Thumbs up… - lundi, 19.03.07

lundi 19.03.07 Thumbs up…

The bloody mosquitoes are back with a bite today. Over the past few months I’ve learnt to ignore the little piques and avoided scratching them but today my legs are dotted with mini-marks and I feel the need to itch the life out of them. Thankfully however I’m kept busy all morning so I don’t scratch too much and then when my work is done for the day I load myself with anti-histamines and nod off.

The fact that it’s lashing this morning and the bus doesn’t arrive actually distracts me from scratching as I constantly check the time and arrange myself under the umbrella. Linda and her mum come by and drop me outside a giant puddle in town! I may be sopping but at least I’m not late.

I’m glad to be back into the real teaching mode today. It was exciting to impart my Irishness on the children over the past few weeks but now it’s back to lessons and language acquisition.

Today we start by recapping on how to present ourselves and then we learn how to present someone else and something else. I present myself to the class and then I fire out questions to each pupil as I bring them back into using the phrases about their name, age, country and nationality.

I have four flash-cards with people’s faces and I present Jenny, Mary, Simon and Alex as my friends. “This is Jenny,” I say as I point to the black-haired beauty on the blackboard. I explain the importance of indicating who you are presenting by using gestures. We also work on how to present something. I use the animal cut-outs and distribute them asking the kids to firstly present themselves, then the animal and finally someone else: My name is Cyril. This is a cat. This is Lindsey. I’m Lindsey. This is a parrot. This is Gregg.

For the second part of the class we work on expressing how we feel; both the general state and the physical sentiments. I have changed the lyrics of the Hello Song to facilitate this new educational element. Hello, hello, hello… What’s your name? becomes: Hello, hello, hello… How are you? Hello, hello, hello… How are you? I am fine. I am great. And you? And you? And you? And you? And you? Yet again gestures play a big part in the class as we use our thumbs and facial expressions to indicate how we are;

I’m great – two big thumbs up and big smile.
I’m fine – one thumb up and look content.
I’m not very well – thumbs down and look sad.

I get the kids to choose a response and I ask the each how they are. Mr Duval helpfully points out that divers use the same signs to communicate under water. Madame Caruge’s class are also interested in different forms of communication – they’re doing work on newspapers and I offer to bring in some English editions so they can compare them.

Next up we work with physical sentiments; I’m hungry. I’m thirty. I’m tired. Once again actions come into play as we rub our tummies, place imaginary bottle to our mouths and yawn and stretch. We play charades as I call out a feeling and the kids act it out in silence. I also have flashcards with different food and drink items and zzz’s and I as I hold each one up they repeat the corresponding phrase.

We finally come full circle with the lesson as I get the children to act out little dialogues. I tell them to imagine that they are attending a St. Patrick’s Day party. I’m the hostess and I’ve invited someone who must present the friends they have brought. I pick three pupils and I welcome one as my friend asking how they are and asking who they have brought with them. They introduce their friends to me and voila, c’est tout!

I pop into The Terminal Café to collect my bits and bobs from our Paddy’s Party. I soon have my assortment of hats, posters and Irish memorabilia bundled away but I end up leaving most of the flags, banners and shamrocks for Jean-Pierre. He’s only delighted to keep them. Nicola, who has just joined us, settles down for a drink with Jean-Pierre and I. Jean-Pierre is delighted with the weekend’s excitement – and earnings no doubt, although he tells us that the two Dutch lads left without paying. They supposedly clocked up €130. That aside he invites us to come to his house some Sunday for lunch. Sandrine, one of Nicola’s private pupils, has invited us to go with her to some idyllic beach so we’ve no shortage of upcoming outings.

For the moment however I’m longing for my bed. My legs are so itchy. I take a few itch-resisters. Arlette and her nattering O.A.P crowd fade into the back-ground as I nod off for the night.

Nicola has had a jam-packed day; between private lessons and BTS talks she may be tired but she’ll be loaded. She may need to conserve her money though as her Aunt Matty is requesting she call over to California in the near future. Aunt Matty is 100 years old and the poor little old lady recently fell down her stairs and broke some bones. She doesn’t have a house-help so the hospital won’t let her out until one is arranged which slightly outrages this Irish-American madame. Nic’s mother texts and asks Nicola to phone home. She presumes the worst and we hike up to the phone box. Thankfully Aunt Matty is still alive and kicking though she’s adamant that someone visit her soon. Nic may soon be visiting his L.A lady and getting driven around by Paula her chauffeur! For the moment, however, one has to contend with the erratic buses which weave around the forested valleys of Post-Colon instead of the California hills.