Arnel Francis: LEARNING

Arnel Francis: LEARNING

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On Teaching Japanese Language

Foreign language learning is experiential. It ferries learners on a big bus ride where they may ‘see’ more along the way rather than what they benefit upon reaching their destination. Teachers should see it as pragmatic, valuing the content of their course- seeking and reflecting on why they need to learn the language and what they need to learn in the language. My experience for five years on different classroom settings and different cognitive levels of learners gave me the nudge to go FUNCTIONAL. I always tell my students the old adage of linguists, ‘the language you use is the language you know’..For what better way can we really assess the competence of our learners if they cannot use it outside the four corners of their ‘warm’ yet predictable classroom. I put a challenge more on developing students’ lingual ability. As I entered Graduate School (as a student in Language Teaching), my practice and beliefs were strengthened. I was no adherent of the Grammatical approach, not that
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LEARNING

THE REAL ESSENCE OF LEARNING On the last meeting in our Philosophy of Man class, my first day of pondering began. I never thought that at the very last hour the ultimate LEARNING would come. It was so strong that it still remained resounding in my heart up to now. My usual idea of "just-read-and-you'll-never-fail-the-course" attitude paved the way for me to rummage on books at the Ateneo library. The question of "Why Philosophy?" was more of a question to be answered rather than a topic to be discussed. "Why do I need to take this course when I had it in College before?", was a reluctance I have to abide. Days passed and our supposed "journey" has to conclude. Since I swam over the vast ocean of PHILOSOPHY and "learned" about great philosophers, their precise philosophies, I presumed it was adequate enough to close the books. Our teacher then asked, "Who am I?" Everyone was quiet. After that, she associated this q
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Life in the Single Lane... (a chronicle from "On Single-Parenting")

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“ Pa, I need 800 pesos..” Sean asks you one time at the dinner table.“ What for?...” You are hoping that he was just kidding. "Our JS Prom? …” Sean adds with a tone of ambivalence…Suddenly you feel a tinge of exhilaration beneath your skin, not knowing whether it is rooted in joy or disbelief. You are faced with accepting the truth – your oldest son has grown. Your financial worries are upstaged by your excitement of imagining him dress up for the occasion. Thinking of ways of how he could get the most of these numbered-in-life events, you plan. It has to be special. A complete transformation just as you see in reality TV shows gives you the idea. You begin counting days until D-day finally comes. Absenting your self from work you run to the mall without taking your lunch and allow him to be pampered in his first-ever “salon-experience”. “I want his hair lightened, no sign of waves just do whatever you can…give my son a transformation!” you request. The next thing you nee
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