Liz du Canada
Passing Notes
Sometimes, I get a student who has decided not to speak. It's understandable. If you are suddenly plunged into another culture with a language you don't understand, one of the few rebellions open to you is to elect not to speak. it gives you one small bit of power, where otherwise, you are powerless.
C doesn't speak, apart from one-word answers that take a while before she gets the nerve to whisper them. I'm working on her confidence in speaking, but in the meantime, we have the most marvelous written conversations. We talk about food, TV, movies, and people, all with her careful illustrations and our giggles and nods back and forth. The notes we pass are some of my most enjoyable student interactions.
Probably a lot of people think I should be pushing her to speak more. I'm more concerned with earning her trust, so that when she does decide that she is comfortable with conversing verbally, she knows she can trust me to listen to her.
Passing Notes
Sometimes, I get a student who has decided not to speak. It's understandable. If you are suddenly plunged into another culture with a language you don't understand, one of the few rebellions open to you is to elect not to speak. it gives you one small bit of power, where otherwise, you are powerless.
C doesn't speak, apart from one-word answers that take a while before she gets the nerve to whisper them. I'm working on her confidence in speaking, but in the meantime, we have the most marvelous written conversations. We talk about food, TV, movies, and people, all with her careful illustrations and our giggles and nods back and forth. The notes we pass are some of my most enjoyable student interactions.
Probably a lot of people think I should be pushing her to speak more. I'm more concerned with earning her trust, so that when she does decide that she is comfortable with conversing verbally, she knows she can trust me to listen to her.