pisma tujih uĉiteljev ministru

Transcription

PISMA TUJIH UĈITELJEV MINISTRU …
TUJI UĈITELJI: RAZVOJNA NALOGA ZA MAJ 2012
Navodila / Instructions
During this project's implementation, the most important question has been: How can the FT's added
value be maximised on a regular basis within the Slovenian school system? One method which has
been used to elicit this information has been the targeting of questionnaires at Slovene (team) teachers,
pupils/students and other staff (e.g. principals). Whilst the obtained feedback is often useful, it is
actually the FTs themselves who are best able to annunciate their personal added value since each FT's
unique skillset lends itself to different added value qualities. For example, an IT specialist may be best
exploited in the development of professional literacy whilst a multilingual FT may be ideally
integrated in a cross-curricular implementation of multiple languages.
This R&D task is a formalisation of the SWOT/SWAT analysis you completed during the April FT‘s
meeting. You need to complete one of the following two tasks. Please complete the task in the target
foreign language for which you are employed to teach.

Write a formal letter to the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport which supports the
notion of the continuing employment of foreign teachers within the Slovenian educational system.
The letter should:
o Provide justification for the employment of FTs;
o Focus on the use of personal experiences;
o Be non-offensive (i.e. not contain abusive or derogatory language);
o Be personable, but not overly-emotive.
or

Write a reflective essay about the 'added value' of integrating the foreign teacher in the Slovenian
educational system. Your argumentation should be supported by appropriate evidence (drawn from
your personal experiences, project and non-project).
Seznam tujih uĉiteljev / List of foreign teachers
Št
.
Tuji uĉitelj
Izvorna
država
TJ
1.
Filipe de Almeida
Portugalska
ANG
2.
Justi Carey
Velika
Britanja
ANG
3.
James Donaldson
Kanada
ANG
4.
Rebecca Ehalt
ZDA
ANG
5.
Demará C. Ivaniĉ
ZDA
ANG
Zaposlitev
(Matiĉna šola / Partnerska šola)
OŠ Trnovo
OŠ Viţmarje Brod
Gimnazija Tolmin
Gimnazija Jesenice
Gimnazija Maribor
SŠ za gostinstvo in turizem Celje
Srednja šola Domţale
Zavod RS za šolstvo
ŠC Ljubljana, Gimnazija Antona
Aškerca / Srednja trgovska šola LJ
6.
Andrea Jadrzyk
Kanada
ANG
7.
Laura L. Jensen
Christian P.L.
Johnston
ZDA
ANG
Avstralija
ANG
Ana Lazić-Paunović
ZDA
ANG
10. Denis Majzelj
Nicole Renae
11.
Schmidt
Kanada
ANG
ŠCRM Kamnik
ŠC Postojna
SŠ Veno Pilon Ajdovščina
SŠ za gostinstvo in turizem
Ljubljana / Srednja trgovska šola LJ
Gimnazija Poljane LJ / Srednja
ekonomsko-poslovna šola Koper
OŠ Gabrovka-Dole
ZDA
ANG
OŠ A. T. Linharta Radovljica
12. William Tomford
ZDA
ANG
13. Amresh PrakashTorul
Mauritius
ANG
14. Benjamin Tweedie
Avstralija
ANG
15. Stephen Moses Zulu
Zambija
ANG
16. Caroline le Chatal
Francija
FRA
17. Soizic Dupuy-Roudel
Francija
FRA
18. Samuel Farsure
Francija
FRA
Francija
FRA
Francija
FRA
Francija
FRA
22. Irma Bandiera
Italija
ITA
23. Andrea Leone
Italija
ITA
24. Vittorio Porzio
Italija
ITA
25. Andrea Valenti
Italija
ITA
26. Philip Jacobs
27. Gerosa Lambergar
28. Maja von Lehe
Juan de Teresa
29.
Romero
Ignacio Escriche
30.
Rubio
Nemčija
Nemčija
Nemčija
NEM
NEM
NEM
Španija
ŠPA
Španija
ŠPA
8.
9.
19.
André Daniel Jean
Loïc
20. Elsa Louis
21.
Mary Ellen
Ramasimanana Virtiĉ
Gimnazija Kranj
Gimnazija Joţeta Plečnika LJ
ERSŠG Ljubljana
SŠ tehniških strok Šiška
CIRIUS Kamnik
OŠ Davorina Jenka Cerklje na
Gorenjskem / OŠ Orehek Kranj
Gimnazija Beţigrad
Gimnazija Ledina Ljubljana
Gimnazija Joţeta Plečnika Ljubljana
SŠ Veno Pilon Ajdovščina
Gimnazija Piran
Gimnazija Škofja Loka
Gimnazija Novo Mesto
II. gimnazija Maribor
Prva gimnazija Maribor
OŠ Lucijana Bratkoviča Bratuša
Renče / Gimnazija Tolmin
Gimnazija Piran
Gimnazija Koper
ŠCRM Kamnik / ŠC Ljubljana,
Gimnazija Antona Aškerca
SŠ Domţale
SŠ Domţale
Gimnazija Vič Ljubljana
Gimnazija Kranj
Gimnazija Poljane Ljubljana
ŠC Postojna
Gimnazija Kranj
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Filipe de ALMEIDA, Portugal,
anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Filipe de ALMEIDA
Age: 32
Nationality: Portuguese
I finished my degree in Modern
Languages and Literature
(English/German)
at
the
Faculty of Arts in Oporto
Portugal. I was born in Portugal
but grew up in Southern Africa
(Namibia) making me bilingual. I participated in a student
exchange programme in Germany (Erasmus) where I studied
German literature as well as media and gender studies.
During my time as a student I was awarded a 1 month
scholarship to study at the Freie Universität Berlin where I
studied Berlin Authors.
At the end of my studies I did a workshop in Wine Tourism
and worked as Tourist guide in the Port Wine Cellars in
Porto, Portugal. The job allowed me to learn new things
about different cultures as well as use the languages I know
in authentic situations. At the end of my experience of
working in Wine cellars I decided to move abroad and
worked on a river cruise boat on several European rivers
such as the Rhine, Douro and the Danube. I was responsible
for the entertainment programme on board as well as a tour
guide for the guests on the ship. On average I had about 150
guests and had to speak in 5 different languages each week.
It’s what you might call an in depth cultural experience!
Once I finished working in Tourism I moved to Brazil and had
my first experience in education. I worked in an Orphanage in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a main Educator. The work was
mainly based on child development and pedagogy. I worked
with children aged 4-17 who came from problematic families.
Most of the children had no idea of what basic hygiene and
they had major problems with reading and writing and our
goal was to help introduce these “routines” in their lives. It
was one of the best experiences in my life and where I first
discovered that I was meant to work in education with
children.
I then moved to Slovenia in 2009 to start a new chapter in my
life and was pleasantly surprised to find a project that could
use my skills and knowledge to help students learn a Foreign
language and at the same time enrich their lives culturally. I
started working in OŠ Antona Tomaţa Linharta Radovljica as
a substitute teacher, then I worked in Srednja Šola Domţale
and I am currently employed at OŠ Trnovo and OŠ
Viţmarje/Brod.
I really enjoy travelling and learning about new cultures and
that is how through different interesting little side roads I
ended up in Slovenia, getting to know a new culture, learning
a new language, starting a family and sharing the knowledge
I have acquired through my travels and experiences with
young bright minds.
Pismo ministru
Romulo Filipe de Almeida
Brodarjev trg 6,
1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Hon. Dr. Ţiga Turk
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and
Sports
Dear Minister Turk,
My name is Filipe de Almeida and I am part of an
innovative project looking at introducing enriched
foreign language learning in the school curriculum
here in Slovenia. I have worked in Slovenia for
the past 2 and a half years and I am looking
forward to continuing the project in the coming
years.
This letter is to request that you and your
government strongly consider the continuation of
this project as it is very valuable for the future of
the country as well as the students as world
citizens. I believe that as a foreign teacher I can
offer students a lot of insight into not only
language learning but other important things as
well.
Firstly I have a degree in Modern Languages and
Literature (English/ German) and I speak 7
languages (4 of them fluently) and I believe soon I
will be able to add Slovene to the list of 4! I have
worked in 3 different continents and in various
fields, giving me the essential tools for
intercultural teaching which is a very handy tool
for the future of Slovenian students and the
country as well. The world around us is rapidly
shrinking and we need to be competent enough to
compete with the big fish and for us to do that we
have to educate our children in a way that they
have the right weapons to compete equally. Living
in a small country, Slovenian students have little
contact with different cultures other than with ExYugoslav countries.
Having a multi cultural background helps me
bring a different perspective into teaching; I have
worked in Africa, South America and Europe. I
believe I not only offer these students authentic
language learning but I am also able to teach them
different cultures through language, literature and
technology (blogs, twitter, social networks etc...).
I believe that as the Minister of such an important
department you can clearly see that educating our
youth is the best way to battle the current situation
that Europe finds itself in. Students need to be
aware of the world around them early on and there
is nothing better than introducing them to
language through authentic learning.
Following global trends is very important in
teaching and by having a foreign language teacher
who not only teaches them language but
introduces them to other global issues which they
normally may not be exposed to is a major
advantage to their education.
I would appreciate it if you and your ministry
seriously consider continuing the project as it has
so many advantages for all parties involved and it
would be a shame to stop the work that has been
developed over the past few years. Both students
and teachers have put in a lot of work in the
project and it would be a shame to stop it now.
On a personal note I too have started a family in
Slovenia and I would like my child to have the
best of all its cultural roots both Slovene and
foreign. The maintenance of my job now is also
very important both professionally as well as
financially. I sincerely believe that I can still offer
my students a lot and it would be a major loss if I
was not able to continue working with them. This
project allows a larger group of students to have
access to foreign teachers‘ thus even students
from rural areas can have access to authentic
learning of a foreign language and culture. It
would be a major blow to the students‘ education
not to have this project any longer.
Thank you for taking the time to read and
consider my thoughts and I hope that in the future
the project will continue and become a major
pillar in the Slovenian education system. Looking
forward to your reply.
Best Regards,
Filipe de Almeida
Justi CAREY, Velika Britanija,
anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Justi CAREY
Age: 50
Nationality: British
Education and training
My first degree was also
professional training as a
Speech
and
Language
Therapist - I qualified in 1985,
after a four-year B.Sc. (Honours) course at the University of
Newcastle upon Tyne. At first after leaving University I was
only interested in reading fiction, after so much studying, but I
quickly found that I was really motivated by learning, and I
enrolled with the Open University and through distance
learning eventually completed a general B.A., following
courses as diverse as Environmental Sciences, Maths,
Astronomy, and French. Through the OU I also completed a
Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages.
Work experience
As a Speech Therapist I specialised in working with children,
particularly pre-school children with special needs, and
worked for 11 years in north Wales and a further 6 in the
Highlands of Scotland. When my husband Roy and I decided
to move abroad, teaching English as a foreign language was
the obvious next step, and to my surprise, as soon as I set
foot in a classroom I realised that teaching was my true
vocation! In Slovenia I worked for the first 3 years in primary
schools in Rogaška Slatina and Jesenice, and now am in my
7th year of teaching in Gimnazija Jesenice, as part of the
European Classes Project, and also in Gimnazija Tolmin for
the Enriched Foreign Language Learning Project.
Personal skills and competences
I've worked with the English language, in various ways, for
over 30 years! As well as skills in teaching English
communication to children of all ages (and also adults), I
have a particular interest in writing, and also proof-read
English texts which have been translated or written by a nonnative speaker. My husband and I are in the process of
writing our third book about walking in the Slovene
mountains.
Why did I come to Slovenia?
My passion is the outdoor environment, and it was the
mountains that brought us here. We walk, ski, cycle and run
according to the season, and Slovenia's wonderful natural
landscape and good weather is the perfect place for us to
live. My husband runs a small Bed and Breakfast in our
sweet house in the Upper Sava valley, and it's a great way to
meet walkers, cyclists and other visitors to this beautiful area.
Indoors, I love reading, following Roger Federer, and baking.
Pismo ministru
Justi Carey
Kurirska pot 13
4281 Mojstrana, Slovenia
Dear Mr Turk,
I have worked in the Slovene education system
teaching English as a Foreign Language for 10
years, first as a language assistant and later as a
Foreign Teacher in the European Class and OUTJ
projects, in Rogaška Slatina, Jesenice and Tolmin.
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Although my husband is also British, we have a
deep commitment to Slovenia and have even
written guidebooks in English to the Slovene
mountains.
I wholeheartedly believe in the idea of native
speakers in foreign language teaching. The quality
of English language teaching in Slovenia is
exceptionally high, as I have seen in the six
primary and secondary schools I have worked in.
However, the combination of Slovene teacher and
native speaker adds a further dimension to that
quality. Each of us enhances and enriches the
other; for example, Slovene teachers tend to have
a greater emphasis on grammar and accuracy,
while I tend to focus more on vocabulary and
fluency. Together, we build on each other's
strengths and cancel out our weaknesses.
In addition, the foreign teacher acts as a kind of
walking encyclopaedia and dictionary for the
Slovene teacher, providing immediate feedback
not only on vocabulary and correct use of English,
but also background information on cultural
issues, idioms and authentic behaviour and
customs. This can then be passed on to the
students in classes where the foreign teacher is not
present, thus reaching a greater number of
students than the foreign teacher actually see
themselves.
Possibly the greatest contribution the foreign
teacher makes is in giving students confidence.
One year I happened to be present in the oral
Matura exam on two consecutive days, firstly with
a European Class which I had taught several times
a week for four years, and the next day with
students I had met only occasionally. The
difference was very striking - not so much in the
quality of language, which is competently taught
by Slovene English teachers, but in the confidence
and fluency with which the EC students spoke.
