Last week I met again with Karoline. Since she'd mentioned only eating on campus, I decided to take her to out to eat. Deciding where to go was strange; I wanted to take her somewhere popular with American students, but realized that most popular food is ethnic (ideas were: Moe's, Chinese takeout, Pitaria, and Indian food from the Krishnas). We ended up deciding on Pitaria, because people with different tastes all seem to like Greek food. Unfortunately I didn't think to tell her that they accept FSU cards until we had already payed. Her and the rest of the Brazilian teachers, I think, have been given a stipend for food, but the money is on their cards. I told her as soon as I realized, and she seemed very excited to have another place to eat. I think she took some of her friends there the other day!
We talked about a lot of things (Karoline has a tendency to change topic quickly, and I'm really curious if that's a cultural thing). She mentioned being very tired out from her classes - she doesn't get out of class until around 5 and spends her evenings studying. I really admire her work ethic, especially since her only reason for being here is to become a better teacher back in Brazil. It seems like she is definitely making the most of the experience. However it also sounds like she has been fairly confined to campus, and I definitely want to try to take her places (a little difficult since neither of us drive).
She explained more about the educational system in Brazil, which I find really interesting. Apparently she teaches the equivalent of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, in such a way that she will have the same group of students year after year. She likes this system because it allows her to get to know students on a personal level, which she thinks is essential to helping students do well. She is enthusiastic about Brazil improving their English teaching programs, and appreciates countries like South Korea, Germany, and Norway that are verging on bilingual. I told her about my experiences in Germany (everyone I encountered on the street was able to communicate in English - I felt embarrassed not knowing German) and she expressed the hope that eventually more countries would be like that. I thought it was refreshing that she thought English wasn't the only language people should be learning. She thinks English, Chinese, and Arabic will all be very important in the future.
We left after we finished eating, since we both had a lot to do, but agreed to meet the next week at the same time.
We talked about a lot of things (Karoline has a tendency to change topic quickly, and I'm really curious if that's a cultural thing). She mentioned being very tired out from her classes - she doesn't get out of class until around 5 and spends her evenings studying. I really admire her work ethic, especially since her only reason for being here is to become a better teacher back in Brazil. It seems like she is definitely making the most of the experience. However it also sounds like she has been fairly confined to campus, and I definitely want to try to take her places (a little difficult since neither of us drive).
She explained more about the educational system in Brazil, which I find really interesting. Apparently she teaches the equivalent of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, in such a way that she will have the same group of students year after year. She likes this system because it allows her to get to know students on a personal level, which she thinks is essential to helping students do well. She is enthusiastic about Brazil improving their English teaching programs, and appreciates countries like South Korea, Germany, and Norway that are verging on bilingual. I told her about my experiences in Germany (everyone I encountered on the street was able to communicate in English - I felt embarrassed not knowing German) and she expressed the hope that eventually more countries would be like that. I thought it was refreshing that she thought English wasn't the only language people should be learning. She thinks English, Chinese, and Arabic will all be very important in the future.
We left after we finished eating, since we both had a lot to do, but agreed to meet the next week at the same time.
I enjoyed reading about your conversation with Karoline. I also have a conversation partner from Brazil who is studying to be a better teacher of English. Our conversation touched on many topics, but I don't recall her changing the topic often. Perhaps, it is not a cultural trait, but a personal trait.
ReplyDelete