Goes...

Dear all of you,

It is really hard to come back. It is just weird to be back home and back to real life. I miss it a lot. I miss my pupils, my mentor, the school, my house and of course my friends.


So many things happened to me while I was living in Goes. I have learned a lot. The way they work is definitely different than the one we use in Belgium but I don’t think it would be possible to work that way here! The pupils are more independent. It does not matter if they do mistakes as long as they learn. So they are going to try several times before being able to understand stuff and the teacher is not telling them how to do it. He is just helping them to find a way to do it but that is it. They learn that you have to use your brain if you want to “survive” as an adult and that they have to be able to do things by themselves.


If I had to do it again, if I could choose some other place, I would just go back to Goes. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the place, to find friends, to be at ease when I was at school but it was definitely worth it!


I don’t think I would like to change anything about this experience. I had an adorable house-mate. My mentor was just incredible. My pupils were fun and respectful. My friends were Dutch. ... It was all perfect! Maybe giving more lessons would have been great. Sadly, because of the exams, it was complicated and I was more an assistant than a teacher. But I’m not complaining here! I liked it.

I can not say if I have changed or not. My way of teaching will definitely be influenced by this Comenius. I realised how important it is to make them work on culture subjects. The vocabulary is just a way of understanding everything. I have always worked with vocabulary topics like “Today I need to teach them how to talk about the weather”. During the internships in Belgium, when we asked our mentors our subjects it would be “the clothes” or “the past simple” or “the sports”. In Goes, when I asked her what I had to do she would just say: “Find something interesting for them. When you have that, it can only be good.” And it worked. I would not care about the vocabulary. I would choose a subject and then I would find the words they would need but I would not spend time on these words because that would never be the aim of the exercise.


What was also great during this last month is that Céline and Sarah came to visit me! They only came two days because they had to go back to work but it was so much fun to have them in Goes ad to be able to show them around. They met some of my pupils, my housemate, and my mentor. They have seen my village and my house. And we went to see a funny action movie (“I am Number four”) together.


I Think I am going to keep everything in my memory. It was a great internship. I really enjoyed it and I learned so much!

Hello all,

My overall appreciation of my time in the Netherlands has stayed positive throughout. The main boon with regard to my practice has been the strengthening of many of my initial premises and attitudes. I also got a glimpse of a slightly different school culture which is always a good experience.

If I were afforded the choice to participate in this project again, I would without hesitation. The situation I was in was genuinely useful to the pupils involved and this came through the absence of most of the restrictions a school environment usually imposes. I therefore got a lot of enjoyment out of helping pupils instead of mindlessly babysitting them (although I was asked to do this some of the time too).

I was also able to set my tongue free, metaphorically of course, to a great extent. The pupils were good enough to understand my speech as long as I didn’t purposefully use big words. They even claimed that I was far easier to understand than their teachers, which I found surprising. I imagine they are actually learning most of their English through television and other media: this might go some way to explaining it.

I don’t think it has qualitatively changed anything in my teaching practice, though. My job in the school was more akin to a coach and tutor than a teacher. I have had enough experience in this field to have rather stable practices and some logical fundamentals which aren’t likely to change within such a short time-span.

On a more personal note, the change of scenery was very welcome since I had many things to mull over. These are probably the memories which will stay with me the longest.

Sauce,

A

Leuven, oooh Leuven!!! :D

Our first time in Leuven (October 2009) remember? :)

Hi, J

I don’t really know how to explain what my feelings are. I’m pleased to have gone to Leuven. I have absolutely no regrets about it; Leuven is really a beautiful city with a lot of kind people.

Initially, it is not always easy to be in a new environment; but by the time you’re used to it, it’s time to leave. That’s why I can’t say that I’m happy about coming back to Brussels. I know that I won’t be there anymore. But who knows? J

I liked Leuven. During my stay, I travelled to other Flemish cities to visit some universities and I didn’t discover much about their system since I already knew that, in Flanders, you could choose to study Biology and English, or Maths and “PKV” (Arts).

