How do you get them to talk when they can't speak (English)?
How do you get them to talk when they can't speak (English)? I had high hopes for my first Film Club event, lovely handouts and all, three more facilitators lined up to help with the activities related to the screening of Pay It Forward (I know, but I won't go down that road). On the day, one of my facilitators lost her keys to the gate of her rented apartment and could not come AT ALL. In the auditorium, the regular bleeping of the alarm could not be turned off unless we were prepared to shut down the entire system across the whole campus. Halfway through the film two dozen students started a vigorous aerobics routine right outside the auditorium with a ghetto blaster on.
But in the auditorium, they there were: 21 of them, out of 1241 non-English degree teacher trainees. The day before I went to do a test run and when I was not able to understand much of the first five minutes of the film I decided I would put the English subtitles on (in Ethiopia, I banned them for the first watching, because my students could always come back to the Language Improvement Centre to watch the film again - with subtitles).
It was time for the first, pre-screening activity. "Can you remember a good deed you did to someone? Maybe in the past six months?" No answer is forthcoming. I repeat the question in Spanish. Silence. "OK, look, I give kids English classes for free, I will be doing this Film Club for you..., that kind of thing." It is clear that we are stuck for lack of language. "OK, tell me your story and I will help you with the English." And suddenly they start sharing instances of helping others: how they went to an orphanage to distribute clothes and toys, how they raised funds for the survivors of last year's earthquake. I paraphrase the story in English and repeat it a couple of times.
And then the Alchemist effect kicks in. Diana says she went to the hospital with her baby daughter and had to wait for hours. She saw two other mothers with their young children and as they waited, it became clear to her that the women had no money for food. She didn't give them money, she actually took them home, children and all, and fed everyone. How did you feel? Contented (contenta) and happy. OK, let's see if anything similar happens in the film you're going to watch...
After the film, the students say they need to leave, they've got to study. But they stay for long enough for me to explain that Monday is World Kindness Day and if they did something nice to someone and would care to write up what had happened, we could actually publish their stories. Where? On the English Film Club Facebook page (the one you said you would like to set up) and perhaps on the website of the organisation that was founded by the author who wrote the book "Pay It Forward". Here's the book, her name is Catherine Ryan Hyde...
I don't know how much English has happened. Perhaps they will remember what Arlene says to her mother, Grace: "I forgive you."
And then a message on Facebook from Catherine Ryan Hyde. "If you don't ask, you don't get", I said to myself the day before when I asked her if she would be prepared to host the students' stories.
"I would always be happy to post PIF stories on my Facebook profile and author page. Any time."
How do you get them to write? I look forward to Penny's next session.
But in the auditorium, they there were: 21 of them, out of 1241 non-English degree teacher trainees. The day before I went to do a test run and when I was not able to understand much of the first five minutes of the film I decided I would put the English subtitles on (in Ethiopia, I banned them for the first watching, because my students could always come back to the Language Improvement Centre to watch the film again - with subtitles).
It was time for the first, pre-screening activity. "Can you remember a good deed you did to someone? Maybe in the past six months?" No answer is forthcoming. I repeat the question in Spanish. Silence. "OK, look, I give kids English classes for free, I will be doing this Film Club for you..., that kind of thing." It is clear that we are stuck for lack of language. "OK, tell me your story and I will help you with the English." And suddenly they start sharing instances of helping others: how they went to an orphanage to distribute clothes and toys, how they raised funds for the survivors of last year's earthquake. I paraphrase the story in English and repeat it a couple of times.
And then the Alchemist effect kicks in. Diana says she went to the hospital with her baby daughter and had to wait for hours. She saw two other mothers with their young children and as they waited, it became clear to her that the women had no money for food. She didn't give them money, she actually took them home, children and all, and fed everyone. How did you feel? Contented (contenta) and happy. OK, let's see if anything similar happens in the film you're going to watch...