The poorest students were almost as comfortable
speaking in their limited English as the best of the
class which had spent little time with me; they
were better able to find a way to express
themselves even if they did not know exactly the
right word. The opportunity for genuine
communication with a native speaker in the
foreign language over four years had made a
really significant difference, truly an 'added
value'. If these students go on to use English in
their careers, they will be more confident,
expressive, and fluent.
This increased confidence can also been seen in
the Slovene teachers; in conversation with several
of my long-term colleagues I do not simplify my
language at all, no more than I would when
speaking to my husband. Over the years I have
watched and listened as their language has
become more idiomatic and natural - a benefit to
all their students throughout the school.
I asked a colleague of mine that I have worked
with for eight years for her opinion on the
usefulness of foreign teachers in the classroom.
She felt the immediate authentic response of a
native speaker from Britain could not be
overstated, and that this extended beyond
vocabulary and cultural information to a general
broadening of outlook for teachers, foreign
teachers and students alike.
A foreign teacher in the classroom allows students
to see that a different lifestyle and way of thinking
is possible, and that countries and cultures do not
all behave the same way. Sometimes the Slovene
way is the better one, and sometimes it isn't;
hearing about other possibilities at first hand helps
students to improve their critical thinking and to
grow into balanced adults who are able to
contribute to Slovenia's development. Stereotypes
can be exposed for what they are, and tolerance of
other people improved. This is particularly true of
students in small towns which can be, like small
towns across the world, somewhat narrowminded; a small number of foreign teachers in
Slovenia, almost inevitably then posted only in
Ljubljana, would for this reason be a mistake in
my opinion.
In these difficult times, with austerity cuts and
recession constantly in the news, people tend to
turn inwards to protect themselves and their
families. They tend to become less tolerant of
differences, and less accepting of others. At this
time, then, it is even more important that students
gain broader experience and consider alternative
ways of being, as well as greater fluency and
command of English and other languages.
I have always admired Slovenia's commitment to
language teaching, which is far greater and more
thorough than in the UK. Such a small country,
with only 2 million speakers of Slovene, needs to
maintain that commitment in the face of difficult
times ahead. One way of doing this is by
maintaining foreign teachers in Slovene
classrooms, adding to the already excellent quality
education that is out there.
Yours sincerely,
Justi Carey
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James DONALDSON, Kanada,
anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
James DONALDSON
Age: 30
Nationality: Canadian
I took my degree in Classical
Studies, a field which I became
interested in midway through
university.
I dabbled in a
number of other subjects along
the way, however, nearly all of which I also found compelling.
My interest in one of these subjects, music, led me to meet
my wife, a Slovenian pianist. We decided to move to Maribor
together in 2006.
After a year of teaching in private institutions around town, I
took my CELTA and applied for the position of native speaker
at Prva gimnazija Maribor, a post which I have held since
2007. My activities with the students include astronomy,
debating, photography, theatre and Japanese – it's a
pleasure to spend my working day teaching a variety of
subjects. Outside of school, I have collaborated with my wife
on projects with speaking engagements in Maribor, Kranj and
Ljubljana. I have also taught evening classes at the
University of Maribor since 2008.
Most of my free time is spent on books, music, lectures and
computers. However, a few years ago I bought not one, but
two dogs. Accordingly, protecting my kitchen, going for
midnight walks and picking up fur must now be included in
the previous list of activities.
Pismo ministru
Dear Dr. Turk,
I am writing to discuss the ―added value‖ of the
foreign teachers working in Slovenia. This task
necessitates a comparison with Slovenian
teachers. I wish to make it clear up front that
when I speak of the alternative perspectives,
flexibility and authenticity that foreign teachers
bring, I am not attempting to denigrate my
colleagues in any way. There are many talented
and dedicated people with whom I teach every
day, and I want to make that clear from the
beginning. Instead, I shall point out that, as a
native speaker, I have the freedom to concentrate
on different areas that are open to me in a way not
available to teachers from within Slovenia. I
firmly believe that this freedom allows me room
to experiment and build educational experiences
for my students in a way that helps them to master
the English language.
I would like to concentrate for a moment on the
source of this flexibility. As we all know, Slovene
teachers already have a lot to juggle in the
classroom. English teachers have a particularly
difficult trick to accomplish, having to cover an
evermoving subject that many students are already
well-versed in. After all, the newest generations
have grown up with the Internet, video games and
the Cartoon Network. Quite naturally, they expect
to expand on this knowledge in English lessons
and to have plenty of opportunities to practise
with their friends. I can only imagine how
difficult these demands must be on a non-native
teacher – English is especially rich in figurative
language, a quality which makes it particularly
difficult to stay on top of. Expressions come and
go, and so teachers naturally have to find a few
principles – various conditionals, tense shifts and
so on – which can be taken as a fixed structure on
which to mould the students' language.
This structure does not pose a problem in itself
when balanced with a free approach to speaking.
It is easy to see that grammar has to be taught –
certain features of English differ so much from
those of Slovenian that it must be so. And yet
English, more than any other language I know of,
has a habit of slipping away from you as soon as
you try to pin it down. A balanced approach must
include both constant opportunities for students to
produce speech and gentle yet firm nudges in the
correct direction. Dedication to structure alone
results in a petrified set of rules with no room for
conversational skills to grow organically.
This is where the flexibility I mentioned earlier
comes in. As a native speaker, I am not as
vulnerable to the students' second-guessing as the
other teachers are, and so I don't need to worry
about that when trying something new. My
reputation is harder to damage since I have, in the
eyes of the students, the ―stamp of authenticity‖ as
it were. And so, if the textbook uses an outdated
approach to a topic, I can develop my own
materials with the confidence that the content will
be authentic and correct. I doubt I would have the
courage to produce this material if I were not a
native speaker; the probability of failure would be
too great, and the consequences of failure too
high.
As it is, the chance that I am given to design
learning experiences is the part of my job that
satisfies me most, a satisfaction that carries over
to the students and their success. The five years I
have spent at my school have given me plenty of
opportunities to add to the curriculum in many
6
places. My courses have covered a wide range of
subjects, ranging from modern art and Victorian
Britain to psychology and astronomy. My extracurricular activities with the school include
debating, photography, English theatre (The
Importance of Being Earnest), and Japanese. I
have taken students to Rošpoh and Ribnica to look
at the stars, and on week-long trips to London to
attend performances at theatres and concert halls.
I have also co-taught classes in other subjects,
including mathematics, chemistry, biology,
physics, geography, literature, music, visual art,
psychology, sociology and philosophy. The
additional perspective provided by a foreign
teacher is especially important here. My point is
not that this perspective is better; it is merely that
an additional point of view or a different way of
doing things can help subjects open up to the
students.
All this material did not come together easily – it
is the result of thousands of hours of after-school
work which I did because I found the process of
putting it together interesting and because I
believed that my efforts would have an impact on
the quality of education at my school. It would be
a shame to cast aside the years that my fellow
foreign teachers and I have spent developing and
fine-tuning teaching material in favour of shortterm budget cuts. There is a real potential here for
doing great damage to language teaching in
Slovenia, damage which will not be easy to undo.
Like many of my colleagues, I have made a
commitment to Slovenia. My wife and I bought an
apartment last year. I attained my permanent
residency a few months ago. I include these
details to fight the assumption that we native
speakers are a transient group of which there will
always be a supply. Many of us have chosen to
make Slovenia our homes and to dedicate
ourselves to doing our jobs well. Trimming may
be necessary, but I urge you not to eliminate a
program which is of much help to students and
shows great potential for further development.
Yours faithfully,
James Donaldson
Rebecca EHALT,
Združene države
Amerike,
anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Rebecca EHALT
Age: 27
Nationality: American
I'm an American girl. I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew
up in Murrysville–the suburbs about 40 minutes from the city.
I'm a graphic designer and EFL teacher.
I attended Kent State University, just outside Cleveland, Ohio
for 5 years. I earned my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Visual
Communication Design (a.k.a. graphic design) and a minor in
Marketing. I played soccer on the KSU girls Division I team
for 3 years. During summers I volunteered at a wildlife refuge
in PA and later interned at 3 different firms as a graphic
designer at Glyhix in Kent, OH– a student-run design firm;
American Greetings in Cleveland, OH– a national greeting
card company; and Canyon Creative in Las Vegas, NV– a
small design studio. I discovered my aptitude for teaching
while organizing the freshmen graphic design orientation
classes.
After college graduation and a trip to South America, I
applied for a 1-year scholarship at the Center of Slovene
through the Filozofska Fakulteta in Ljubljana. I learnt about
the scholarship through the SNPJ in Pittsburgh (Slovenska
Narodna Podporna Jednota). My great grandparents were
Slovenian (Ljubljana and Dolenjska), but immigrated to
America in 1906.
I qualified for the scholarship through ancestry, and found
myself in Slovenia in September 2008. With so many travel
plans, I quickly found work teaching English at Piornirski dom
and then Berlitz. Later I earned my TEFL (Teaching English
as a Foreign Language) certificate. This year will be my 4th
year teaching Berlitz Summer Kids' Camps. I joined the
Enriched Foreign Language Learning project in September
2011. In efforts to combine my graphic design knowledge
and love for art with teaching, I divide my employment
between English and Art classes at Srednja Šola Domţale
and designing for the National Education Institute of Slovenia
(Zavod za šolstvo).
I live in Ljubljana, and after school I fill my time with design
and art projects as well as a children's English-through-art
class at Hiša otrok in umetnosti. On weekends you can find
me in Bled, where my boyfriend lives. (He thought I was
going to leave in September, but he never asked which
September.) We enjoy hiking in the Alps and SCUBA diving
in the Adriatic. We plan to do a lot more exploring with our
newly-earned Gorenjska tour guide licenses.
Pismo ministru
To Whom It May Concern:
Originally I came to Slovenia to research my
ancestry and discover my Slovene roots. I met my
boyfriend and worked some odd jobs to earn a
living. When I found the Enriched Foreign
Lanugage Learning (EFLL) project I could make
a living while progressing my career and
positively contributing to the Slovene society I
7
grew to love. Katja Pavlič-Škerjanc welcomed me
to the ―family,‖ which with the enthusiasm and
support in the project it feels as such. When you
bring a room of people from all over the world
and all walks of life, you can‘t avoid changing the
world a bit. Slovenia is lucky to have such an
opportunity, and I hope the students are never
deprived of this.
The project‘s foreign teachers have done
numerous research projects alongside their
teaching to prove the value and quality of the
project as well as develop the language and crosscurricular curriculum. The foreign teachers offer
their varying education backgrounds, skill sets,
and cultural experiences, not to mention nativelanguage skills, to enrich each Slovene students‘
eduction. The foreign teachers add diversification,
modernization, and motivation in the Slovene
classroom.
With only one year under my belt in the project, I
have developed programs in my school, guest
taught in others, and designed for the National
Institute of Education. I have a degree in graphic
design and marketing from the USA, which I have
found extremely useful as a parallel added-value
to my native-English language skills in the
project. From answering students‘ stereotyped
questions about American cheeseburgers to
designing the EFLL logo and branding system, I
have found the EFLL project the most fulfilling
job I‘ve held. To highlight just a few of the
enriching projects I contributed to this year, I‘ve
detailed them below:
– Discussion Club: guest speaker series
Once a week the discussion club meets to discuss
issues pertaining to a specific monthly topic. At
the end of each month I invited a guest speaker to
the school. These speakers include an Irish
robotics researcher at Joţef Štefan, an Irish
diplomat, the American Embassy's Public Affairs
Officer, a Portuguese teacher who volunteered at a
Brazilian orphanage, a Slovene journalist living in
Canada, and a Gambian soccer player. This
potpourri of talent sparked student interest,
motivated their language learning, broadened their
horizons, and improved their communication
skills. My coworkers admitted they'd never
organize such guest speakers if it weren't for the
foreign teacher's international connections.
–English classes: added value, culture, motivation,
and English knowledge
Every week my English coordinator and I write
new and improved lesson plans for the school's
English curriculum. We combine our knowledge,
experience, and background to optimize the
everyday lessons. I have found my skills
particularly useful with designing lesson
materials, correcting student and teacher
pronunciation, and teaching students beyond the
textbook in authentic situations.
–Art & Design classes: design workshops and art
exhibitions
I have done a few design workshops in the
English language. Most notably at Osovno šola
Trnovo where Filipe Almeida, another foreign
English teacher, and I collaborated to teach the
8th grade students how to design a magazine or
newspaper publication. We conducted a workshop
in English, teaching basic design skills and
vocabulary.
Also, the art teacher, computer teacher, and I at
Srednja Šola Domţale collaborated to conduct a
cross-curricular art exhibition in the Domţale
library, ―Superheroji‖. The first year art students
developed original superheros through Slovene
and English stories and a sculpture. The second
year computer students photographed the
sculptures and designed complimentary posters to
display the exhibition in the community library. I
taught in the art and design classes, as well as
work closely with the art teacher to design the
library exhibition. The art teacher confided in me
that she would have never attempted the
exhibition if we hadn't worked as a team to write
the lesson plan, organize the students, and design
the display.
With graduating university and entering the work
force in the midst of the global economic crisis, I
am fully aware art and culture projects are the first
to be cut from the national budget. I have to admit
I‘m disconcerted that Slovenia is considering so
many education cuts. In my opinion, the worst
thing a country can do is to cut their education,
research, and development fundings. In theory
you can always reestablish them when the
country‘s economy is back on its feet, but the
costs of reestablishing these projects are often
greater then simply continuing them. The cut of
education, research, and development funds
results in brain drain, which negatively affects a
country in the long run. I speak from experience
of researching design methods during university
to prevent brain drain in the Rustbelt region of the
US from Pittsburgh–Detroit. It would be a shame
8
for Slovenia to loose such talent to other
countries. Personally, if the EFLL project does not
continue, my boyfriend and I plan to move to New
Zealand or America.