I have learnt a lot more about the methodology the teachers there use. I never attended a lesson in which the teacher didn’t use a PowerPoint or the internet. I think that most teachers in Flanders often use the internet during their lessons. The students who will, within two years, become teachers at secondary schools also use the internet and PowerPoint during their micro-lessons. For each micro-lesson they prepare a PowerPoint related to their topic.

I think that the use of the internet in class is really interesting, because you can let your pupils listen songs, check lyrics or watch documentaries.

I’m sure that if we used this during our lessons, our pupils would find it really cool and would be interested in it because they aren’t used to it yet. Flemish pupils are probably more used to this type of material.

When I had to give lessons with a Flemish student from Mechelen (Britt Cools), I prepared my lessons like everyone in our class, without thinking about using the internet or other media. Then, we found out that we had to give a two-hour lesson in the computer room. Britt suggested watching the DVD “Madagascar” because the theme of our lesson was about animals. This is what we decided to do and you could see that she had already worked with this type of material and her worksheets were extremely well prepared.

I think this whole experience (staying in Leuven and training) was really something special to me. I wouldn’t have found anything better than this.

I’m pleased and, if I had to do it again, I certainly would do it again. But I would find a student room in Leuven to avoid taking the train every morning and to fully enjoy the student life in Leuven. J It would have been great if we had had time to go to a B&B, but unfortunately we didn’t.

I’m not sure I have changed much but I know that I have some projects in mind which I hope will come to fruition.

I’m sure I’ll always keep this experience in my memory. I won’t forget this adventure with Sarah and Romain. We had a lot of fun there. We took pictures and took part in projects and that’s why I won’t forget it.

We will share more information about our experience on the 31^st of May… J Be there! J

With love,

Céline

Snif snif!

Hello everybody!

Let me start by saying that I'm very happy all of you are back and it was so nice seeing you again!

I've lived a great experience in Leuven. I'm a little bit sad to know that it is coming to an end. I didn't think I would be sad to leave Leuven but I actually am. I really liked the city and the groups in which we are are cool and I think it would've been nice to spend more time with the students. I know that I'll still be going to Leuven for the exams and last lessons we have so it's all good!

I've learnt a lot by chosing to go study in Leuven. I feel more confident when using Dutch and that was the biggest point for me to improve. I feel like being obligated to speak in Dutch with native Dutch speakers helped me put my shyness away. They were all very nice about that saying that they would have loved to be able to speak in French like we do in Dutch. I'm happy I chose Leuven because it gave me the chance to improve my Dutch AND my English. The English level there is very high and it was nice to still work on my English with the students. I definitely feel that I've improved when it comes to both languages.

I would definitely do it again if I had to. I think it was the perfect choice for me. It was a change in my "life" (new school, new classmates, new teachers,...) but not a huge one like going to another country. I wasn't alone there so it helped me socialize. I liked the groups we were in and the lessons we followed. Leuven is a beautiful city so it helped a lot too. The only thing I would change if I could is the same one as Romain. I would have loved to follow lessons only with the "International Group". Having to follow lessons with 3 different groups was fun but sometimes difficult. It's more difficult to make new friends when you're only seeing them 4 hours a week. The "International Group" was my favourite because you could feel that they were all new like us and that it was natural for them to make new friends. The other groups we were in knew each other since last year so it was more difficult because we were 3 new people that were only there for 3 months. That's the only thing I would've change even though it wasn't that big of a deal.

I don't know if I've changed that much. I feel more independent that's for sure. I also feel more confident when using both languages like I said above. Other than that, I don't think I've changed that much :p

My stay in Leuven will influence my way of teaching. We've had the occasion to see how Flemish students teached and we've learnt new techniques. I've always taken my learner's culture into account but I will definitely be even more sensitive to that in the future. I've also seen how the atmosphere in which the learners are, influence their way of learning. It is something that has influenced me while in Leuven. Being in an environment with Flemish or international sutdents helped me feel more confident in my use of languages. I'm sure it is something I will use when teaching.

I'll always keep this entiere experience in my memory. The students I've met, friends I've made, teachers I've worked with, city I've studied in,... . I'll always keep all of the different things I've experienced there and new things I've learnt in my memory.