After the film, the students say they need to leave, they've got to study. But they stay for long enough for me to explain that Monday is World Kindness Day and if they did something nice to someone and would care to write up what had happened, we could actually publish their stories. Where? On the English Film Club Facebook page (the one you said you would like to set up) and perhaps on the website of the organisation that was founded by the author who wrote the book "Pay It Forward". Here's the book, her name is Catherine Ryan Hyde...
I don't know how much English has happened. Perhaps they will remember what Arlene says to her mother, Grace: "I forgive you."
And then a message on Facebook from Catherine Ryan Hyde. "If you don't ask, you don't get", I said to myself the day before when I asked her if she would be prepared to host the students' stories.
"I would always be happy to post PIF stories on my Facebook profile and author page. Any time."
How do you get them to write? I look forward to Penny's next session.
That actually sounds pretty successful, even though it may not have felt that way at the time. They came, they watched, they understood, and they could discuss in their L1. Don't give up. It's new, so it will take time for them to get used to it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne, I feel the same. A student and a facilitator are now setting up a Facebook page for the Film Club and Diana (with a little help from her friends) will write up her story :-). All in English.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteDon't feel down! It will probably take some time for them to warm to this great idea! Maybe ditch the worksheets next time so it might not feel like it's a lesson as such? It will also give you a break from preparing so much! What time of day does this event take place? Did you suggest the film or did they? I don't have much experience of setting up film clubs but I would think that most people just want to come and watch something (with subtitles) then can discuss it afterwards. This could also be a task for the Facebook page for those not confident enough to hold a spoke conversation just yet. Maybe the pre-task could also take place on the Facebook page as an informal discussion before they attend then you just have to welcome them and press the play button.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the next ones! I'm sure with time, word of mouth will spread and you'll get a full house :-)
Thank you, Hannah, I've now done away with the handouts, but will have a timeline for the next film (Freedom Writers), explaining in brief events that students in Ecuador might not be familiar with: Holocaust, Freedom Riders, Los Angeles riots, etc. The sessions are held Saturday morning, but with the screening they take up about three hours... Frankly speaking, I have chosen the first 3 films - all three about an inspirational teaching situation. Once the Facebook page is up and running, we can do some pre-tasks there and see how students react. I really hope that uploading stories onto Catherine Ryan Hyde's personal FB page will be enticing... I am already exploring if we could have something similar with the Freedom Writers - it looks like students could write to Erin Gruwell's foundation via Facebook - there's a page for guest posts :-)
ReplyDeleteI am meeting Diana tomorrow to help her write up her story. Upload opportunities: Catherine Ryan Hyde's own personal FB page and the closed Random Acts of Kindness FB group to which our Peace Corps Coordinator and myself have been invited: we can upload stories there, too. November 28th is World Giving Day - perhaps more "giving" will happen, even if not in monetary terms. The Film Club Facebook page is being built as we speak.
ReplyDeleteThis is for Anne and Hannah specifically. Here is Diana's story about her random act of kindness:
ReplyDeleteDiana is a special needs teacher at UNAE (Ecuador’s state teacher training university). She is a first-year student. She is from Azogues and she is a young mother. Her husband is a security guard, and they have an 18-month-old daughter, Antonella.
This is her story:
"In March this year Antonella was so ill with a bad flu that she had to stay in hospital. There were two other small children in the room with her. I met one of the two mothers there. She was very young, 17 years old. We started talking and she told me that she and her husband had not eaten since the previous night. I was surprised and sorry for them. I decided to leave my daughter with my husband, go home, and prepare a meal for them. I made some soup, rice and fruit juice and I took it back to the hospital. I was worried that they may not accept what I made for them. But they were happy to take the food. They thanked me and looked happy. I was pleased that I was able to help.
P.S. Unfortunately, I heard that their little girl of three months died a couple of days later. I am very sorry, and I would like to meet them, but I have no way of knowing who they are."
Elizabeth Bekes Thank you for sharing that beautiful story. It sounds like Diana was able to give the struggling family a few moments of relief through her selfless act.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an amazing thing you're doing - helping her to share this story that is so inspiring and also giving her an opportunity to relive the memory so that kindness keeps on spreading.
Thank you!