Curious about the economic and long-term affects
of education cuts, I did a little research and found
an article from the National Education
Association in the USA entitled, ―K-12 Education
in the U.S. Economy‖. It researches and supports
the value of quality education in the interest of a
nation‘s long-term economic success. Pertaining
to the affects of educational financial cuts (on
page 8) it reads:
―... A particularly important effect of these
spillovers is on the economic growth of an entire
country‘s economy. Early work by economists
such as Schultz (1960) and Denison (1962)
emphasized that an increase in overall educational
attainment in a nation increased the nation‘s stock
of human capital and thus increased its aggregate
output and income. The productivity increase
from the increase in the human capital or the
ability of the same number of people in a country
to produce more or to produce goods and services
that are valued more highly in the market
increases the amount of income earned in a
country and thus makes all of the country better
off... Thus, it is not just the quantity of education
achieved by a nation‘s residents that matters in
determining the nation‘s path of economic
achievement but also—and perhaps just as
importantly—the quality of that education.‖
I invite you to take a look at the publication:
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/economy.pdf
Thus, if the motive to eliminate the EFLL project
is to redeem Slovenia from a financial crisis,
perhaps it is a short term solution, but the
termination will ultimately negatively affect
Slovenia economically and culturally in the long
run. In an increasingly globalized market and
considering Slovenia‘s extremely small market
size, the country cannot economically afford to
jeopardize the language skills of its future
workforce.
I hope I have added some insight into your
decision making process and the value of the
Enriched Foreign Language Learning project.
My kindest regards,
Rebecca Jo Ehalt
Demará C. IVANIĈ, Združene države
Amerike, anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Demará BRAKE IVANIČ
Age: 39
Having received both my
Bachelor's
and
Master's
degrees in foreign languages
(specializing
in
Spanish
linguistics) from Illinois State
University in Normal, Illinois,
U.S.A. in 1995 and 1997, respectively, I was given the
opportunity to travel to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, as a
summer business intern, working as an interpreter for
students at Casa Xelajú. My work experience has varied from
cashier to bank teller to intern to adjunct faculty to high
school teacher/educator to proofreader to foreign teacher,
wife and mother.
Under the European Classes program, I co-taught English at
Gimnazija Kočevje for two years before giving birth to my two
children. Following maternity leave, I re-entered the
workforce as a substitute teacher of English at Gimnazija
Poljane and then joined the Enriched Foreign Language
Learning project in 2010, splitting my workload between
Gimnazija Poljane and Gimnazija Antona Aškerca. I currently
co-teach English under EFLL at Gimnazija Antona Aškerca
and Srednja trgovška šola (immigrant pilot program) in
Ljubljana while furthering my knowledge of teaching English
as a foreign language via online education.
Having met my husband in Pagosa Springs, Colorado,
U.S.A. on the Parelli (Natural Horsemanship) Ranch, I have
lived in Slovenia since 2004. I came to Slovenia, taking my
husband-to-be up on his offer of showing me Lipica so that I
could see the famous dancing white horses in person.
Coincidentally, and to my surprise, my husband had
previously read about the performing Lipizzaners of Illinois
years before in an edition of O konjih magazine. Needless to
say, I liked Slovenia and decided to stay and explore this
multicultural country while challenging myself to learn the
language and know its people.
I have enjoyed a unique, varied lifestyle while in Slovenia,
demonstrating the Parelli method of natural horse training,
proofreading a variety of literature, leading a children's horse
camp, teaching English to both adults and children, attending
Slovenian language courses, participating in the
documentary Šepetati konjem, and overall sharing my love of
horses and life with others, especially including my family.
Open to new adventures, I enjoy skiing, horse riding, and
spending time outdoors.
Pismo ministru
Demará Ivanič
FL Educator of English and Spanish
ŠC Ljubljana, Gimnazija Antona Aškerca
9
Honorable Minister Ţiga Turk,
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and
Sports
Masarykova 16, 1000 Ljubljana
Thank you, sir, for taking this opportunity to read
my letter.
Respectfully,
Demará Ivanič
Dear Honorable Minister Turk:
It was Lyndon B. Johnson who said, ˝Education is
not a problem. Education is an opportunity.˝
Andrea JADRZYK, Kanada,
anglešĉina
While I am not Slovenian, I nevertheless have a
vested interest in the Slovenian educational
system. One day my two children, who currently
attend Slovenian vrtec, will also attend Slovenian
schools. I believe in giving them, as well as all
children of all ages, the best educational
opportunities available.
Name & Surname:
Andrea Marie JADRZYK
Age: 26
/ Slovenian
Programs such as the Enriched Foreign Language
Learning project are one of those many valuable
opportunities within the Slovenian educational
system today.
What is better: to treat an
opportunity as a problem, or a problem as an
opportunity? Difficult matters such as these have
posed past, present and future challenges for all
generations, all cultures, all nations, all peoples.
It was Sir Thomas More who said, ˝Education is
not the piling on of learning, information, data,
facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or
instruction - but is rather making visible what is
hidden as a seed.˝
A ˝hidden seed˝ within the Slovenian educational
system today is the employment of foreign
teachers within the language programs. These
foreign teachers bring new dimension, depth,
motivation and ways of thinking to the typical
classroom setting, whether it be in foreign
language, interdisciplinary or cross-cultural
learning. Based upon my personal experiences,
students enjoy and savor this authentic, unique
way of learning a foreign language in the presence
of a foreign teacher.
Classroom experiences become ˝up close and
personal˝ and sometimes even transformational.
Students gain hands-on knowledge of the foreign
language and culture. In fact, as a result, foreign
language learning becomes cultural awareness in
action.
In closing, it was Philip B. Crosby who said,
˝Quality is the result of a carefully constructed
cultural environment. It has to be the fabric of the
organization, not part of the fabric.˝
After spending a year in
Toronto after moving from
Prince George, I moved to
Slovenia with my mother and
sister in an attempt to
rediscover our roots. I finished high school at Gimnazija
Beţigrad (International Baccalaureate Program) and was
then accepted to Filozofska Fakulteta in 2003 to study the
English language and literature thereof (pedagoška smer). I
completed my studies in 2009 receiving the top grade (10) for
my diploma paper as well as the title 'profesorica angleščine'.
While studying, I also worked at two different language
schools in Ljubljana, A+ Izobraţevanje and Panteon.
Following the completion of my studies, I completed my
teacher training at Gimnazija Joţeta Plečnika and then
moved on to work as a foreign teacher for the Institute in both
Šolski center Rudolfa Maistra Kamnik and Šolski center
Postojna. I have also collaborated with primary schools in
Kamnik to enrich the studies of younger learners (OŠ Frana
Albrehta and OŠ Marije Vere) and have also done classes at
CIRIUS in the past. My translating experience began with
translating for Agencija Baribal in Ljubljana as well as for
various translating agencies (Leemeta, for example) and the
Ministry of Education. I have also attended courses in the
Slovenian language at Filozofska Fakulteta and continue to
learn more every day.
I have lived in Slovenia since 2001 with my mother, who is
Slovenian, and my younger sister. We came on our first visit
to Slovenia a year earlier to rediscover or roots and fell in
love with the country, deciding to return the next year on a
more permanent basis. In the end, we opted to stay as
Slovenia had so quickly become a part of our lives. My family
now lives near Ruše (Štajerska), while I have remained in
Ljubljana.
In my free time I enjoy reading, writing and cooking as well
as spending time with my family. I also enjoy taking my dog
on walks through the hills and into the forest and often take
him with me on day trips or vacations in Slovenia and the
surrounding countries. I am a keen traveler and still consider
it a privilege to live in a country surrounded by so much
history.
10
Pismo ministru
Dear Sir,
I am writing in the hopes of illustrating the added
value that the Enriched Foreign Language
Learning project brings to the Slovenian school
system.
Although the recession has the country desperate
to save money, I do not believe that education
should be allowed to suffer. Slovenia stands
proudly among European countries with the best
educational systems in the world. It would be a
pity to allow such an achievement to slip away.
As Slovenia is a part of the European Union, the
future now depends more upon foreign languages
than ever before. Young people must be given
access to such subvention if any future success,
both within and outside of Europe, is to be
expected.
My students appreciate the opportunity to interact
with native speakers on a regular basis as they
believe it to be more authentic than an average
classroom setting. During the course of a normal
day, most students would not have the chance to
practice a foreign language with a native speaker
and would be missing the real-life application of
foreign language learning. We are seen by
students as a reference in the case of
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar as well as
our knowledge and view of their country and the
foreign teacher‘s country of origin. In this way,
students get excited about the world and are, in
my experience, always interested to hear about
how people live elsewhere. The presence of a
foreign teacher is also highly motivating for many
students, specifically for this reason. Suddenly,
the language ceases to be nothing more than a
class to be passed and becomes a tool with which
they can achieve their goals.
I know of several students that feel awkward
speaking to a Slovene teacher of English, but feel
comfortable talking to me in class. The motivation
to communicate becomes so strong that they try
harder than usual to be understood. As a teacher, I
consider this to be a great achievement, which is
often lacking in the stereotypical classroom
setting. This is also the case where speaking
activities are concerned. Over the last two years I
have been with the project, I have had many
students who were afraid to speak in class, but
after extra lessons with me, developed a certain
confidence that allowed them to open up in the
foreign language. Their mentality was simply this,
―If I can talk to a native speaker, I can talk to
anyone‖.
It has also occurred, on many occasions that
students consider my opinion on the language
more definitive than that of the Slovenian
teachers. It is not that the students believe their
teachers to be void of knowledge, but simply that
a native speaker‘s intuition is more trustworthy.
Thus the students know that a native speaker in
their school is a valuable commodity and often
seek my advice either in the form of creating a
single sentence or even that of translating or
proofreading items for them.
Thus, from my experience, I truly believe that the
EFLL program is a great asset to the students of
Slovenia. Through the program students are
becoming motivated and instructed with a
different approach to learning, though still
following the syllabus. The presence of a flesh
and blood representative of a language provides
students with many benefits that they themselves
are aware of. Students who are generally
uninterested in languages are more motivated to
cooperate in class and see a true purpose to the
class, which is better understood by means of
experience. My students have told me on many
occasions that learning English in this manner
gives them the feeling that they are really learning
something, not just about language, but about the
world around them. I sincerely hope that I have
adequately described the importance of this
project and the genuine need for such additions to
the system. I have seen the transformation in my
students with my own eyes; going from fearful to
confident, silence to speech, boredom to
excitement and from the classroom to the great
wide world.
It is because I have experienced so much in such a
short period of time that I see the vast potential of
such a program and it is my sincere belief that the
students of this country deserve the chance that is
offered.
Best regards,
Andrea Marie Jadrzyk
11
Laura L. JENSEN, Združene države
Name & Surname:
Laura Lee JENSEN
Age: 31
“She looks so normal!” the
students told one of my
colleagues at Srednja šola
Veno Pilon (Ajdovščina) after I
first met their class last May.
I’m not certain what they could
have possibly been expecting from their new American
teacher, but I’m glad to have been working in such a
welcoming environment over the last year.
I started out wanting to teach German, but eventually came
to realize that my skills were better served elsewhere. I was a
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholar in Germany
and I studied German and Scandinavian Languages and
Literatures at the University of Oregon; I received my
Bachelor of Arts from the UO Honors College in 2002. In
2010 I received a Master of Arts in Linguistics from the
University of California-Davis, where I was a student in the
Applied Linguistics/TESOL program. My research was on the
language maintenance/shift of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
among immigrants in Anglophone countries and on a
potential vowel shift in a dialect of American English.
In addition to working in the German and Linguistics
departments at UC Davis, I have been a project specialist for
AFS Intercultural Exchange Programs, an assessment
administrator during the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), and have taught classes for Talented and
Gifted students in my hometown. I have also been active in
volunteer and community work.
In my free time I enjoy opportunities to get out into the
sunshine (I come from Portland, Oregon, where it can rain
nearly every day from October to June), explore Slovenia
and neighboring countries, attempt to learn Slovene, keep up
on American politics, and to try to write the next great
dystopian novel. In alternate universes, I am an
archaeologist, a professional genealogist, and a TV
screenwriter in Hollywood.
Pismo ministru
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you in your role as the Minister of
Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the
Republic of Slovenia. I wish to give you an
example of the value of native speakers being
employed as language teachers in the Slovenian
public school system. This project requires your
support to secure funding and future contracts for
teachers already working and living in Slovenia
under the auspices of this project.
First, who am I? My name is Laura Lee Jensen
and I come from Portland, Oregon, in the United
States. I have degrees from well-regarded public
universities in Oregon and California; my
magisterial alma mater, the University of
California at Davis, is a recognized leader among
American pedagogic programs in Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages, and is
part of the best public university system in the
United States, the University of California system.
Other students in my cohort have gone on to work
for the US Department of Defense, taught at top
American universities, continued on to doctoral
programs, and done innovative research in
language
teaching,
acquisition,
and
neurolinguistics. I chose to teach abroad because I
felt that my individual skills and knowledge were
better suited to working with young people who
do not have the advantage of traveling to the
United States to improve their English. Currently I
teach English at Srednja šola Veno Pilon in
Ajdovščina, where I mostly work with students in
the gimnazija program.
One of the greatest advantages of having a foreign
teacher is the fact that a native speaker not only
has valuable linguistic knowledge, but more
importantly knows the culture intimately. My
knowledge of American culture, especially
politics and economy, is invaluable in this global
economy and cannot be replicated by local
Slovene teachers. If you wish Slovenia to be
successful in the future, you will want to have
your population understand something about the
United States. Why should students care about a
country so far away that they can learn about by
watching television? As uncomfortable as it may
be to admit, the fact is that the United States has a
frighteningly strong influence on the rest of the
world: the foreign policy of a sitting American
president and Congress affects the entire world,
the business choices of American companies and
banks likewise contribute to the crises – and
successes – of the global economy, and American
media transforms culture in every developed and
developing nation on this planet. Despite these
exposures to American culture, no one outside the
United States can fully grasp what lies behind
these influences and decisions, and even among
Americans there are not many who can articulate
it well to nonnative speakers of English. I am
among those few individuals and it is one of my
greatest ―added values‖ as a teacher in this
project.