That's it guys!

Sarah

Visiting Victoria in Goes (with Céline)

The Already Ending Story

Once upon a time , the ERABEL-story of three students in Leuven....

Personnally , I feel divided about this experience. On the one hand , I feel a bit sad because the time has gone too fast and it is already (nearly) finished. But on the other hand , I am happy to have done this experience. It was a very positive one for me and I will keep a lot of souvenirs from it.

In the international group , I have met new people from different countries around the world (Ireland,Spain , China , Turkey , Ghana,...). During the lessons (and discussions,presentations,...) we have had together , I have discovered a part of their own culture. It was cool and enrichful for me. With the other students groups we were in , I have still developed my language skills and linguistical knowledge in Dutch & English.

All of this will , of course , have an influence on my way of teaching. As teacher , I will have to adapt my way of teaching as much as possible to my pupils and their culture(s). But I will also have to prefectly master my subjects (English & Ducth) in order to transmit it to the pupils and help them if necessary.

Another souvenir will be the two "project" weeks we made in small groups at the beginning of our ERABEL-experience. We have had to create a game , to play it with other groups towards Leuven , to make a cultural presentation of the city... So funny :-)

If I had to do it again , I would surely do it. But I would only be with the international group of students (that's the one I most like). Or maybe in another school in another Flemish city (Ghent,...) I do not know.... Anyway , I don't have any regrets about my choice for an ERABEL experience !!

See you later at the ISPG !!

Romain

Hello,

I've just landed in Brussels and I already feel the need to return as soon as possible to Reykjavik.
I'm a little bit sad for leaving my colleagues of Menntaskolinn i Reykjavik and my Icelandic friends, but I'm of course happy to be back in Belgium, to see my familly, my girlfriend and all my Belgian friends and classmates. It's also very nice to see the green countryside (which contrasts with the black and white landscapes I was used to see there) and the spring mildness in Belgium.

I have learnt so many things during my assistantship and it would take to long to explain everything. I'll try to write in a few words the basic essentials.

Because of my background in Germanic languages​​, I have learnt to do some parallels between Dutch and Icelandic. These two languages ​​are undoubtedly different, but there are a lot of vocabulary words with identical origin and some common grammatical rules. I feel I have acquired some basic Icelandic language that would allow me to consider a longer-term stay in this country. After all, three months are not enough to learn a new foreign language.

I have learnt a lot of cultural elements which were previously stated in the blogg (very different culinary heritage, rich medieval literature, folk and popular Icelandic music, original and surprising architecture, superstitions, ...)

I have also learnt a lot of things about primary, secondary schools and education in Iceland thanks to several visits, meetings and researchs in the university of Reykjavik (notably about the teacher's statut in primary schools).

This teaching experience helped me to refine and to improve my teaching methods because it was the first time I had the possibility to exerce the teacher's role over a long period. I think it will help me to be more self-confident when I'll start my professional career.

I can certainly say that it's the most rewarding and enriching experience of my life and I would do it again without hesitation if I could.

I can't say if this experience have changed me fondamentally but I have even though the feeling to be less stressed about my studies and I have a bit changed my futur plans. I'm probably going to study teaching French to foreigners and I'll go back to Reykjavik. I would like to live there for a few years.

I will always keep in my memory the kindness, the courage of Icelandic people and the fact that they are very curious and open-minded.

I love Iceland!

Hello,

I haven’t been in Leuven during April because I was teaching and it was Easter holiday. But what I have learnt about the Flemish culture so far isn’t very different from what I knew before going to Leuven. I knew that Flemish people watched English movies and they were then able to speak English easily but what I didn’t know was that they had an extremely good level.

The English language has an influence on their way of speaking, sometimes you can hear a Flemish student speaking Dutch using a few English words (not always beautiful words actually)… but still you can see that their mentality isn’t the same as mine or people from the city I come from. Before beginning my studies at the I.S.P.G., I was more influenced by all the French TV programs and I wasn’t used to hear English or Dutch. But now that I’m studying English and Dutch I’m more used to it. I don’t know if it has an influence on the way I think, probably, but I’m not aware of it.

