Aiste 2: Ag laghdú an bhrú

Ag laghdú an bhrú.

Ag laghdú an bhrú 2

8:05

I dtosach báire is iad seo a leanas MO mhodhanna agus mo réasúnaíocht. Beidh a modhanna féin ag daoine eile

Sa chéad dul síos d'fhoghlaimíos nach raibh tairbhe ar bith dalta a chur faoi bhrú. Chuirfeadh an 'Cheist díreach' mac máthar ar bith 'ar an spota'. De ghnáth bíonn an dalta ag iarraidh athrú ó mheon aigne amháin go meon aigne eile, meon nach bhfuil taithí aige air.

D'fhoghlaimíos comh maith bheith an-cúramach le 'teangmháil súl - rud a tharlaíonn i gceist díreach. Ní thaithníonn sé le duine ar bith bheith ag obair agus faoi shúile géara, go háirithe nuair atá sé faoi bhrúnna eile. Is éasca mearbhall a chur ar dalta cuthaileach. D'fhéadfadh teangmháil súl bheith bagarthach.

Is gá don dalta a mhothú ón tús go bhfuil sé ag foghlaim agus ag déanamh dul chun cinn. Ní mór duinn a mhisneach agus a mhuinín a chothú.

Seanfhocail: 'Mol an óige is tiocfaidh sí';

       'Tosnú maith leath na hoibre'

Ní 'teagascc Críostaí' é comhrá. Is duine amháin ag rá rud éigin agus duine eile á leanúint le rud éigin eile. Ní fios cá'l na ráitis ag dul.

Tá sé tábhachtach an suíomh foghlamtha a chur in eagar oiriúnach. Cuirimse na cathaoireacha ar an imeall. Is féidir le daltaí bogadh timpeall.

B'fhearr liom gan a bheith ró-theagascach. Ní maith liom na suíocháin i línte. Tá sé ró-chosúil le scoil - níl dea-chuimhneamh ag cách ar sin. Cuidíonn eagar neamhfhoirmiúil le idirghníomhaíocht.

Nuair atá na daltaí ag idirghníomhú is féidir liomsa nithe a stiúradh go héatrom. Tá buntáistí ag baint le idirghníomhaíocht.

Tosnaím leis na gnathbheannachtaí agus seans ag gach dalta iad a athrá arís is arís eile.

Tugaim cuireadh dóibh bogadh timpeall ag beannú dá chéile. Is féidir leo iad féin a chur in aithne más áil leo.

Nílim faoi dheifir. Caithfidh gach dalta bheith compordach.

Cuirim ina luí orthu úsáid a bhaint as an mbeannact céanna gach uair a bhuaileann siad a chéile.

Tá mé i gcoinne flúirse nóta - nuair atá daltaí ag scríobh níl siad ag éisteacht, ná ag samhlu; tá siad ag smaoineamh conas focail a litriú &rl. Ní scríobhnóireacht atá de dhíth i láthair na huaire.

Thug mé faoi dheara go luath im' shaol múinteoireachta gur mhéadaigh spleáchas an dalta ar na nótaí agus ar an scríobhnóireacht go sciopadh. Roimh rud ar bith a rá dheanfadh siad iarracht ar é a scríobh - ar eagla botún a dhéanamh i mbéal a' phobail.

Cuidíonn botúin le foghlaimaíocht. Is modh foghlamtha iad botúin.

Is ormsa an dualgas mar éascaitheoir gan an iomad focal a thabhairt ar dtús.

Roghnaím ábhair neodracha - mar is coitianta i bhformhór de chomhráite - an aimsir, turasanna, &rl.

Roghnaím foclóir cuí - deich nó dáréag focal ar a mhéid.

An aimsir: fliuch; ag cur fearrthainne; fliuch báite; Tá; bhí; mé; tú; sé; ag teacht isteach; ag dul amach.

Sin dóthain chun chomhrá beag a thosnú.

Roinnim an rang, triúr i ngach grúpa - smacht ar guthanna láidre! Dalta amháin  ina stiúrthóir.

Tuige an ndeinim é sin?

Tá buntáistí ag baint le grúpa den méid seo.

