Wednesday, May 28, 2008

THE BEGGINING: Beyond the limits of the English Class


PRODOCÊNCIA officialy started on March 27th, Thursday, with Maiza Fatureto. She works for Cambridge University Press as an English Language Teching Consultant and during two hours she lectured about "limits" in english classes. Mrs. Fatureto approached the educators' perspectives of limits in class, raising a host of relevant challenges they face. She drew attention to all these delicate matters, from the students' discipline in class and disbelief in our practices and techniques, to the teachers' overrated focus on grammar and lack of rapport with learners.

She proposed we accept our limits as a first step before going beyond them, quoting Einstein: "Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them!" According to this statement, limits are there to be tried and tested, there is always room for changes and improvements. And when it comes to limits in english classes, no better location for improvements than the classroom. As the sign on the image shows, speed limit? Whatever.
After her speech, Mrs. Fatureto suggested a follow-up reading over Penny Ur's articles which would provide theoretical support to our disccussion. Today, May 28th, Wednesday, I'm able to assert -without a doubt - what, at the opening lecture, was just an impression: PRODOCÊNCIA is really going to be an invaluable support to my education!

1 comment:

Virgínia said...

I liked your comments but I'll be waiting for the rest of them all right?

Kisses

Virgínia