Since I’m studying at the I.S.P.G., I listen to the Flemish radio channels and even on the radio you notice that Flemish people listen to English, Dutch or French songs. If you listen to the French radio channels you won’t hear any Flemish songs.

There is another difference which is the one I don’t like… when you’re in a group of young people you don’t say hello to each other by giving a kiss but by shaking one’s hands. I don’t like it. I really like to give a kiss to people when I meet them and that I’m going to spend a day with them. I need this contact but they don’t and I try to respect that. I’m pleased to be with Sarah and Romain because if they weren’t there who would I kiss every morning and every evening? J

That’s the only culture clash I experienced. I didn’t expect that we were going to shake the hands or just shake our head to say ‘hello’. I have some friends who are Flemish speakers and I’m used to give them a kiss I didn’t know that it was going to be different here.

This last point isn’t something that influence my knowledge of the language, I still love learning Dutch and English.J

As Sarah and Romain said previously, we’re in a class of foreign students. They’re all nice and welcoming! It’s a pleasure to be with them! And what I like the most it’s that we have to speak English and that’s really great for me because I know that I have to improve my English and I like this class and the course we have with them because it’s real, you have to speak about your culture, the culture of the others and it happens in English because this is the language I would use if I was abroad.

See you next week!!J

Céline

The last day's...

Here are my beloved and tall students :-)

Dear all,

It has been a long and busy month.
I've experienced a lot of cultural differences and it would be difficult to explain it all here.
But the most important is the Danish 'secret law' of humility.
Danish people cant's show off or be too proud!
If someone is too proud he will not be well considered by his classmates or friends.
If I am proud of my work, or lesson, I just have to keep it for myself.
It is also something I have to be careful about in the classroom. I can't say to a student that he is wonderful and that his work was super. I have to stay positive but I can't says to the other students: "look at him, he work was brilliant, you should do the same!"

Something else is that everything is based on trust. The teacher trusts his students, he believes in them and he doesn't control them systematically. You can also find places where you pay for your coffee and then you go and help yourself, but anybody could walk in take a cup of coffee and go away. The Danish people don't do that! I feel extremely save here, People let there bags alone to throw something into the trash and they are not afraid of being stolen.

I did experience a 'culture clash' when I first heard a student say to me that he knew what to write in his essay but that he was to lazzy to work now. The student went on with playing and I smiled because I knew it is normal here for a student to say this to his teacher. Still, it was
strange.

I tried to ask as many questions as I could to avoid making 'cultural mistakes' I observed a lot before acting and when I didn't know what to do, I just did the same as my neighbour.

I think a language is part of the culture. I have given a lesson about sayings and expressions in french and in danish, I have learner a lot about their culture just through saying and I realised how important it was to explain the culture linked with the language you teach. Otherwise it is like teaching a death language.

Hello,

I cannot say I have gleaned much culturally from staying here these few months. My life was composed of a microcosm including a supermarket, some pupils, a teacher’s lounge and my turquoise room (not necessarily in that order). I trudged up and down the town a good few times in my earlier, foiled attempts to find accommodation, but to believe that the ‘culture’ of the town or indeed the country was imparted to me by my glimpses of foreign architecture and road signs would be quite optimistic to put it mildly.

Given the fact that I regularly met with people from this part of the world when I was playing for a competition band in Antwerp, I was not shocked by the accent or the attitudes of the people I have interacted with. No culture clash occurred as far as I could tell.

There are a few things in these environments that I could conceivably identify as different, however. The atmosphere in the school is quite different to what I have known in the past. It is safe to say that the pupils appear to feel much greater freedom in the classroom than most pupils in Belgium could ever dream of having. For instance, they can make use of their phones and their music devices in certain circumstances. They also tend to be freer in terms of what they say. These and a myriad of other small observations give an overall picture which contrasts sharply with what I might expect as a product of the Belgian system. My opinions on the matter were comforted by the French assistant in the school who nearly fell over backwards at how carefree the students behaved and how blithe they seemed to feel. As far as the supermarket in concerned, besides the fact that they ask you if you want stamps at every check-out, I cannot say I ever felt out of my depth.