12
I am called on to explain various facets of
American culture on a weekly basis. This week
the lesson was a topic from recent events, namely
the Occupy Wall Street movement. Without my
help the local teacher could never have been able
to discuss the topic with the students in a way that
properly emphasized the differences between
American and European economic problems.
Slovene teachers are not familiar with which news
organizations and statistics are reliable, and which
blogs – sharing the heart-wrenching stories of
people who have joined the Occupy movement –
portray the reality of everyday life in the United
States, rather than parodies or politicallymotivated bias. In addition, I was able to articulate
the differences between the protests in the United
States and those that were held here in Slovenia –
in Ljubljana, Maribor, and Koper – in solidarity.
My experiences as an American have been
invaluable in these instances. My students have
come to appreciate the difference between what
they see on television and what real Americans
experience everyday – and even more so, they
have developed an appreciation for what they
have here in Slovenia. Smart students who have
an appreciation for the advantages of their home
country are less likely to work abroad for long
periods of time and thereby deprive their local
economy.
The importance of native speaker cultural
knowledge is not limited to Americans or even
English speakers, though due to twentieth-century
globalization knowledge of the English language
is incomparable. Other languages are equally
important for Slovenes: Italian due to Slovenia‘s
proximity and cultural ties to Italy, Spanish
because of the growing Latin American
economies, French as a leader in European policy
and culture, and German as the language of the
largest economy in Europe and a major
destination for Slovenes working abroad. All
these languages are represented in the foreign
teacher project and all these teachers are providing
equally valuable cultural knowledge to the
students in their classes. In fact, if Slovenia is to
reach its greatest potential in the global economy,
the project should be expanded and additional
languages – Asian languages such as Mandarin
Chinese and Japanese, and also Arabic – should
be added. The value of these languages now and
in the future should be obvious. The fact that these
projects require precious funding is the price that
must be paid to ensure a successful future.
In these difficult economic times, it‘s natural that
costs might be cut in a number of programs.
However, the choice of which programs to cut or
reduce must be considered carefully. Programs
that provide important future benefits must be
maintained even in difficult times and it‘s
important to understand why these programs are
beneficial. While the advantage to language
learning that a native speaker brings is obvious,
the cultural and political understanding that
certain native speakers possess is often
overlooked. For these reasons I encourage you to
support the foreign teacher project and ensure its
continuation in the coming years. It is vitally
important to secure funding for this project
quickly and reassure those of us who work in the
project that you understand the value that we
voluntarily bring to your country.
I have appreciated the opportunity to share my
thoughts and experiences with you and I hope you
will consider them with all due seriousness and
urgency.
Thank you,
Laura Lee Jensen
Foreign Teacher of English
Srednja šola Veno Pilon Ajdovščina
Christian P. L. JOHNSTON, Avstralija,
anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Christian P.L.
JOHNSTON
Age: 37
Nationality:
Australian/British
Monash
University
–
Bachelor of Business in
Manufacturing Management.
Work experience
I started my career working as a process engineer at a large
car parts manufacturer, I then moved overseas and worked
at the BBC as an assistant unit manager for their event
programmes. I moved back home and worked in a couple of
importing companies dealing with their finances and internal
processes. I eventually got bored of working behind a desk
and moved into managing a large youth hostel. It was there I
met a Slovenian and then moved here. I have been working
here for nearly three years as a teacher at both Aškerčeva
Gimnazija and Srednja šola za gostinstvo in turizem
Ljubljana.
13
I'm knowledgeable in business practices, finances, investing,
efficiency and process management as well as teaching. Like
most teachers, I'm sociable and have skills in dealing with all
levels of people.
Like many foreign males here, I came to Slovenia to chase a
beautiful woman. I'm now married to a Lidija from Slovenska
Bistrica and we have just moved in to our own house and
have a two week old son named Flinn. Slovenia is a great
little country and I feel very lucky to have found this place
and hope to stay for a while.
Pismo ministru
Dear Dr. Turk,
My name is Christian Johnston and I am one of a
handful of foreign teachers employed here in
Slovenia and I'd like to share something with you.
I went to an exclusive private school, Xavier
College, in Melbourne, Australia. The tuition fee
at Xavier is now AUD$20,615 per annum (18,000
EUR). We had no girls at our school, we wore
blazers and ties, we played compulsory sport
every Saturday against other schools and trained
2-5 times a week to compete in these games. We
were highly competitive, we strove to be like our
usually successful and wealthy parents and we
were expected to do well. All in all I loved school,
I loved the camaraderie, I loved the
competitiveness and I was proud to wear the
uniform.
No other teacher at my school shares the same
school background.
I completed a business degree specialising in
manufacturing management. I worked in a huge
manufacturing company in Australia as a process
engineer. I worked as a ski lift operator in Canada,
I spent one and a half years as the Assistant Unit
Manager of Event Programmes at the BBC in
London and I've worked in business development
and financial roles for medium sized companies in
Australia. I've also run my own tourist business
and managed a large hostel.
No other teacher at my school has shared the same
overseas experience as me.
There is no-one at my school like me. There is noone but me who thinks like an Australian, who has
the background, the life and the experiences that I
have. I am without a doubt the different person,
the unique individual, the outsider, at my school.
So what's good about that?
Well, no-one can offer what I can offer. No-one
has the same information, the same perspective or
the same experiences to share. No-one at my
school is as able as me to correct fluency or is as
knowledgeable as me in using English phrases,
appropriate expressions or slang. No-one can
explain the differences between British, North
American and Australian English as well as me
and when the English teachers are unsure about
something they come to me.
These are the sorts of things that most foreign
teachers add to the classroom. Often this sort of
value is immeasurable but for the sake of proving
my worth with more tangible results here are two
examples of projects I have worked on this year.
* For a 4th year class, I introduced a European
project to the school where we won a prize and
received around 6,000 EUR to take the students to
the European Parliament in Strasbourg. I prepared
the students on topics to discuss with other
students. My students felt very proud of the way
they were able to communicate and said they were
more confident and prepared than students from
other countries. They also loved the free trip and
felt that it complemented their tourism, English,
history, geography and economics subjects.
* For the third year classes, I worked with my
tourism students to upgrade their knowledge of
Ljubljana in English. The objective was for them
to guide a real group of tourists around Ljubljana.
These tourists (real tourists from hostels in
Ljubljana) assessed the performance of my
students and the average grade was more than 4
out of 5.
No other teacher at my school has the same work
background.
The purpose of me at school is not to assist but to
achieve.
I've been to 28 countries and spent nearly seven
years living outside of Australia, predominantly in
Canada, England and Slovenia.
We don't know where this project will take
students in the future but there is already evidence
to show this project is working.
14
Xavier College, the expensive high school I
attended, paid a lot of money to add value to the
education experience. That was what made it a top
school. In 1992 I rowed for my school crew; we
had a fitness trainer and a professional rowing
coach. In the same year the XXV Olympiad were
being held in Barcelona. Three ex students from
my school won Olympic gold medals that year.
Three gold medals in one year from one school;
it's almost unbelievable! What is believable
though is that this couldn't have happened if the
school didn't believe in the added value of
bringing in experts.
Dr. Turk, you yourself said in Brussels this year
that ―we must move forward from the crisis
through knowledge and innovation‖. Without
doubt, this is an innovative project designed to
add value to the students by increasing their
knowledge and opening their minds. If this
programme were cancelled it would show that
things are moving backwards not forwards, and
the students, the schools, the system, deserve
better than this.
Yours sincerely,
Christian Johnston
Ana LAZIĆ-PAUNOVIĆ, Združene
države Amerike, anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Ana LAZIĆ-PAUNOVIĆ
Age: 34
Nationality: Serbian
I was born in Belgrade, Serbia
but I moved to the United States
when I was 16 years old.
After finishing two years of high
school in New York City, I
continued my education at Swarthmore College (where I
majored in Psychology and French Language) and then
Columbia University (where I did graduate work in French
Literature).
I have worked as a French Language Instructor, Librarian,
English and French Language Tutor, Translator, and Foreign
Teacher of English. I have been employed as a Foreign
Teacher in two projects (European Classes and Enriched
Foreign Language Learning) since 2009.
In my free time enjoy reading, cooking, traveling around
Slovenia and abroad, and spending time with my family.
Pismo ministru
Trg komandanta Staneta 4
1000 Ljubljana
Dr. Ţiga Turk
Ministrstvo za izobraţevanje,
znanost, kulturo in šport
Republike Slovenije
Spoštovani minister Turk,
Kot tuja učiteljica Vam ţelim izraziti svojo
zaskrbljenost
glede
nadaljevanja
projekta
obogateno učenje tujega jezika, kjer sodelujem od
leta 2009. Predvsem bi rada z osebnega vidika
predstavila, kaj tuji učitelj doprinese k
slovenskemu šolskemu sistemu. Prepričana sem,
da bi z nadaljevanjem projekta poleg
neposredne/takojšnje koristi za učence in dijake,
izboljšali tudi njihove moţnosti za nadaljnje
izobraţevanje in zaposlovanje v današnjem vedno
bolj tekmovalnem svetu.
Moj cilj, kot tuje učiteljice je, da omogočim
medkulturno razumevanje z ustvarjanjem
(oblikovanjem) smiselnih / pomembnih in
zanimivih učnih ur angleščine ter kroskurikularnih
projektov/dejavnosti. Večina moje pedagogije
temelji ne le na jezikovnem poučevanju, temveč
tudi na osebnih izkušnjah in multikukturnem
ozadju. Glede na to, da sem ţivela in se
izobraţevala v Srbiji in Zdruţenih drţavah
Amerike več kot 15 let, imam precej znanja o
dveh zelo različnih kulturah ter sem seznanjena s
šolskim sistemom v obeh drţavah. Na primer,
med razpravami pri pouku pogostokrat črpam iz
osebnih, ţivljenjskih izkušenj, ko skušam
razloţiti/izpodbijati stereotipe in predsodke, ki se
pojavljajo v oziroma o ameriški, slovenski in
srbski kulturi.
S projektom obogateno učenje tujega jezika mi je
bilo omogočeno, da sem pri poučevanju v celoti
izkoristila/uporabila vse svoje znanje in
zmoţnosti. Kot filologinja z magisterijem iz
umetnosti in filozofije ter diplomo iz francoske
knjiţevnosti, se spoznam tako na področje
jezikovnega poučevanja kot strukturo/sestavo
anglikanskih institucij (Anglophone institutions).
V
domeni/na
področju
knjiţevnosti
in
analize/ocene,
mi
je
bilo
v
veliko
zadovoljstvo/veselje poučevati/usmerjati učence
in dijake k boljšemu razumevanju ameriške
zgodovine in kulture z razpravami o knjiţevnosti,
kot na primer pred kratkim, ko smo preučevali
klasiko ameriških novel To Kill a Mockingbird od
Harperja Lee-ja. Zahvaljujoč prejšnjim pobudam s
strani Ministrstva za izobraţevanje, sem imela
15
priloţnost svetovati in pomagati učencem in
dijakom, ki so se prijavili za izobraţevanje v
tujini. Poleg tega sem spremljala skupino učencev
in dijakov v New York, kjer sem ţivela 11 let,
prav tako pa sem usmerjala učence in dijake pri
izdelovanju
samostojnih
raziskovalnih
esejev/nalog v angleščini, katero znanje jim bo
prav gotovo prišlo prav pri nadaljnjem
izobraţevanju oziroma študiranju, tako v Sloveniji
kot v tujini.
Iskreno upam, da se bo ministrstvo še naprej
zavedalo koristnosti/pomembnosti tujih učiteljev
za slovenske učence in dijake ter da bo finančno
podpiralo
projekt,
ki
omogoča/zagotavlja
zaposlitev tujim učiteljem v slovenskem šolskem
sistemu. Naše pedagoške metode in raznoliki
kulturni vidiki pomagajo prispevati k bogatenju,
ţivahnosti ter tudi primernosti/ustreznosti
slovenskega šolskega sistema.
S spoštovanjem,
Denis MAJZELJ, Kanada, anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Denis MAJZELJ
Age: 38
I was born in Halmilton,
Ontario, Canada. I completed a
Bachelor of Arts Degree at the
University of Western Ontario,
Canada in 1996. Later, I
finished
a
TEFL
Diploma/English Grammar Certificate. Upon my arrival in
Slovenia, I completed a Slovene Language Course at the
University of Ljubljana
I have worked at a variety of Language schools in Slovenia.
From 1997 – 2002, I worked as the Native Speaker English
Teacher at the Business High School Ljubljana. From 2004 –
2008, I worked in the same capacity at High School Center
Rudolf Maister Kamnik. During the current school year, I
have been working at Primary School Gabrovka/Dole
I understand and speak Slovene language. Additionally, I
possess a passive knowledge of French, Serbian and
Croatian. I am computer literate and have an active
knowledge of Business English.
My hobbies and interests include volleyball, soccer, skiing,
golf and travelling.
Integrating a Foreign Teacher in the Slovenian
Education System
It is in my opinion that there is added value in
integrating a foreign teacher in the Slovenian
Education System. First and foremost I am
currently part of the Enriched Foreign Language
Project and have been part of many other projects
in different schools across Slovenia.
My
experience in these projects has been very positive
and working with the students has been very
rewarding. The added value has been shown
through the ―concrete‖ ability of students to use a
foreign language (in this case English) to reflect
their ideas and communicate their acquired
knowledge to different target groups. The target
groups could include students who are their own
age from different countries or other educators
looking to integrate other projects from other
countries with schools in Slovenia.
