am taking two different classes and a Friday Seminar in which we will analyze about education issues and we are going to listen to important speakers and experts. There are some other free workshops that the University offers as professional development opportunities.

My first class in the week is English Phonology: Language, Learning & Teaching. My teacher is French, she worked in Germany many years and she is so fresh and promotes our participation all the time. She speaks so fast in a varied stream of ideas that I have to pay a lot of attention.

My classmates are such a mix of languages, nationalities and skills, is amazing to be there: a Japanese teacher, a Korean Linguistic, 3 American teachers, one is a poet and musician, another is a Mexican descendent that teaches Arab. The foreigners speak 2 languages or even 3: their native tongue, English and some of them speak or read French or another as Arab.

I have high expectations from this class. I chose it because is an area that I know very little or nothing. The teacher told us that is not taught in many Universities and we must be sure to take note of that in our curriculums.

The second learning is that despite our efforts and beliefs, we must not pursue the ideal of a native English pronunciation, such thing doesn’t exist and if it does, it occurs when you have deleted your national essence in your person. My teacher did not say it with that specific words, but that is the idea: When you lose your accent, you become someone else.

My other class is Language Foundations for ESL/EFL teachers. This a 4 hour class in one day, on Wednesdays.
My teacher has a huge experience in languages and working in Africa and with students from different countries.
My classmates are also from different countries with backgrounds in teaching languages, not only English.
The topics are pretty interesting and I feel comfortable in class, and I really liked the required book.
I enjoy reading for pleasure and the 3 books that we have to read every week, they are clear, precise and appealing to my educational needs and experience, so I found myself reading them with a deep interest.

It is a huge privilege to attend these classes, learning is what makes humans grow and become better human beings.





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