By electing to ask for an internship in the Netherlands, I had ultimately hoped to interact with the ‘natives’ enough to somewhat improve my level of fluency in Dutch. This proved to be ill-fated for a number of reasons. First of all, the members of the English faculty make a point of speaking English to one another. Secondly, all my interactions with the pupils were in L2. My somewhat confusing background added to the general mystique about my level in Dutch and their level in English was sufficient for all purposes. Lastly, my interactions with my housemates have been few and far between since, as the saying goes, I have mostly had other fish to fry.

I have obviously had conversations with other teachers in the lounge and acquainted myself with the other residents of the house whilst cooking, for example, but all in all I have spoken very little Dutch. If anything, it has allowed me to further my level of English since some of the texts the pupils were working on contained words I did not know. However, I cannot say that I have encountered any more new words than usual.

I will see you all soon. Until then, all the best.

A

My dear friends, I hope you are all happy wherever you are! Before explaining everything about the culture links and others, let us talk about Me, Myself, and I!!! (not at all egocentric! J) You can also make a link with the Dutch culture even if it goes more about the school than the Dutch habits. I still do not have any pictures; I still need to buy myself a camera! I could not be happier than I am here. I still do not teach much but I give private lessons to some pupils who need help in English. (By the way, I was horrified because they had to study some vocabulary about “Religion” and I had to help them with it but they did not understand the words... not even in Dutch... (Words like “church of England”, “devotion”, “virtue”, ECT.) What I like about this internship is that there is something new every week. I never stop beeing surprised by their way of working! J For example, they do not have exams in June and August like us but they have their exams between February and March and then they can try again during April and May if they did not passed the first time. The exams are national so, except for the “little tests”, the teacher is not the one creating the exams. I realise that they never have English lessons (I said that already but it still surprises me). They have never ever ever had a lesson about vocabulary and they have never ever ever worked with a topic. It is just random reading, listening and speaking. For example, I did a lesson about the halal food and the next lesson I will give them will be about Henry VIII. Try to find a link between these subjects!!! J But their level is AWESOME! It is because most of the movies are in English with Dutch subtitles but it is also because they never get bored because the topics of the lessons always change. I really love it! Moreover, I can not explain the connexion that they have with their teachers! They are so closed but respectful at the same time. I guess it is also because we are in a village and not in a big city. If you go out (shopping, walking around, ECT) you will always meet one or two of your pupils. Their relations are much more “human”. The pupils are considered like “little” adults. To summarize that firts personal chapter, I am still really happy here and I have started to feel depressed about the idea of coming back home. (I have just realised that even when I write, I “talk” too much!) What can I say about the cultural differences? Firtsly, I have to admit that when I got here I experienced more of a “social clash” than a “cultural clash”! They spit out, they burp and they make dirty jokes (when we are eating!). So I was quite “traumatize” at the beginning but I guess I got used to it even if I will never do those things. Secondly, there are of course some cultural differences, however, not as many as we could think of. - Their food is really healthy! They eat a salad with every meal. There are always more than two vegetables served with the meal. - They are very religious. On Sunday, you really can NOT find an open place. It is the day of rest for everybody. - Their day ends quite early. They eat their supper around 6 P.M. but most of the time they have an activity organised afterwards (like fitness, sports, bowling, ECT.) - They all have their slices of bread for lunch. There are no big sandwiches or hot meals. - They never go the the theatre or the museum (there are no theatre or museum in the city) (but, here again, I think that it is more social than cultural). As I mentioned earlier, everything is different here even if it is not really in a cultural way. These differences are linked to the fact that they do not feel insecured like people who are living in a big city. The school is open until 23h during the week because of some meetings but anybody can enter. There are no gates. And it is the same during the day. I feel like I am part of a big family. They are all really nice to me. I wish you were all living the same experience. This internship is the best thing that could happen to me. I wish you all the best, Victoria

Still alive!

Hey everybody!

