ESL Class

I had my first solo adventure today. Took the local bus into Waterford, got my hair cut and then taught an ESL class at Waterford Library. I have taken buses all around various cities in my life. Sometimes I get lost, sometimes I don't. I have no innate sense of direction. Really, you ask? Really. It really does exist you know--not having a sense of direction. As I typed this I asked myself whether not having a sense of direction was physical. So of course I Google'd it and came up with this interesting article: http://www.medicaldaily.com/sense-direction-where-am-i-get-lost-378977. Yep, something is definitely lacking in my hippocampus, always has been. When I was a little girl I could walk out of Eaton's on Ste Catherine and turn the wrong way, even though I had been going out that door for years. And heaven forbid I go out the wrong door! I did learn, though, to watch for landmarks--is that church on the wrong side of the street for the direction I want to go? Did I see that turquoise building before? Actually the turquoise building example belongs to my friend Jean who noticed that we had turned before the turquoise building in Nogales, Arizona and thus if we passed it, we were going too far. Good thing she noticed it or she, Tom and I would be trying to explain our way back into the United States from Mexico.

Still, I LOVE GPS, positively love it. I even use it walking, as I did today in Waterford. I do agree, however, with the article's warning that using it too much will make our brains lazy. And so I still watch for landmarks and only use the GPS when I am worried about getting somewhere in time.

Haircut went very well. Dervla is very professional, very quick. I think she did a great job

I feel, lighter, younger--well, a little younger. I walked along the streets of Waterford with a bit of a bounce to my step. Isn't it odd the way something like that can lift us up? Today was a very misty day, more typically "Irish" than we have seen for awhile. Crossed back and forth across the river a few times. Actually, there are three rivers that meet in Waterford--the Suir, the Barrow and the Nore ( always throw some geography in there to remind myself that geography exists.) 

Even though it was misting (not raining--Irish mist), I really enjoyed walking around Waterford as I waited for the 3:00 ESL class. It still reminds me of Montreal, the old buildings, the grayness. Yep, I like gray. I grew up with gray. I know that it gets to some people but not to me. Well, ask me again in about eight months.

I truly enjoyed the ESL class. Apart from the two missionaries who coordinate the class on behalf of our church (no religious instruction in the class though), there were 11 students. Two middle-aged women from Belarus, a middle-aged lady from Bangladesh, a younger woman who said she was Italian but had been living in the Dominican Republic, a Japanese woman, a young Sudanese man, a young German student at the university, a young man from Pakistan, two middle aged women from Lithuania, a man from Algeria. All have rudimentary English and when I asked them what their goals are for coming to the class, some said they want to improve their spoken English, the young German girl said she wanted to increase her vocabulary, the Japanese woman said she wanted to practice her English pronunciation, etc. 

I have no specific training in ESL--I did teach, as a volunteer, very basic English through the Laubach Method years ago in Hamilton. At that time my students were an Italian who was illiterate even in his own language and a young man who was going blind. He, too, was illiterate and needed to learn to read so he could then read Braille. Both students were quite a challenge as they weren't very motivated. These students though are eager to learn--although I will have to keep the two Belarus ladies from chatting too much to each other in their language. I am trying to come up with a plan for them. I wish I had access to books!! As it is, the missionaries can print out worksheets from an ESL website and I am calling upon my memory of learning Spanish a few years ago for how to conduct the class. Start with some kind of introductory idea where I talk about a part of life for a few minutes and then get each to give their own experience. I also wish I could have brought my projector with me from the U.S.! I could have done so much more. Still, I am basically a creative person so I will come up with something.

The class is only an hour long so I can't get too ambitious for each lesson. I left them with an assignment--this week they had to ask someone for directions to a place in town and listen to what the person said. And to go into Tesco (or another food store), think up some kind of food they like and ask the person to tell them where it is. And if they didn't understand, to ask the person to repeat themselves. We will see what they come up with for that--I barely understand some Waterford folks' accents! I am trying to encourage them to speak to people and that was all I could come up with on the spur of the moment.

I have to ask all of the time. In fact, on my way home after the class, I had to go into a hotel to ask where the bus to Dunmore East stopped. The bus doesn't stop at signs. You have to know where to stand. I had already asked, via email, where the bus stopped and got the vague reply "at the Tower Hotel." But which side of the street? Which corner? I asked at the reception desk and they actually gave me the right answer. So, proudly, I made it home with no problem. A day successfully negotiated!