When any course in the curriculum is given as a
constituent of foreign language lessons in primary
school educations, children will gain multiple
benefits such as developed content awareness and
meaningful second/foreign language learning. In
retrospect, I have prepared many students for the
Matura (final exam) and offered them the
opportunity to prepare for the FCE examination. I
have to say that more than 95% of my students did
exceptional on the Matura exam and all of them
who registered for the FCE examination passed
with flying colours. These are just some of the
concrete ―added value‖ methods that do reflect the
positive aspects of integrating a foreign teacher in
the Slovenian Education System.
In today‘s global world it is important to integrate
the four language skills e.g., speaking, listening,
reading, and writing) within the teaching
profession. As a result, more and more foreign
language educators must emphasize an integrated
curriculum. In other words, most teachers should
recognize that the four language skills support
each other and are found together in real-life
language use. In addition, most pedagogues call
for the integration of all four skills by
emphasizing the over-arching construct of culture.
In my opinion, culture ties language skills and use
together into a more coherent curriculum. Due to
these reasons, I feel that integrating a foreign
teacher in the Slovenian language system would
only be a win-win situation.
Pismo ministru
16
Nicole R. SCHMIDT, Združene države
Name & Surname:
Nicole Renae
SCHMIDT
Age: 24
Nationality:
American
As a Kansas girl who loves
a good adventure, I
stumbled across Slovenia
on a trip through Europe a few years ago. Since that
time, I have spent a few good hours creating ways to
come back to learn more about this extraordinary
country and continue a great journey.
The same creativity that has helped me return a few
times to Slovenia has been invaluable to me as a
teacher. I have a vast set of teaching experiences,
starting as a laboratory instructor for biology classes at
the University of Kansas, where I completed a degree
in Biology Education and am in the process of
completing a Master's in the same field. As a student I
was invited to give lectures and had a
developing/teaching role in the Human Anatomy Labs.
Additionally, I completed two internships as a science
teacher in both rural and urban settings. I am having a
blast teaching English here... I no longer see myself as
a teacher of biology, but a teacher of kids.
If I am not in school, I am cycling around the hills of
Radovljica where I live and work, teaching kids how to
play Ultimate Frisbee, baking American treats, or
writing short stories. At school, I am directing a spoof of
Cinderella called 'Cinderella and the Glass Copat',
teaching a science club and a creative writing class. I
wish I could say that I was a talented musician (and
everyone who hears me sing probably wishes that as
well), but I know only a few notes on the guitar and sing
horribly out of tune. This does not prevent me from
singing the songs I have created for biology and
certainly will not dissuade me from doing so in the
future.
Pismo ministru
Nicole Schmidt
OŠ A. T. Linharta, Radovljica
Respected Minister of Education, Science, Culture
and Sport,
I am really happy to be writing this letter to you,
first to thank you for the opportunity that I have
had to teach English in Slovenia with the Enriched
Foreign Language Learning Project (EFLL), and
secondly to express my hope that this very notable
project will continue into the coming years.
During the 2011-2012 academic year I joined the
EFLL project at Osnovna Šola Antona Tomaţa
Linharta. Since that time, I have come to believe
that I work for one of the most beneficial, efficient
and innovative educational programs that
currently exist. Not only do kids improve
magnitudes in their listening fluency while
simultaneously building their confidence in
speaking, but I have seen how the school staff has
embraced some new ideas and welcomed cultural
differences. I can say with confidence that the
project has been, though not utterly free of
hiccups, a positive experience for all of the
students, teachers, and staff involved.
I learned quite a bit about good pedagogy and
practices during my time studying education and
biology at the University of Kansas, the
University currently ranked #18 in the U.S.A. for
its School of Education. I can say with some
experience that there are a remarkable number of
good teaching practices at work within the EFLL.
For example, research demonstrates the value of
team-teaching in almost every subject (see articles
such as ‗‘Research on the Effects of Team
Teaching upon Two Secondary School Teachers‘‘
published in 2006). Team-teaching is the
foundation of the EFLL project! Students have a
really fantastic opportunity to be in a classroom
where two teachers are present and each has a role
and responsibility to all students‘ education as
well as a different set of expertise. Of course
every teacher has a different style- I see that in my
job as I work with many different personalities.
However, there is a general thread that most
teachers have in common as they have been
trained within the same system. This project
introduces something new which may not be
‗‘better‘‘ but adds variety that caters to each
individual learner. In doing so, the project works
to improve the overall quality of education by
enabling the whole school to put checkpoints on
each other.
The EFLL project is truly unique in that it makes
use of qualified teachers as whole individuals and
not merely as a teacher of the target language.
Foreign teachers are encouraged to be
ambassadors of their national culture as well as
their personal culture. There is extreme value
17
added in this way. For example, I was trained as a
biology teacher, but have a lot of experience with
theater and ultimate Frisbee. The school and
students have been able to know me as each of
these things and we have started programs where
students that share similar interests explore that
interest in the target language. The evidence is in
the numbers here- students are not always willing
to come to extra activities, especially in English.
However, if the language is mixed with something
that hooks the students and makes use of the
foreign teachers‘ additional value, students come.
At my school, we have started a laboratory-based
science club, a school play in English, and a
creative writing class. Enrollment is exceptional.
Some of the other foreign teachers have film
clubs, art classes, even a philosophical debate
class. All of these classes serve multiple purposes!
Students practice language, culture and the focal
subject with teachers who are experts in their
native countries. Although this is not a formal
class, we also have a Frisbee club which includes
nearly all of the weaker students of English. I
could not stop this club if I wanted to- students
literally surround me in the hall asking when we
will play next. It does not seem to matter that they
have to speak English and practice good
sportsmanship.
I also do not want this project to fail. I understand
that there are big cuts being made to the
educational funds and that the situation is not
good in schools anywhere. However I also
understand that the Enriched Foreign Language
Learning project is not something that can be
‗covered‘ in another way. It is truly unique and
provides amazing edge to learning a foreign
language: It gives content-based learning, extra
teacher resources, fresh cultural perspectives, and
measurable added value all in one cohesive whole.
Perhaps the greatest value of this project is the
most difficult to measure with numbers. Students
are quick to welcome change and the presence of
a native speaker immediately legitimizes language
learning as it puts the result of their hard work
right in front of them. During my school day, I
most look forward the two breaks where students
flock to me in the hallways. Even now, in May, I
find myself still surrounded by kids who are
looking forward to telling me something about
their weekends or showing me something from
their lives- and this is one place where students
never speak first in Slovene. Their excitement to
speak with me trumps any possible lack of
confidence.
Name &
Surname:
William TOMFORD
Age: 29
Nationality:
American
Recently, I asked the students in my 8th grade
creative writing class to write mock letters to
express how much they like being a part of the
project. Of course they had their fair share of silly
things like ‗‘Miss Nicole is really cool‘‘ but they
also expressed their satisfaction and delight with
the project in nearly perfect English. ‗‘I think that
this project is great, because we sometimes
hear/learn things we wouldn‘t have, but because
of them, we have… I don‘t want this project to
fail.‘‘
Do ask if you would like to hear any other
experiences, see examples of students‘ work, or
perhaps come to see a school play in English. The
members of my theater club cordially invite you
to Cinderella and the Glass Copat, a show written
by Ms. Nicole but enthusiastically added to by the
bright students at Osnovna Šola Antona Tomaţa
Linharta. We would be delighted to see you there.
With respect,
Nicole Schmidt
tel. 041 306 179, e-pošta: schmnic@gmail.com
William TOMFORD, Združene države
Call me Will. Every
biography like this has to
start with a literary allusion,
so now that that Moby Dick
stuff is out of the way, let
me really introduce myself.
I was born in a small town outside of Boston, United States,
and grew up a little closer to the city. Although Boston was
my home for the first 15 or so years of my life, I now consider
it one home, and not necessarily my only home, as in the
intervening years I have lived in Nashville (during my
studies), and in Austria and Slovenia (for my work after my
studies).
During my final year in high school I lived and studied in
Germany, which instilled in me a passion for the German
language and culture (and linguistic and cultural studies in
general), and after that I studied in the United States to
complete a bachelor's degree in English and German
Literature.
18
Missing the lifestyle in Europe, I moved to Austria after my
studies, and worked in a technical high school there before
moving to Slovenia. For the past two and a half years I have
worked in a grammar school in Kranj and have made my
home here in Ljubljana.
When I'm not teaching, I enjoy hiking in the Slovenian Alps;
cooking with fresh ingredients from the Ljubljana market; and
reading and writing.
Pismo ministru
Slovenian Ministry
Culture, and Sport
of
Education,
Science,
Dear Sir:
Added value. It‘s a phrase that you hear often at
the foreign teachers‘ meetings at Zavod; as in,
how do we bring added value as foreign teachers
into the Slovenian classrooms?, or how do we
prove that we are, in fact, added value? On the
surface I can point to a number of examples that
seem to justify this quite easily: as target-culture
ambassadors we enrich and challenge students‘
understanding of the places where these foreign
languages are spoken; as native speakers we
provide
authentic
conversation
and
communication situations; and as a diverse group
of people with myriad educational backgrounds,
we bring a variety of pedagogic and critical
approaches into the classrooms.
And yet these clearly advantageous points don‘t
quite capture—for me, at least—the real value
part of the added value. The word value itself
hints at something greater, perhaps something less
tangible that can readily be seen in the thousands
of creative lessons and small group discussions
that the foreign teachers in Slovenia have already
created up to this point. The true value lies in
cultural context and diversity. As we have seen in
the past two years, the battles of the future—in
politics and society, but also in education—will be
against myopia, xenophobia, and ignorance.
Today more than ever, it‘s not only important for
young people to learn languages to communicate,
but also to open their minds to new ways of
thinking through cultural understanding, world
literature, and critical thinking. And the foreign
teacher, by presenting his culture and language for
students to learn about, fosters this kind of
education. The foreign teacher is then valuable,
not only because he‘s authentic, but also because
he‘s different.
On a side note, I would like to briefly address the
issue of the job position of the foreign teacher in
relation to our Slovenian colleagues. It's clear that
we aren't on the same ―level‖ as Slovenian
teachers, which, as some critics might point out, is
problematic. Students don't pay as much attention
to the foreign teacher, or they don't take him
seriously, because he doesn't have the ultimate
power over their marks. Now there are two
important responses to that issue: first of all,
there‘s a logical reason why the foreign teacher
shouldn‘t be on the same level as the Slovene
teacher. Students approach the foreign teacher
with less hesitation and reservation, and that‘s
useful in language and cultural education. And
secondly, through the technique of team teaching,
which is the most commonly employed method of
teaching with foreign teachers, students have the
benefit of the Slovene-pedagogic background of
the Slovene teacher, and the culture- and
diversity-based attributes of the foreign language
teacher at the same time.
The added value of foreign teachers is then multifold. There is the proven record in extensive
documentation and testimonies from thousands of
teachers and pupils in Slovenia, and then there is
the more metaphysical value of a diverse group of
foreign teachers—from six continents, no less—
who are striving to teach more open-minded,
thoughtful, and respectful students. I sincerely
hope that you will continue to fund this project, as
its value is just coming to fruition and will be
needed even more in the future.
Sincerely,
Will Tomford
Amresh Prakash TORUL, Mauritius,
anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Amresh Prakash
TORUL
Age: 28
Nationality:
Mauritian
I was born on the island of
Mauritius, where we speak
English (the official language),
French and Mauritian Creole. I
was born in a Hindu family, which is why I also learned Hindi
at primary school.
My family back home consists of my parents and only
brother, Avneesh, who is 21. While my father works for the
meteorological services, my mother is a Deputy Head
19
Teacher. As a matter of fact, there are many teachers in my
extended family, but I had no idea that I would be teaching in
Slovenia one day.
I have always been passionate about computers and
technology, so it was of little surprise for my parents when I
decided to enrol in an I.T. degree course after completing my
A level. By the time I was 23, I had completed a degree in
Computer Science with the University of South Africa
(UNISA) and also a professional degree with the British
Computer Society (BCS). In December 2007, shortly after
getting married, I moved to England with my Slovenian wife,
Tjaša, and worked in the IT industry for 3 years.
Then, in April 2010, due to work permit complications, we
decided it was better to move to Slovenia. Luckily, things
were more straightforward for me here. I got my residence
and work permit in August 2010 and started to work as a
Foreign Teacher as from October 2010. I still remember the
day when I was signing my first contract at Vegova Ljubljana,
which is a Secondary School for Computer Science and
Electronics. I remember my coordinator saying to me: “You
were our favourite candidate because of your expertise”. At
that time, I was not sure what she meant because the
concept of the project was still very new to me and I thought I
was only going to teach English. Now, as my second year in
the project nears its end, I can say I am very satisfied with
my involvement, which includes the development of
professional literacy and intercultural education.
Most people do not believe me when I tell them that I only
sleep about 3 to 4 hours per night, on average. I usually
spend a lot of time during the weekdays preparing materials
from scratch. Thankfully, weekends are easier and in my
spare time, I like to go out with my wife and enjoy the
beautiful Slovenian landscape, food and wine. I also like to
watch English football on TV and have been supporting
Manchester United FC since childhood. I really miss
watching English football with English commentary. A lot of
people ask me “how do you feel in Slovenia?”. I usually reply:
“I feel great, but the language is challenging for me”. And
then they ask me whether I will stay here forever, my answer
usually is “I never thought I would be here in the first place,
so it is difficult to say yes”.
I now live in Cerknica, with my wife, with her family living on
the first floor. Obviously, I experienced a number of cultural
differences here, but with time, we managed to work on them
together and things are better now.