I've been studying in Leuven for almost three months now. I really like it and I now feel completely in my environment there. There are a lot of students where we are in Leuven. I wasn't expecting to find so many students, teenagers there. It's really nice to feel like we're in a "students' city".

When it comes to the culture in Leuven, I didn't really learn anything new. We've visited and learnt about Flemish cities during our lessons at the ISPG so I already knew about the culture but it's nice to see and live it everyday. The students in Leuven, and in Flanders I assume, have a really good level in English. That's something that was very interesting to me. We asked questions to the teacher and he explained us that, as we knew, most of the channels there are in English with Dutch subtitles. He explained that students were used to hearing English since they're kids. The students there have a lot of vocabulary and a very good pronunciation. I have to say that I'm a little bit jealous! :p

Art plays a big role in the school there. The classrooms have a lot of different posters and also things drawn by the students themselves. Most of the posters are very creative and funny with puns and sarcastic comments. Right now, there is a stage in the patio. Students but also lecturers come and read poems during the lunch break. You can ask to go on stage and read the poem you chose. It's very nice and entertaining. We don't watch as many films in class as we do at the ISPG. I feel that since students already watch films and tv-shows in English at home it is not necessary to do it often in the class. In Brussels, we watch television in French (sometimes Dutch) so it is extremely important to see films in English/Dutch during the lessons.

I didn't really experience a "culture clash". I learn more and more about different cultures but there is no "culture clash" because it's all about sharing. When I say that, I'm talking about the sharing we do with the IEC group. We follow lessons with three different groups : two groups of Dutch students from GroepT and one group of "International students". The group with the "International students" is most definitely my favourite one! It's so interesting to follow courses with them. We always have to present a different aspect of our own culture/country/language and it's amazing. There are students from Spain, Turkey, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ireland, Pakistan, etc. The students in this group are so welcoming and have great personalities. They're very fun and they're my favourites, as you may have noticed. They're all very curious so we get to share a lot and there is no clash. Everybody's learning about the other's culture while sharing and comparing their own. Some of the students even start speaking in French with us because they want to learn a lot of different things and I have learnt some Nigerian slang :p

Like the teachers at the ISPG and most of my mentors said : culture is extremely important when learning a language. The fact that I'm speaking Dutch while being in Flanders greatly influences my learning of the language. It creates a sphere, a special environment. I don't really know how to explain it but it just does. Only hearing Dutch makes me use it automatically. I feel the same way about English. Being in an "International group" where cultures are different forces us to use the thing that links us all : a common language. I'm very happy to have chosen Leuven because I really feel like I'm slowly but surely improving.

I miss you all a lot! Take care,

Sarah

Hello everybody,

I hope you are all doing well !

I think it would take too long to explain everything I learned about Icelandic culture. I'll try to explain the essential things.

Almost all the Islanders are avid readers. They read on average five books per year. Their readings are essentially composed of sagas and eddas which were written during the High and Late Middle Ages. Islandic language has not change much since the 13 th century. Icelanders can therefore read the original writings without any problem and the literature of the Middle Ages is even taught in all the primary schools !

Islanders love museums. The creation of museums is like a national hobby. Keeping the past is one of the more important concerns for this people and especially the conservation that transmits certain beliefs (the presence in the Reykjanes peninsula of invisible elves for example). There is no village which hasn't a maritime, a folk, a history museum or other but all of them are not always interesting (sometimes very expensive and not many things to see).

Art is very present in all its forms in the Islandic culture. There is practically one art gallerie with islandic or foreign masterpieces in each street downtown.

The thing that marks me the most is that almost everyone practice a musical instrument. The teaching of music is integrated into the curriculum of primary schools. There is also a choir in each school (also in secundary schools). That's far to be the same in Belgium.

The Islandic culinary art is a bit strange.
You can find anything you want to eat here but there are also typically Islandic dishes wich some of them are completely enideble like rotten shark, a whole sheap's head or ram's testicles. Enjoy your meal if you are going to eat ! :p

I'd like to share a cultural clash but it did not happen. I have the feeling that you adapt yourself very easely to the Icelandic culture and pace. I also have the feeling that the Icelanders have developped a "non-conflict" culture and it's very relaxing.

