Comments on: The English Auntie http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/ We're better when we work together Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:18:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: darren elliott http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-311 darren elliott Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:59:16 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-311 I think about this kind of thing a lot now I have children of my own. We are often the only English speaker that a person has contact with - quite a responsibility. I worry that people will extrapolate whatever I do or say to all foreigners! But I love to see the kids in the neighbourhood playing happily with my kids in Japanese, throwing in a bit of English together, coming over for the occasional translation. Stephen Bax talked about the 'normalisation' of technology in the classroom, the point at which something becomes so commonplace as to be unremarkable. It's nice when languages reach this status... nd everybody just throws in a bit of what they have. Lovely story. (I'm not an 'uncle' yet, but my wife says I smell like one sometimes....) I think about this kind of thing a lot now I have children of my own. We are often the only English speaker that a person has contact with – quite a responsibility. I worry that people will extrapolate whatever I do or say to all foreigners!

But I love to see the kids in the neighbourhood playing happily with my kids in Japanese, throwing in a bit of English together, coming over for the occasional translation.

Stephen Bax talked about the ‘normalisation’ of technology in the classroom, the point at which something becomes so commonplace as to be unremarkable. It’s nice when languages reach this status… nd everybody just throws in a bit of what they have.

Lovely story. (I’m not an ‘uncle’ yet, but my wife says I smell like one sometimes….)

]]> By: Barbara http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-273 Barbara Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:17:36 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-273 Thanks, Shonah, for the kind words! You certainly make being a wet rock sound more appealing :) Thanks, Shonah, for the kind words! You certainly make being a wet rock sound more appealing :)

]]> By: MissShonah http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-271 MissShonah Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:06:06 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-271 Barbara, what a succinct, yet powerful story. And isn't that what life is all about - a series of encounters and subsequent stories that offer us endless possibilities and happiness! Also, another way to see the wet rock scenario could be that you are not merely a wet rock at the bottom of a pond, but you have been engulfed by the experience that had the effect on those that you came across??! However, with your zest, I agree a bar of precious metal suits you a lot better! Thank you for sharing your story... Shonah :-) Barbara, what a succinct, yet powerful story. And isn’t that what life is all about – a series of encounters and subsequent stories that offer us endless possibilities and happiness!
Also, another way to see the wet rock scenario could be that you are not merely a wet rock at the bottom of a pond, but you have been engulfed by the experience that had the effect on those that you came across??! However, with your zest, I agree a bar of precious metal suits you a lot better!
Thank you for sharing your story…
Shonah :-)

]]> By: Tweets that mention The English Auntie – Teaching Village -- Topsy.com http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Tweets that mention The English Auntie – Teaching Village -- Topsy.com Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:27:41 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-270 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tamas Lorincz and annehodg. annehodg said: RT @tamaslorincz @kalinagoenglish: Beautiful! The English Auntie by @barbsaka http://bit.ly/3jypfc || Loved this story too! [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tamas Lorincz and annehodg. annehodg said: RT @tamaslorincz @kalinagoenglish: Beautiful! The English Auntie by @barbsaka http://bit.ly/3jypfc || Loved this story too! [...]

]]> By: Barbara Sakamoto http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-269 Barbara Sakamoto Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:24:05 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-269 What a great way of putting it, Karenne! We are stories for each other to tell. I've enjoyed hearing a few of your adventures on your blog, and can easily see why your students enjoy hearing about them, too :) What a great way of putting it, Karenne! We are stories for each other to tell. I’ve enjoyed hearing a few of your adventures on your blog, and can easily see why your students enjoy hearing about them, too :)

]]> By: Karenne Sylvester http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-260 Karenne Sylvester Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:42:08 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-260 What a beautiful story. Thanks so much for sharing it Barbara. I agree with you that our lives are touched by the people that we meet and you are a story for her to tell just as she is a story for you to tell. Sometimes I even tell my students about the people I've met along the adventures I've been down on and when I do they always ask for more. At the end of the day, it's this humanness that defines us. Karenne What a beautiful story. Thanks so much for sharing it Barbara. I agree with you that our lives are touched by the people that we meet and you are a story for her to tell just as she is a story for you to tell.

Sometimes I even tell my students about the people I’ve met along the adventures I’ve been down on and when I do they always ask for more.

At the end of the day, it’s this humanness that defines us.

Karenne

]]> By: Barbara http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-226 Barbara Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:59:09 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-226 What a beautiful story, Joanne! Thank you so much for sharing it. What a beautiful story, Joanne! Thank you so much for sharing it.

]]> By: Joanne Sato http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-225 Joanne Sato Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:53:12 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-225 Last week a letter appeared in the post. It was addressed to my little girl in Japanese, so we knew it wasn't from grandma and grandad in the UK. Excitedly we opened it together, knowing it was from another little girl who we had happened to pitch a tent next to ours on one of our many trips this summer. The two girls had spent hours together catching dragonflies and releasing them. There were two letters and a couple of photos, one letter from mum, one from the little girl. The little girl wrote of dragonflies and camping but what the mum wrote really touched me. The little girl's older sister, who I had played a bit of frisbee with, had started attended an English school. We had hung out chattering away in Japanese and it was so lovely to hear a trace of that experience may have affected her life. For me she provided a much needed exercise partner in the lethargy of a hot Japanese summer and I'm so thankful for that interaction and her desire to study because of it! Last week a letter appeared in the post. It was addressed to my little girl in Japanese, so we knew it wasn’t from grandma and grandad in the UK. Excitedly we opened it together, knowing it was from another little girl who we had happened to pitch a tent next to ours on one of our many trips this summer. The two girls had spent hours together catching dragonflies and releasing them.

There were two letters and a couple of photos, one letter from mum, one from the little girl. The little girl wrote of dragonflies and camping but what the mum wrote really touched me. The little girl’s older sister, who I had played a bit of frisbee with, had started attended an English school. We had hung out chattering away in Japanese and it was so lovely to hear a trace of that experience may have affected her life. For me she provided a much needed exercise partner in the lethargy of a hot Japanese summer and I’m so thankful for that interaction and her desire to study because of it!

]]> By: Barbara http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Barbara Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:42:31 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-224 Who knows? I often wonder what my first students are doing now. It's hard to imagine that they are grown ups with families and careers. It would be interesting to see! Who knows? I often wonder what my first students are doing now. It’s hard to imagine that they are grown ups with families and careers. It would be interesting to see!

]]> By: Barbara http://www.teachingvillage.org/2009/09/28/the-english-auntie/comment-page-1/#comment-223 Barbara Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:40:25 +0000 http://www.teachingvillage.org/?p=472#comment-223 You're absolutely right, Aina. I've been in Japan long enough that I started out being called the English elder sister. Then, for years I was simply known as my daughter's mother. I'm finally old enough to be an Auntie :) You’re absolutely right, Aina. I’ve been in Japan long enough that I started out being called the English elder sister. Then, for years I was simply known as my daughter’s mother. I’m finally old enough to be an Auntie :)

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