I really enjoy being a Foreign Teacher, even if we do not get
enough credit for what we do. For me, however, the only
thing that matters is that students benefit from my work with
them. It is gratifying when a student comes and thanks me
for an interesting lesson. I would like to keep this job for as
long as I get this kind of feedback from students. Like all
Foreign Teachers, I hope the project goes on, but regardless
of its future, I would like to thank the team at Zavod for their
continuous support. We would not be here without them.
Pismo ministru
Amresh Prakash Torul
Foreign Teacher (English)
Vegova LJ
The Honourable Ţiga Turk, Ph.D
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport
Republic of Slovenia
Dear Minister Turk,
I am writing to share my experiences as a Foreign
Teacher at Vegova LJ and SŠTS Šiška, which will
highlight the added value that I bring to the
education of students at my schools. Since the
future of this project is uncertain due to the
economic crisis, I am sure that the decision
whether to continue financing it is a tough one. I
hope that my letter will help you in some form or
the other in making your decision.
My background
I am a 28 years old male, born on the island of
Mauritius, where we speak English (the official
language), French and Mauritian Creole. At the
age of 23, I completed a degree in Computer
Science and moved to England where I worked in
the IT industry for 3 years. Then, in April 2010, I
moved to Slovenia with my wife, who is
Slovenian. 4 months after, I started to work as a
Foreign Teacher. I still remember the day when I
was signing my first contract at Vegova LJ. I
remember my coordinator saying to me: ―You
were our favourite candidate because of your
expertise‖. At that time, I was not sure what she
meant because the concept of this project was still
very new to me and I thought I was only going to
teach English.
My work as a Foreign Teacher for English
Language
As my second year in the project nears its end, I
am now perfectly positioned to tell you about my
job at Vegova LJ and SŠTS Šiška.
Being an IT professional with a strong technical
background, I fit very well in the school
programme since my schools focus on technical
subjects. Slovenian students are taught
professional subjects in Slovene, which serves
them well in the country. But the world is now a
global village, and foreign investment and
migration of workers are so common that there is
a need for workers to be fully literate in English
for general use and especially for their specific
field of study.
20
My key role at school is therefore to develop the
professional literacy of students in English. I
focus on subjects like Computer Science,
Electronics, Mechatronics and Renewable Energy
Sources. My job involves helping students
develop their technical vocabulary through the use
of selected professional text in English. I work in
close collaboration with regular English teachers
and Slovenian teachers of professional subjects in
order to determine the requirements and needs of
students. I then develop my own authentic
material with specific goals in mind. The material
that I use is fully customised for my students and I
have received very positive feedback from them
in my time at the school. This project attaches a
lot of importance to evaluation and we regularly
seek feedback through questionnaires filled by
students. On many occasions, students have told
me that it is great to have an IT professional
trained in the English medium. They understand
that their English teachers have been trained for a
different subject and that their non-language
teachers do not possess the English language
skills that I do. It has been established at both
schools that I stand somewhere in between the
English language department and the professional
subjects. This link is crucial if a school is to carry
out an interdisciplinary curriculum. Apart from
the development of technical vocabulary, I also
work on students‘ technical writing abilities like
technical abstracts in English, reports, articles and
blogs. I also help enhance the presentation
techniques of seminar work and shooting of
videos in English.
The other aspect of my job as a Foreign Teacher is
intercultural education. Being someone who has
lived for 23 years in Mauritius, 4 years in the UK
and 2 years in Slovenia, I have considerable living
experience abroad which can be put to use in the
English class. Culture and language are closely
related. English language is connected to British
culture to a large extent, which I am very familiar
with. Many cultural aspects in Mauritius are also
very close to those in Britain, because it was a
British colony. I have also lived and worked in the
UK. Add to that the fact that I was born and raised
a Hindu, my presence in the English class adds a
unique intercultural dimension to the class. I
believe this applies to all foreign teachers in the
project, whether they are Mauritian, British,
American or French. Just having someone from a
different culture offers endless opportunities for
discussion, debates, comparisons and reflections
on cultural differences and how they are
connected to language.
At Vegova LJ, for 2 years now, I have been
heavily involved in an exchange programme with
a Dutch school. The programme focusses on
group work, intercultural awareness and social
skills. I have individual lessons with selected
students involved in the exchange throughout the
academic year. During those lessons, we
concentrate on topics like cultural differences and
how to deal with them, manners, presenting
Slovenia to foreigners and I also prepare the
students for all the activities related to the
exchange programme. The Dutch students spend
one week in Slovenia, and our students go there
for a week too. I accompanied Vegova students to
the Netherlands in both years that I have been at
the school. I am the editor of a blog site specially
dedicated to the exchange programme. I am
responsible to maintain the site and gather and
post materials from students‘ activities. Materials
include trip reports, PowerPoint presentations,
photo reports and preparatory work ahead of the
exchange. All topics are connected to the English
curriculum and students receive grades for their
performance in some of the tasks. You are
welcome to take a look at our blog site:
http://vegovaexchange1.wordpress.com/
At SŠTS Šiška, I am currently involved in the
early phase of a project which will focus on
sharing of information and experiences with
another school. Using an online collaboration
website called ePals, we have selected a German
school with Mechatronics students. Our aim is to
connect the two schools and create a partnership
which will help both sets of students to share
ideas and there will also be possibilities to visit
each other and collaborate in groups during the
project week at Šiška. The students are very
excited about such projects and they are motivated
to come to my individual lessons at the school,
where we are currently preparing presentations
about Slovenia, to be shown to the German
students.
Additional ambitious goals like the ones described
at both schools simply cannot be achieved at high
levels in the regular English lessons. But they are
still important and I think, in this respect, my
schools benefit a lot from having a Foreign
Teacher. My colleagues from the English
department have said on several occasions that
they would not be able to achieve all those goals
on their own because of time constraints. They are
too busy sorting out the grades of students and
performing other administrative tasks. They also
agreed that simply interacting with the Foreign
Teacher on a daily basis help students practise
21
English speaking skills in authentic settings and
help develop their level of interaction with
foreigners.
Sir, I hope that my letter has given you a deep
insight into my personal involvement in this
project. Being an IT specialist yourself, I am sure
you understand and appreciate the importance of
being able to express your professional knowledge
in English, in today‘s world. The Foreign
Teachers project consists of many talented foreign
individuals of different professional background
and talent, who can contribute a lot to this new
Slovenian generation. We are continuously trained
by Ms. Katja Pavlič Škerjanc and team on new
teaching techniques in language and intercultural
education. This project is really one where
knowledge is delivered using innovative
approaches to education. As you rightly said
yourself in Brussels, on February 21: “We must
move forward from the crisis through knowledge
and innovation”.
I thank you for your time to consider my letter and
wish you all the best in these difficult times.
Yours faithfully,
Amresh Prakash Torul
Benjamin
anglešĉina
TWEEDIE,
Avstralija,
Name & Surname:
Benjamin TWEEDIE
Age: 36
Nationality: Australian
I am a Brisbane boy, born-andbred. I am a qualified Physics
and Information Technology
teacher who worked for 2 years
as a secondary school teacher
in a small town called Nanango
– a rural area about 2 hours’ drive inland from Brisbane,
Australia.
I spent the next 7 years as a uniformed Education Officer in
the Australian Regular Army, rising to the rank of 'Major'.
During this time, I taught soldiers literacy and numeracy
skills, maths and physics; designed, developed and validated
training programs that were aligned with national
competencies; and worked as an instructional designer,
project manager and as an Officer Commanding.
Additionally, I completed post-graduate qualifications in
Information Technology and Educational Multimedia as well
as a CELTA. I am currently completing a Master of Arts in
Linguistics (by distance learning).
I have lived in Slovenia since 2008. My reason for living and
working in Slovenia is due to the fact that I moved to Europe
to be closer to my (now) wife. Whilst my wife is not Slovene,
we decided to live in Slovenia since it provided minimal
'culture shock' to me and was within reasonable distance of
her family; our son (who is now 2 years old) was born in
Kranj.
Since my arrival I have been employed as a foreign teacher
in different projects coordinated by the National Education
Institute of Slovenia working at OŠ Trnovo, OŠ Antona
Tomaţa Linharta Radovljica, CIRIUS Kamnik and at the
project level at the Institute.
I am a keen musician and singer; I play the trombone and
piano accordion. I enjoy watching cricket and rugby too. I like
to cook, but have found that some ingredients are difficult to
obtain in Slovenia, especially my favourite Australian food
'Vegemite'.
I Am (Almost) Slovenian
Arranged by Ben Tweedie
I came to Slovenia to experience a different life.
My girlfriend was a local and now she’s my wife.
I’ve adapted to the culture. I close doors to avoid the draft.
I hike. I bake potica and go to Bovec on a raft.
I'm asked “How can you work here when you don't speak Slovene?”
My reply is “I'm not employed here as a translation machine.
I’m here for my added value, working in intercultural teams.
To help children realise all their multilingual dreams.”
I come from the land down under so I sound a little weird.
I left behind the crocs and sharks and even shed my beard.
At first, no one understood me, my accent was to blame.
Now they realise all English-speakers don’t have to sound the same.
We may be foreign, but we are friendly.
And from a range of cultures we come.
We share a dream to enrich language learning.
I am, you are, we are (almost) Slovenian.
When I first arrived, the children thought that my skin was painted
on.
They asked if they could touch me to test if they were wrong.
We drew some art, we sang, we danced. We played the Zambian
drum.
Now they know underneath we’re all the same and I’m no longer
glum.
The children think I'm American, but they are so wrong.
I’m actually from Ontario; I haven’t been in country long.
I like ice hockey, snow-boarding too and having outdoor fun.
They now know without a problem that I am Canadian.
I am an EU citizen, irrespective of my race.
I speak quite good Slovene language, don’t forget the 5th case.
I’m French; I’m Spanish, Portuguese, German and even Italian.
Those of us from the United Kingdom now understand Slovenian.
We may be foreign, but we are friendly.
And from a range of cultures we come.
We share a dream to enrich language learning.
I am, you are, we are (almost) Slovenian.
22
Pismo ministru
Dear Sir,
The purpose of this letter is to provide a
justification for the continuing employment of
foreign teachers within the Slovene school
system. I have worked as a foreign teacher in
Slovenia since February 2007. During this time I
have worked at both the school-level (primary and
secondary) and the Institute level (where I am
currently employed); therefore, I am confident I
have the requisite project-related experience to
provide a reasoned argument.
Firstly, the OUTJ project has demonstrated that
the partnering of foreign and Slovene teachers in
intercultural teams affords an 'added value' which
cannot be exploited solely by Slovene language
teachers. The 'added value' is that foreign
teachers:
- can provide additional contextualisation,
authenticity and cultural-specific perspectives;
- are better-suited to facilitate the development
of professional and technical literacy since
many are also qualified teachers of nonlanguage subjects; and
- are more likely to implement innovative
approaches to foreign language teaching since
they are less-constrained by the curriculum.
Secondly, the incorporation of foreign teachers
within the OUTJ project assists schools to either
fulfil or partially fulfil the four long-term strategic
objectives of European Union's education and
training policies1, namely:
- making lifelong learning and mobility a
reality;
- improving the quality and efficiency of
education and training;
- promoting equity, social cohesion and active
citizenship; and
- enhancing creativity and innovation, including
entrepreneurship, at all levels of education
and training.
Lastly, I have included my attempt to encapsulate
the added value and experiences of the foreign
teacher cohort in an innovative manner.
Consequently, I have re-written the lyrics for the
song ―I Am Australian‖ by the Seekers.
Yours faithfully,
Benjamin Tweedie
1
http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learningpolicy/framework_en.htm
Steve ZULU, ZAMBIJA, anglešĉina
Name & Surname:
Stephen Moses ZULU
Age: 29
Nationality: Zambian
I am a 29-year-old fully trained
primary school teacher, with a
degree from Kitwe Teacher’s
Training College in Zambia. I
also obtained my primary and
secondary education in this
beautiful landlocked country. I always dreamt of becoming a
teacher, since working with the future generations fills me up
with hope and gives me positive energy.
I have been living in Slovenia since 2007, when I moved here
together with my Slovenian wife. We met while we were
working on a project called Children’s Town, which provides
education, training and shelter to ex-street children and
vulnerable children from Zambian rural areas. I gained
precious experience during my 2-year work in this school. I
was also a Scout Leader and a Choir Master. I taught my
children drama, which was an excellent way for them to
express their sometimes suppressed emotions. Prior to
Children’s Town, I had done my teacher training in a small
and rural school in Keembe, Zambia. In addition, I completed
a course which allowed me to work as a peer educator HIV/AIDS advocate. This was voluntary work and our duty
was to educate people on the preventive measures and to
campaign against stigma attached to HIV/AIDS patients.
After living in rural areas and working sometimes with few
resources and in harsh conditions, my wife and I moved to
the Zambian capital – Lusaka, where I taught in a private
primary school Cuddle Care. My hard work was not left
unnoticed, so I was given a position of a deputy headmaster.
I gained invaluable experience in this urban primary school,
which I could apply when I started teaching in Slovenia.
I have worked as a foreign teacher in Cerklje Primary school
for almost four years now, and I believe that my presence
has made a difference in many ways. I strive to teach
children about my country’s culture and heritage and I always
tackle multi-cultural issues. In the past year and half, I have
also been working in Orehek Primary School in Kranj, where
I have been able to apply the good practices that we have
developed together with some very devoted teachers in
Cerklje.
I am a keen sportsman, have black belt in karate and I also
train children at school. I love music, play the guitar, the
keyboards and the drums. I am also interested in media
education and film editing.
I enjoy working with children and teens as it inspires me and
gives me hope for the future.
Pismo ministru - Refleksija
23
Having reflected on my four years of working on
this project, I would like to stress that I am
thoroughly pleased with the developmental
changes that have occurred as the result of my
work at school. In this report I would like to
explain and describe some of the areas I feel I
have contributed to.