Islanders speak very well English and I can easely ask them questions about their culture. It also influence my knowledge of English because I practice the language every day.

It's sometimes possible to make some links between Dutch and Icelandic when I'm teaching because both languages have common origines. I understand sometimes what the students say during the lessons. It's very funny !

All the best !

Karim

Leuven Episode III

Hello Everybody !

The culture , in Belgium , has a particular status , due to the administrative "organization" of the country (3 communities,...). Each community has its own culture because of a different language. There is , then , no way of comparison between Flanders and Wallonia. Everything is different ; way of life , newspapers , TV and Radio , book writters , singers , actors ,... This distinction has been created by and towards Belgian History.

As far as I am concerned , I did not experience a "huge" culture clash when we arrived in Leuven for the first time , two months ago. I already knew a lot of things about the Flemish culture because I often watch and read in Dutch. But also because , as future teachers , we have had many lessons about the Flemish Culture (arts, education,...). Of course , the day we arrived in Leuven , I was a bit surprised to be in an "unknown" city , to hear people only speak Dutch and also to discover a new school (with new teachers , students , courses,... But after a few days , I felt as comfortable with it as nowadays ;-).

The real culture clash I have experienced so far is related to the lessons we follow in the international group at GroepT. In this group I've met students from different countries around the world (Nigeria , Cameroon , Spain , Ireland , Turkey , China , ...). During the lessons , we regularly have the opportunity to discuss with the teacher and the other students about some cultural topics (vocabulary, local traditions , education,...). It is a very enriching and positive experience because towards these lessons and exchanges , I have the occasion to discover new cultures.

These cultural experiences have an influence on my linguistical knowledge of Dutch and English. First of all , everyday I have the opportunity to develop my linguistic skills ( speaking with other people , reading texts of PowerPoint presentations during the lessons,...). Secondly , I can also enrich my vocabulary towards the lessons and discussions. And thirdly , by discovering new things about the Dutch and English cultures , I have progressively a better and a more complete mastery of these languages which I will teach later...

In my opinion , it is necessary for a teacher to have such a mastery of a language because language and culture are narrowly linked together.

See you next month for the next ( and already last !) "episode" ? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED !

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ALL OF YOU !!

Kisses

Romain

Time flies

Greetings, as the pupils write here.

The past month has been relatively unsurprising. I have continued to help out close to 250 pupils, over several grades, who need training for their state exams. The first round of examinations has passed and the results have brought smiles to my teachers’ faces. Whatever my effectual contribution, the pupils have done very well and have been gracious enough to credit me with some of their success. As you might well imagine, the staff are rather pleased with their allocation of my time and I must confess that it was smart of them to employ me in this manner.

I am currently mostly dealing with the school’s eldest pupils who have an oral exam spread over the next few weeks. At times, it seems as if the 19^th-century American scholar and educator Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury’s remembered quotation "We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge" is the anthem of the weary in the teacher’s lounge, but I am finding the pupils very receptive and intelligent, for the most part.

The school tolerated a lighter schedule at the start of my assistantship to allow me the time to find a place to live so, in this busy part of the year, I am working a few extra hours here and there to help out. It must be this, in part, which gives me the impression that time is creeping up on me. It is hard to believe I am over halfway through my stay. Likely another part of this is that since I am now settled in a room in which I am able to stand, I have started to ponder my future. As a chapter of my life draws to a close, I am finding myself increasingly concerned with what will follow.

Overall, this is proving to be an enjoyable experience in the company of Maastricht’s teenagers. My somewhat special status and the severe scarcity of vacant classrooms have meant that I have even been able to enjoy some of the spring sun’s first diffident rays by teaching in the schoolyard. The only tinge of disappointment clouding my trip so far is the manifest lack of Dutch in my life. I even speak more French since every other day I bump into a talkative assistant from Brittany who as is thirsty for conversation as a man lost in a desert.

I will sign off by wishing you all the best.

Sauce,

A