Nuair dheineann an stiúrthóir ráiteas nil brú ar dhuine faoi leith comhráiteas a dhéanamh. Tá seans acu éisteacht. agus smaoineamh a dhéanamh. Oireann an t-am sin do dhaoine áirithe atá mall chun imeartha. Ach nuair atá comhráiteas déanta ní mór don duine is moille comhráiteas a dhéanamh.

Níl sé comh bagarthach más é dalta atá ag stiúradh. B'fhearr liom bheith im' 'éascaitheoir' le linn an chleachtaidh seo.

Anois aithrím an stiúrthoir sa ghrúpa.

Meascaim na grúpanna.

Níl mé faoi dheifir an cleachtadh a fhágáil go dtí go bhfuil gach duine compordach agus seans ag gach duine bheith páirteach.

Toradh níos tábhachtaí, mothaíonn gach dalta go bhfuil dul chun cinn déanta aige.

Seanfhocal:

'Ní éiríonn rud ar bith comh maith leis an rath.'

Féach ar an mblúirín thíos.

Repetitio mater studiorum est.

Blúirín 1

Beannachtai

Foclóir don bhlúirín

ag cur fearrthainne; fliuch báite; cóta; bhí; raibh; tá; níl; mé; tú; sé; nuair; ag teacht

Stiurthóir: Dia dhuit, X & Y

Daltaí: Dia's Muire dhuit

St.: Bhí sé ag cur fearrthainne nuair a bhí mé ag teacht isteach

D 2: Ní raibh cóta agam.

D 3: Tá mé fliuch báite.

D ?: bhi cóta agam. Tá mé fliuch báite.

D? :

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Béarla

Reducing stress

In the first place these are my methods and rationale. Others will have their own methods

In the first place I learned that there is no benefit in putting a student under pressure. The 'direct question' would put anyone 'on the spot'. Usually the student is trying to move from one mind-set to another mind-set that is unfamiliar to him.

I learned early that one had to be very careful with eye contact - something that happens with a direct question.  Nobody likes to work under the 'watchful eye' of someone else - especially if there are other pressures. It's easy to get flustered. Eye contact can be threatening.

The student needs to feel safe from the outset, and that he is making progress. It is our duty to nourish courage and confidence.

Conversation is not a 'catechism'. One person says something and another adds something. No one knows where the comhrá is heading. Catechism always has a direction -usually to find out what you don't know.

It is important for the learning site to be suitably arranged. I place chairs round the outside. It allows the students to move about freely. I try not to be too didactic.

I don't like chairs in rows. It is too much like school - not everyone has good memories of that. An informal setting helps student interaction.

When students are interacting I, as a facilitator, can direct with a light touch.

I begin with normal greetings. I make sure everyone has the opportunity to repeat them over and over.

I follow by inviting them to move around and greet each other. They can also introduce themselves if they wish.

I'm not in a hurry. Everyone has to be comfortable and confident in the greetings. I encourage them to use the greeting whenever they meet.

I'm against the taking of copious notes - when students are writing the are not listening or visualising: they are thinking how to spell words etc. Writing is not what is needed at the present moment.

I noticed early in my teaching career that students rapidly became dependent on their notes. Before saying anything they would try to write it- driven by fear of making mistakes publicly.

Mistakes help the learning process. We learn through our mistakes.

As a 'facilitator' I have a duty not to overload with words and phrases at the beginning.

I select neutral topics - as is usual in normal conversations - the weather; a journey; transport etc.

I match a suitable foclóir of not more than a dozen words.

For the weather: ag cur fearrthainne; fliuch; fliuch báite; cóta; tá; níl; bhí; raibh; mé, sé; ag teacht; ag dul amach

That's enough for a little comhrá on the weather.

As with the greetings I familiarise the whole group with the new words with plenty of repetition so that their ears become accustomed.

Now I divide the class into groups of three, careful to control the strong voices, and make one student the director.

I choose threes because there are group benefits in this size.

The leader makes a statement from the prepared topic. One of the others in the group can add when ready but is not put in the position of having to. Once a student has added then the third has had time to think. Some will always be quicker than others.

It's not as frightening when students are interacting with each other. Now I change the leader of the three and we get repetition.

I am in no hurry to to leave the exercise until every student is comfortable and has had plenty of practice.

More importantly each student feels he has made some progress.

Proverb: 'Nothing succeeds like success'

Please look at the snippet of comhrá above.

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In 'Aiste 3' I will describe furhter how I try to reduce the stress of learning a language.