Firstly, I would like to point out that my work in
Slovenian schools (the main school and the
partner school) as a foreign teacher has helped to
improve cooperation and team-work amongst the
Slovene teachers. Before my arrival, team
teaching had only been carried out by teachers
from the lower grades; however, due to the nature
of my work, teachers from almost all school levels
and subjects had to become engaged into team
teaching. Team planning, team teaching and team
evaluation are now conducted smoothly without
any major hindrances. Teachers have developed
the flexibility to allow new approaches of
teaching from different teaching culture, and the
foreign teacher is not regarded as an assistant but
rather a co-teacher with the same responsibility as
the home teacher. In addition, I believe that my
cooperation with other schools has also
strengthened the relationship between our school
and those I visited or cooperated with.
Secondly, I have been very active in providing
materials related to the topic of the lesson. These
include power point presentations and hand-outs,
which have been very helpful during our lessons
with teachers of other subjects, such as
geography, history and physics.
Most importantly, I believe that my presence as a
foreign teacher in a Slovenian school has
improved foreign language fluency of the pupils. I
noticed that pupils have good knowledge of
English that they acquired during their regular
English lessons, however, they have little chance
of using it in real life, since most of their peers
and people around them speak in their mother
tongue (Slovene). I therefore think my presence at
school offered everyone a great opportunity to
speak and use their English, as children have been
constantly exposed to an English speaking person,
and they utilise their knowledge of the foreign
language. My patience in listening to points they
wanted to put forward before correcting their
mistakes has helped them to gain a lot of
confidence and competence in using the foreign
language. Pupils whom I have accompanied on
school excursions have had an excellent
opportunity to express themselves in English and
even the shy ones use and communicate in a
foreign language. Some pupils said to me that
they use a lot of English when they are with me,
and this indicated the importance of my presence
at their school, and proved that one of the
principal objectives of our project has been
attained.
Further, during my team teaching lessons with
sports teachers, many pupils have discovered their
talents in karate. As my extra curriculum lesson, I
have been teaching karate twice a week, and the
attendance of pupils has been even. During our
karate lessons, students used only English for
communication, which helped to boost their
language fluency.
Furthermore, I believe that I have also managed to
achieve one of the project objectives in
connection to cultural diversity and tolerance. I
have thoroughly presented my culture to the
students and they have also been eager to teach
me their own as well. Students were flexible to
perform my cultural plays on stage, which shows
great tolerance to other cultures. At the beginning,
students had their own ideas about culture and
life-style of my homeland, but from an
assessment, I have noticed that they have
developed a different view of life in Zambia. My
presence at the school has helped to break down
some of the stereotypes students and teachers had
about Africa.
Academically, we have been carrying out mini
projects connected to different topics in various
subjects. We have made African masks and
carried out pottery project with art teachers in
both my main and partner schools. We have had
music and performances with the music teacher,
and made Zambian musical instrument (kalimba)
with technical studies teacher, to name just a few.
All these mini projects proved to be beneficial to
the learners and the entire school, as they
reviewed different cultural perspectives connected
to areas tackled. As a professional teacher, I have
shared and presented different approaches to
learning, and different methods of problem
solving. For example in Mathematics I presented
different methods of solving problems in addition,
subtraction, division and multiplication, which
was new to the learners. Grade six students were
amazed to see a different method in calculation,
which gave them the same answer as obtained
using the method taught by their own teacher at
the end.
To conclude, I truly believe that my working at
this school has had great added values to students,
24
and enabled them to gain a deeper insight into
distant cultures and lifestyle of African, in
particular Zambian people. Furthermore, due to
constant exposure to English language (during
their English and other subjects) pupils noticeably
improved their English language fluency and
gained additional confidence in speaking.
Last but not least, I would also stress that apart
from the above mentioned points, I think it‘s not
common to have teachers of African origin in a
Slovenian primary school, and I believe that my
presence improved cultural tolerance and racial
acceptance in pupils.
From my experience in this project I would say,
this project is extremely beneficial to students
and, if given chance, I would recommend it for
schools in my home country as well.
the whole students to improve their foreign language skills
and for foreigners to learn German). I also had a few lessons
with students as French lector in the department for Roman
languages.
From 2001 to 2003, I worked in an association to pay my rent
and otherwise worked as French teacher in the French
Institute with adults, in the Third Age University with retired
people, in schools with pupils. I also gave some private
lessons to pupils. During 2003-2004, I worked as French
assistant in Gimnazija Vič, in different private language
school and in the Third Age University. I also gave a few
private lessons to pupils from other high schools. During
2004-2005, I worked as a visiting teacher for French in
Gimnazija Vič and once a week in Gimnazija Beţigrad for the
International Bachelor’s pupils. During 2005-2012, I worked
as teacher for European classes and as French teacher for
the International Bachelor in Gimnazija Beţigrad During
2011-2012, I work as foreign French teacher in gimnazija
Ledina and Gimnazija Beţigrad.
Caroline le CHATAL, FRANCIJA,
francošĉina
Name & Surname:
Caroline le CHATAL
Age: 36
Nationality: French
I was born in Nantes, France.
My parents live near Nantes in
a little town where I went to
school.
After
my
»baccalauréat« in 1994, I first
studied for two years (“D.E.U.G.”) at the university of Nantes
German and English. During the third year (“licence”), I
specialized in German and went studying two semesters in
Germany to improve my German knowledge with the really
last scholarship given from the “Collège franco-allemand”.
From March 1997 to February 1998, I lived two semesters in
Rostock, in the ex-Eastern Germany, on the coast of the
Baltic Sea, where I finished my third year (“licence”) and
began my fourth year (“maîtrise”). Back to France, I tried
vainly (due to a professor) to finish my fourth year. Meantime,
I applied to study French as a foreign language in Nantes,
was accepted and studied this other fourth year (“maîtrise”).
1998-1999, I passed all the exams in Nantes. 1999-2000, I
did my practical work as a teacher for French as a foreign
language in Rostock where I had a scholarship of the Robert
Bosch foundation to promote the French language in the
university. Coming back to Nantes for a few weeks, I finished
my fourth year (“maîtrise”) in September 2000.
Work experience
From 1999 to 2001, I got the scholarship of the Robert
Bosch foundation to promote the French language in the
university in Rostock. I worked with students in the
“Sprachenzentrum” (a language institute of the university, for
In Rostock, I organized two years long once a month a
meeting between German and foreign students who wanted
to speak French. We met in a bar and just talked about
everything. In also organized a French evening with some
culinary specialities and a short program. In Ljubljana, I
organized for 6 years long (2004-20010) a meeting to give
Slovene people the opportunity to speak French and for
French people to talk and meet Slovene people, for them to
exchange about everything in French language. It took place
once a month in a bar.
I speak French, German, Slovene and English, learnt Latin in
the highschool and one year during my second stay in
Germany. I like practising sport, taking pictures and cooking.
I have also a little garden which gives me a lot of work and
joy!
I lived 5 years in Germany where I had good friends, but no
professional future. However, I worked in different places
(also during the same day), but I had some health problems
due to the stress.
Then, I decided to leave Germany, couldn’t go back to
France (bad conditions to work as teacher for French as a
foreign language), but wanted to stay abroad and in Europe.
The few new republics just born from the old Yugoslavia
interested me about their geographical relief, culture, habits
and language. Slovenia was one of them, still very close to
western Europe but also close to eastern and south-eastern
Europe.
In a newsletter for French teacher on internet, I found an ad
for a job as French assistant in high schools in Slovenia, sent
my application and was accepted in the program. Then, I had
four months to finish my work in Germany, leave my friends,
move back to France, signed contracts to get a work permit
on time, have a break and move to Slovenia where I have
already lived for 8 years.
25
Pismo ministru
Les professeurs étrangers apportent beaucoup au
système scolaire slovène, aux établissements
scolaires où ils travaillent et surtout aux élèves
avec lesquels ils progressent sur le chemin de la
connaissance. Mais est-ce qu‘ils sont vraiment
nécessaires? Nous essaierons de répondre à cette
question en traitant des avantages de la présence
du professeur étranger au niveau des écoles, puis
au niveau externe.
La présence d‘un professeur étranger dans une
école ou un lycée est une absolue nécessité. En
effet, le professeur étranger représente un très
important
avantage
linguistique
dans
l‘apprentissage d‘une langue étrangère. Il maîtrise
la langue qu‘il enseigne puisque c‘est sa langue
maternelle, donc il dispose d‘expressions
idiomatiques, de différents registres de langue, de
dialectes et patois,… Il sait également lire entre
les lignes dans les textes authentiques,
comprendre ce qu‘un auteur a voulu dire en
utilisant ces mots, retranscrire un texte oral,... En
fait, il possède des compétences en langue que le
professeur qui a étudié cette langue n‘a pas tout
simplement car la langue qu‘il enseigne n‘est pas
sa langue maternelle. Par exemple, pour une
recherche sur l‘internet en relation avec le pays
ou/et la langue étudiés, il faut connaître les motsclés qui permettent d‘avoir accès aux résultats. Le
professeur étranger ne maîtrise pas ces mots-clés
en slovène, donc il a moins de succès dans ses
recherches en slovène. Au contraire, il a plus
facilement accès aux sources authentiques de la
langue-cible, ce qui permet entre autres de créer
des cours plus authentiques, … Il existe aussi un
avantage culturel car le professeur étranger qui a
grandi dans le pays de la langue qu‘il enseigne a
une compétence culturelle et une vision du pays
plus concrètes. Il ne possède pas la même
expérience et ces différences représentent des
atouts majeurs dans l‘apprentissage d‘une langue
étrangère pour les élèves et les professeurs avec
lesquels ils collaborent. Il ajoute une vraie
dimension interculturelle en classe en offrant un
regard concret de la culture du pays de la langue
étudiée, mais aussi en permettant une
comparaison plus simple de la culture de la langue
maternelle avec celle de la langue-cible.
L‘interculturalité est vraiment un facteur
déterminant dans l‘apprentissage d‘une langue
étrangère. Par exemple, cela permet de savoir
comment se comporter respectueusement dans le
pays de la langue-cible et concrètement d‘éviter
d‘y commettre des impairs, …
Pour les élèves, sa présence est aussi nécessaire en
classe. De fait, le professeur étranger explique
différemment sa langue maternelle, ce qui permet
une meilleure compréhension. En outre, les élèves
ont deux références en cours, ce qui est aussi
important. Ils ont également deux interlocuteurs
susceptibles de répondre à leurs questions. De
plus, la communication entre les élèves et le
professeur étranger est vraiment authentique
puisqu‘ils utilisent cette langue pour une
communication habituelle avec lui, ce qui leur
permet d‘utiliser cette langue presque dès le début
de l‘apprentissage et de mettre directement en
pratique le vocabulaire et la grammaire acquis en
cours. Cette communication directe en langue
étrangère est aussi très importante pour la
motivation des élèves. Un élève qui aura réussi à
communiquer sa pensée en langue étrangère au
professeur étranger qui l‘aura compris sera encore
plus motivé pour continuer son apprentissage.
Quel exercice plus efficace et encourageant
existe-t-il pour les élèves ? En outre, le professeur
étranger parle une langue moderne et actuelle que
les élèves apprendront et maîtriseront, ce qui les
avantagera énormément dans la communication
réelle dans le pays de la langue-cible lors de
voyages scolaires ou à des fins personnelles.
Enfin, le travail d‘un professeur étranger en cours
avec un professeur slovène représente une force.
D‘une part, les élèves reçoivent deux points de
vue différents sur un même sujet, ce qui leur
permet d‘avoir une meilleure compréhension,
mais aussi une connaissance plus approfondie et
plus large. D‘autre part, le professeur étranger doit
collaborer avec son/sa collègue slovène, ce qui
enrichit la qualité d‘enseignement en classe. En
effet, le travail d‘équipe permet un échange de
points de vue pour la préparation des cours, mais
également en classe devant et avec les élèves. La
complémentarité des deux professeurs est
indéniable et apporte beaucoup, tant aux
professeurs, qu‘aux élèves et donc aussi à la
matière enseignée, mais également à la manière
d‘enseigner cette langue. Finalement, la présence
de deux professeurs en classe de langue est un
atout
de
taille
puisqu‘elle
facilite
l‘individualisation de l‘apprentissage, la gestion
de la discipline et le travail en petit groupe, même
dans de grandes classes. Concrètement, quand les
(grandes) classes travaillent en groupes, les deux
professeurs sont plus aptes à répondre à toutes les
questions des élèves, à vérifier leur travail,
corriger les erreurs et surtout les aider à atteindre
le but demandé, à acquérir les connaissances
requises et les utiliser correctement et à bon
escient.
26
La présence d‘un professeur étranger en classe de
langue est également un avantage énorme pour les
écoles, mais aussi pour le système scolaire
slovène. De fait, le projet d‘enrichissement de
l‘apprentissage des langues étrangères permet une
ouverture internationale du système éducatif
slovène et surtout une ouverture concrète.
Beaucoup d‘élèves pourront poursuivre leurs
études à l‘étranger, voyager dans le monde et y
représenter la Slovénie grâce à leur maîtrise des
langues étrangères. Grâce à cette ouverture
internationale, ce sont aussi les pratiques des
professeurs qui s‘enrichissent.
