English Language students' working papers being exhibited at the Training Centre

As I came across the following quotation by Horace Mann " A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on a cold iron" I thought of the many students who will not go further beyond the minimum required level because of not desiring to or because of being deprived of "inspiring skilled" teachers.

 

 

The idea behind the exhibition of many of my students' written works was not only an appraisal in regards to what they have been able to accomplish in the English Language learning process but also an incentive for those who lack inner drive to take advantage of their potential, as well as (eventually) a subtle "awakening" for the many who consider they are fluent in English, when they can barely speak it. 

 

 

What can be said about some of those "inspiring works" !... which include the analysis of different versions in English of the same poem by Fernando Pessoa, essays on - "attachement being the greatest fabricator of illusions", the word "restless", extracts from the various films we discussed in the classroom "As one gets older one's fears subside" or "To let everyone down including ourselves" ... Not much more than what has been "exposed" ... those works speak for themselves ...

 

 

There are also descriptions of images done by different students (the author of the image and the one who was handed out that same image) with completely different literary approaches and writing styles ... and pictures of the students involved in this "battle of words" ... there's "poetry" ... there's commitment ... there's a lot more than can be accounted for ... and yet ... those works have a voice of their own ...

Poetry and especially Poetry translation (from Portuguese into English) was also discussed in the classroom, using some very good examples from the John O'Connor book - "Portrait of Lisbon" ... but that's not all ...  as one should also mention the numerous films that were the "mottos" for our endless discussions in English. 

The exhibit room was the actual classroom which could be accessed to by any Training centre resident teacher, students attending any other courses and even visitors with access to the building for a period of five days.

 

 

A book with those written works may eventually be published internally and other events therewith related may equally be carried out ... as it was mentioned in the closing session of the course presided by the head of the Air Navigations services on behalf of the head of the Centre and the head of the general Training services, which this course pertains to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I felt immensely proud of all the students involved in this "project" and if it may be true to say that teachers must be inspiring  the same may apply the other way around ... and I owe a lot to the "inspirations" of those who attended the course ...