Nouns, verbs and adjectives

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My A-level English is being strained to the limit as I am now teaching almost full time English at Pasumalai Higher Secondary School. The main class we teach is a group of 16 10 and 11 year olds and their english is basic but o.k so we get on fine with them, teaching how to construct sentences etc. The headmaster has really taken a liking to us and now wants us to appear in every class possible. I feel a little like the Scottish guy in the last king of Scotland because the headmaster somewhat resembles Idi Amin! He just strolls around campus shouting at boys occaisionally slapping the backs of their heads. But when he is talking to me and the other volunteers he is much more jovial and really generous as well. This sunday we are going to his house for a special meal. I have now got used to being thrown in front of a class of 50 boys with no clues on what I should be teaching them. The other teachers just say we should do basic simple english and also teach poems or nursery rhymes. Normally it goes all right but one of the classes was so rowdy and barely a single boy could speak one word of english so they are all shouting in Tamil and running about. I never thought of how impossible it is to explain that you have to put your hand up if you know the answer and then only speak when chosen. Most of the time they either just blurt out the answer then jump up with both arms up or sit quietly with their hand in the air and when I ask them they just say they don't know. It can only get more structered as we carry on though.
I'm still well and healthy, was a little travel sick after the terrible bus ride back from kovallam but it didn't last until the morning. Thinking of everyone back home and also a few times I have had dreams where I came back for a weekend which was weird.
Hope you are all well.
Love Joe
xx

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Comments

[Mark McBride]

If nothing else works...
Just give them some Browning and let the little buggers crash out for sheer, mind melting boredom.