Sunday, May 27, 2007

A shlap in the face o' a brick!

TEFL teacher:
"OK class. Your first teaching assignment is to teach 6 words in your second language. Write out a full lesson plan and include props and games. You must speak only in this language! Lessons should last 15 minutes."

My Brain:
"I've only slept for 3 hours in two days. Pay somebody else to do it!"

I taught I had acclimatized. I was wrong. The training was the last thing on my mind when I decided to go a wandering. This was going to be real.

Well, Irish IS my second language....Hmmmmmmmm. So I cheated!

I did Fruit. Apple, Orange, Strawberry, Pineapple, Lemon, Banana. With sincerest apologies to Yvonne; I told 'em Fruit was 'Frutail' (said with 'authentic' Galway accent). The 6 words were all the correct ones, (banana in Irish is 'banana'..."as a cheile; ban-an-a, ban-an-a, ban-an-a") but during the lesson I used appalling Irish and any word I didn't know I added 'ail' or 'oig' to the noun (e.g. partner was 'partnoig'). My game was "Ceard Frutail ata me?". Pick fruit everybody guess...it took me a good hour to think of that!

The lesson went fine, good even. Although Ann (Canadian) got a fit of laughing every time I said 'focal'. Sanook (fun+) was had by all. All the others did well and we are delighted to have the first teaching practice behind us. But, we do have a second assignment for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Friday we leave for Koh Phanghan. See yis after!

Slan,
M.

All my best thoughts were stolen by the ancients. Ralph Waldo Emerson

8 comments:

Niallers said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Niallers said...

He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches...

how do I say that in Irish?

Great work Mr Potter, keep it up, although you're probably quite stuck for free time now that you're not at work!

Anonymous said...

Aright Mick, so you've left, finally. I hear Mary Crow is down that end of the world. Wipe my eye again would ya. Best of luck with it all. I hope you last longer as a TEFL teacher then Tipp will in the Hurling Chapionship.

Anonymous said...

I want to see the post the the Author removed. He must have no sence of humor that fella.

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, remember Mick, you have 350 million chances of getting pregnant after unprotected sex, it only takes one sperm. Be warned.

Anonymous said...

Nice work Mick spreading your own particular dialect of Gaeilge around the world - not sure though how much use it will be when your pupils visit the Gaeltacht.

Slan.

Unknown said...

Is that it?

Ruairí said...

OMG - just got around to reading your accounts of your earlier travels (slow day at work - chargé has lost the key to the office and all the stuff I need is in there, so it's a real blog & Facebook day). Céard Frutail atá mé!!! Hope you at least put in the fadas!