Reaching Out Across Languages

08/27/2003

Reaching Out Across Languages

"Act quickly, think slowly." - Greek Proverb

REACHING OUT ACROSS LANGUAGES

Safa Kassab Hassan Jaradeh, the World Forum National Representative from Syria, shares this story about the persistence and creativity of a teacher at Safa's Al Bashear School in Damascus, Syria.

"It was Timothy's first year at school, his parents having flown in from Spain. Timothy did't speak any English or Arabic. Despite the warm welcomes gestured by his teacher and peers, Timothy was being exposed to languages he'd never heard before and the barrier of communication was beginning to grow bigger and bigger. As this was a growing worry, his teacher learned to speak a few words in Spanish hoping it would make Timothy feel more at home; but sadly that didn't seem to work. She directed the games and puppets towards him, cuddled him as she read aloud; but he just began to pull away further from the classroom activities, from his teacher and from his peers.

"For long hours Timothy would lay on the class carpet daydreaming. Nothing seemed to draw his interest. His teacher put the few tricks she had up her sleeve further to the test, but they did nothing. She tried for months, applying her vocal intonation, facial expressions, body language and all other means of drawing attention, but he lay there awake and uninterested.

"Timothy had a toy dinosaur he would sometimes bring to school and clutch onto firmly during the day. Between the tiny fingers that embraced it, the toy began to give the teacher an idea, a splendid and perfect idea! As the child lay motionless on the floor, his teacher raced to her cabinet and took out colored duck tape. She knelt down on the carpet and began sticking away the shape of what soon turned out to be a dinosaur. Having seen this, Timothy leapt off his feet and sat beside her admiring the silhouette. The teacher placed a few blocks beside him and guided Timothy how to trace the dinosaur with the toy blocks, then she said, 'This is a dinosaur.' 'Dinosaur,' Timothy replied, smiled and began to tackle away at the blocks and the friendly shape that fascinated him.

"Ever since that day, Timothy's teacher applied the exact same method for teaching him new things. By leaning down on the carpet to his eye level and with duck tape in her hands, she taught him the alphabet, the shapes, colors and much more. Timothy not only began to learn and adjust, he also made plenty of friends as all the children would gather around the silhouetted shapes and help Timothy in building blocks.

"By embracing the challenge Timothy gave, his teacher was able to transform the carpet from being a refuge of rejection, into a harbor of endless learning."

Child Care Information Exchange has recruited World Forum National Representatives in over 110 nations. To learn who the representative for your country is or to volunteer to fill vacancies, contact the World Forum Coordinator Selena Fox at [email protected].

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