D‘un cóté, la collaboration continuelle avec un
professeur slovène permet une auto-réflexion et
une auto-critique permanentes des deux
professeurs sur le processus d‘enseignement, sur
leurs propres pratiques et sur les pratiques des
autres. Les deux professeurs deviennent de
meilleurs professeurs, donc la qualité de leur
enseignement augmente. Concrètement, la
collaboration permet de trouver de nouvelles idées
pour aborder différents thèmes de vocabulaire par
exemple, ... De même, grâce aux heures
interdisciplinaires, le professeur étranger coopère
avec un professeur d‘une autre matière, donc le
même processus d‘auto-réflexion et d‘autocritique, ainsi que d‘enrichissement de la qualité
de l‘enseignement entre en jeu dans tout le
système, pas seulement pour la préparation et en
cours de langues étrangères, mais également pour
la préparation et en cours d‘histoire, de
géographie, de sciences naturelles, ... Le faisceau
de travail est large, des matières littéraires aux
matières scientifiques en passant par les matières
artistiques, ce qui enrichit finalement tout le
système scolaire slovène.
Les professeurs étrangers se réunissent
fréquemment et ont donc des contacts entre eux.
Lors de ces réunions, ils échangent leurs
expériences, leurs idées, leurs pratiques en cours,
… Donc, le professeur étranger remet en question
ses acquis, ses connaissances, ses manières
d‘enseigner, non seulement en collaborant avec un
professeur slovène, mais aussi en communiquant
avec des collègues dans la même situation qu‘eux.
Ainsi, le professeur étranger apporte les résultats
de cette communication également dans sa
collaboration avec un professeur slovène, d‘où des
pratiques
plus
riches
et
une
qualité
d‘enseignement supérieure. De plus, les
professeurs étrangers ont régulièrement des
travaux de recherche à effectuer, ce qui leur
permet encore une fois une remise en question de
leurs pratiques, mais aussi une expression entière
de leur créativité et de leur originalité. Ainsi, le
professeur étranger doit réfléchir sur sa pratique,
mais aussi y ajouter de nouveaux aspects. Il doit
mettre en jeu toutes ses connaissances et ses
expériences ainsi que sa personnalité pour ces
travaux de recherche qui lui permettent ensuite
d‘élargir son champ d‘action pour la classe et en
classe.
Finalement, ce programme d‘enrichissement de
l‘apprentissage des langues étrangères offre aux
professeurs étrangers la possibilité unique d‘être
intégrés dans le système éducatif et administratif
et d‘avoir une vraie place au sein des
établissements scolaires. Ils deviennent ainsi
acteurs dans ce projet et pas seulement figurants.
Pour finir, les professeurs étrangers sont
absolument nécessaires dans le système éducatif
slovène car ils apportent beaucoup aux différents
autres acteurs principaux de ce système : les
élèves qui reçoivent beaucoup autant au niveau
des connaissances, que des expériences et de la
motivation, les professeurs de langue étrangère et
d‘autres matières qui enrichissent leurs pratiques
et le système en général par son ouverture
internationale.
Soizic DUPUY-ROUDEL, FRANCIJA,
francošĉina
Name & Surname:
Soizic DUPUY-ROUDEL
Age: 28
Nationality: French
I was born in Bordeaux in the
south-west of France. After
matura in Economics, I went to
study Linguistic (Language
sciences) for 3 years at
Bordeaux's university, I got my
first degree. After that, I did a Master 1 of Litterature and
Cultural mediation - my second degree. The following year, I
participated in a European program student exchange with
Comenius in Slovenija; my first work experience in this
country. I came back to France for two years and studied
more, French as a foreign language Certificate and one full
year of pedagogic training to become a primary school
teacher (regional competition), level master 1.
I got two languages certificates : in English ( B1), at the
French faculty and in Slovene ( B1) at Filozofska.
I studied for 6 years and really liked it. I plan to complete my
linguistic formation for Master 2 in France, by distance
learning.
27
My working experiences: during first year in Slovenija I was a
French assistant in primary school (Comenius program).
After that, I held french lessons for students at the
Ekonomska fakulteta, adult groups and individual lessons.
Presently, I have been working for two years in this research
project as a foreign teacher at primary schools in Piran and
Lucija; as well as high schools in Piran, Novo Mesto, and
Ljubljana.
I have also been working this year for the French Institut in
Ljubljana, coordinating the European French exam (DELF)
in Slovenija. I am also organizing this official exam in
Slovene's high schools and participate during evaluation
(jury).
My skills and competences: I speak English, Slovene and a
little of Spanish. I have good notions of Latin and few of old
Greek. I am interested in languages in general.
I particulary love to read all kind of books (also French
classic literature). Since I am very young, it is my first
occupation during my free time. I also sing in a local choir in
my city for two years in Slovenija and I used to play
transverse flute but unfortunatly I don't practise anymore.
I enjoy sports, walking in nature and dancing latino's dances
(salsa).
I am an open and a sociable person, I like to speak with
people for interesting exchanges.
Why did I come to Slovenia? I will keep that a secret due to
privacy. I can just say that I am living in the beautiful region
of Notranjska for two years and a half!
Pismo ministru
DUPUY-ROUDEL Soizic
Professeur de Français Langue Etrangère
Lycée Joţeta Plečnika Ljubljana
Monsieur Le Ministre del'Education,
Des Sciences, de la Culture et des Sports,
Objet: Emploi des professeurs Etrangers
au sein du système scolaire slovène
Monsieur,
Par ce courrier, je me permets de vous présenter
le projet d'apprentissage des langues étrangères
auquel j'appartiens depuis maintenant presque
deux ans. En effet, j'exerce actuellement la
profession de professeur étrangère pour la langue
française dans le Lycée Plečnika à Ljubljana et ce
depuis la rentrée de Septembre. J'ai eu l'occasion,
au cours de l'année dernière d'enseigner le français
sur la cóte slovène, en collège et en lycée.
Ce projet, dit d'enseignement enrichi, se fonde sur
plusieurs composantes intéressantes que je
souhaiterais développer dans cet écrit.
En premier lieu, le travail en lui-même dans
l'établissement.
Mes
tâches
sont
pluridimensionnelles, elles concernent aussi bien
mon travail individuel avec les élèves que
l'enseignement en tandem. Nos heures à deux sont
planifiées, réfléchies et prennent en compte le lien
interculturel qui nous unit: un regard francoslovène. La notion d'interculturalité, c'est à dire
envisager la culture de l'autre, la respecter, la
comprendre et l'analyser, est essentielle dans un
cours de langue. Et qui est en mesure de l'offrir de
manière authentique si ce n'est le professeur
étranger? Cette notion , appartenant au cadre
européen de référence commune des langues
vivantes, accompagne et complète le linguistique.
Ainsi, le professeur slovène, malgré une
connaissance élargie de la question, ne peut
cependant guère rivaliser avec un locuteur natif.
C'est donc sur ce point central que se concentrent
les professeurs étrangers.
D'autre part, ce projet tend à introduire dans le
cursus des langues vivantes, un enseignement
différent, basé sur l'innovation, le changement,
l'action, la recherche et le développement
professionnel des professeurs.
L'innovation, car la structure traditionnelle de
l'enseignement de la langue est par elle-même
transformée: deux professeurs pour une seule
classe, une équipe compétente qui se focalise sur
des objectifs précis: la grammaire et la traduction
pour le professeur slovène, la prononciation, la
fluidité et la culture française pour le second. Ces
éléments sont des exemples particuliers et
shématisent seulement certaines des composantes
du travail en tandem.
Le changement, car l'enseignant étranger ouvre
une porte originale dans le cours de langue en
proposant des exercices concrets, des sujets et
documents authentiques toujours contextualisés
dans l'actualité du pays qui est la sienne.
L'action, car le sujet est toujours actif dans
l'échange et dans sa compréhension qui doit se
faire en français en premier, on évite alors la
traduction systématique passive.
La recherche, car c'est un des buts du projet: une
réflexion sur ses propres pratiques, l'évaluation
sur soi-même et sur les autres membres de
l'équipe, l'observation et la création.
De ce fait, nous participons à des réunions
régulières au sein de l'équipe, de l'établissement, à
la zavod; nous envoyons nos plans mensuels et
rapports trimestriels et présentons des exemples
28
de bonnes pratiques de cours. La réflexion sur
toutes les composantes du projet est permanente,
et elle se fait aussi bien en tandem, que de
manière individuelle ( devoirs de recherche à
rendre par mois) et à plus grande échelle au
ministère.
De la sorte, ces travaux sont collectionnés et
permettent un receuil imposant de données et de
matériel pédagogique approprié et utilisable par
tous.
Le développement professionnel qu'occasionne ce
projet est conséquent. En ce qui concerne les
professeurs étrangers, il est inévitable. Le projet
est ambitieux et offre la possibilité à ces
professeurs extèrieurs la possibilité de s'intégrer
dans le curriculum de l'école en Slovénie. Et ce,
en leur donnant un maximum d'autonomie dans la
classe et également à l'intèrieur de l'établissement.
On s'éloigne ainsi de l'assistanat estudiantin et de
son statut bien trop réducteur.
Nos professeurs étrangers sont compétents de par
leur cursus universitaire, tant au niveau
pédagogique que linguistique.
D'autre part, tous les membres de l'équipe sont
touchés positivement. Les regards multiples, les
dialogues, conflits et compromis pédagogiques
enclenchent
de
nouvelles
perspectives
d'enseignement. Et évoquons par ailleurs
l'amélioration linguistique certaine pour les
professeurs slovènes qui sont au contact
permanent de locuteurs natifs.
Dans le système curriculaire, le projet engendre
également une dynamique considérable. Les
professeurs étrangers se voient participer à des
séquences interdisciplinaires pèriodiques.
J'ai, pour ma part, eu l'occasion de composer des
séances en littérature, sociologie, histoire,
géographie et autres cours de langues grâce à un
travail d'équipe remarquable.
Cette dominante crosscuriculaire est par
conséquent automatisée, régularisée dans les
établissements.
Enfin, pour les élèves, la présence d'un professeur
étranger, est plus qu'avantageuse pour le travail de
conversation, d'approfondissement et pour les
cours de littérature ou de civilisation.
Et bien sûr, d'un point de vue un peu plus
humaniste, je ne peux compter les points positifs
que m'a apportés ce projet très formateur au
niveau personnel et professionnel.
Comprenez donc qu'il serait dommage de priver
ainsi, en interrompant le programme, tout le corps
du projet de ces bénéfices indéniables.
En vous remerciant par avance pour votre
attention, veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur,
l'expression de ma considération distinguée.
Mlle DUPUY-ROUDEL Soizic
Samuel FASURE, FRANCIJA,
francošĉina
Name & Surname:
Samuel FASURE
Age: 34
Nationality: French
I was born in Evreux, France
on the 4th of July, 1977. After
successfully attending primary
and secondary school in this
town, I studied English and
French as a foreign language
at the Faculty of Arts in Rouen. I graduated in English studies
in 2000 after a year abroad as an Erasmus student at the
University of Southampton. I decided to study “French as
foreign language” from then on. I have been a certified
teacher of«French as a foreign language » since 2002. After
completing my fourth year degree with a mandatory work
experience for the French Alliance in Jersey, I started
working.
I taught at the French Alliance from September 2002 to
August 2003. From September 2003 until now I have been
living and working as a French teacher in Slovenia.
I worked at Gimnazija Piran for two years before leaving to
Ljubljana where I worked in different primary schools as a
guest foreign teacher for 3 years. At the same time I used to
be employed for 2 years as a French teacher at the
University of Koper, designing programs for self-learning.
From September 2008, I have been employed at Srednja
Šola Veno Pilon Ajdovščina as a foreign teacher in the
project OUTJ. From September 2011, I have also been
employed as a coordinator at the Institute for Education of
Slovenia where I work half-time for the same project.
Apart from gaining skills in my profession, I have become
competent in using computer technology as well as various
programs. I have a driving licence. I am actively involved in
learning Slovene language to take an exam by the end of this
school year. I am an amateur guitar player in a band who is
about to record a demo and has already performed a few
concerts.
I decided to move to Slovenia to live with my Slovene
girlfriend and to try to experience another aspect of my
29
profession in a less familiar context. So far, I have been
successful on the professional side and as my daughter Sara
was born in 2006, I have another very good reason to live,
work and enjoy life in Slovenia.
Pismo ministru
Samuel Farsure
Prešernova ulica 3
5000 Nova Gorica
Dr Ţiga Turk
MIZKŠ
Masarykova cesta 16
1000 Ljubljana
Zadeva: Odprto pismo
Spoštovani,
ime mi je Samuel Farsure in sem trenutno
zaposlen kot tuji učitelj francoščine v okviru
projekta Obogateno učenje tujih jezikov (OUTJ).
To je projekt, ki zaposluje 32 tujih učiteljev.
Skoraj deset let ţe poučujem v Sloveniji in imam
veliko izkušenj na ravni osnovnih šol, srednjih šol
ter univerz. Letos sem zaposlen tudi kot višji
svetovalec na Zavodu za šolstvo in šport v
Ljubljani. V čast mi je, da vam lahko v
slovenščini pojasnim, kaj dosegamo s tem
projektom.
Cilji projekta so jasni: dokazati/pokazati dodano
vrednost tujega učitelja v slovenskem šolskem
sistemu in izboljševati učni proces. Naša sredstva
so pri tem različna: timsko in samostojno delo,
projektni pristop, medpredmetno sodelovanje,
uporaba avtentičnih virov…
Vse to zahteva veliko časa, veliko energije,
globoko predanost in fleksibilnost ter veliko dela
v sodelovanju z našimi kolegi na šoli.
Menim, da sem za mojo šolo in za Slovenijo
dodana vrednost za razvijanje medkulturnega
dialoga med dijaki in profesorji, sam botrujem k
izboljševanju učnega procesa in inovativnega
pristopa pri pouku tujega jezika in ob enem
strmim k čim boljšemu sodelovanju z samimi
profesorji. Vse to pa lahko počnem na edinstven
način, zato ker sem bil rojen in sem odrasel v
Franciji, zato ker sem se izobraţeval v Franciji,
Angliji in Sloveniji, zato ker imam delovno
izkušnje v tujini, zato ker lahko sprejmem
različnost, in sem tudi lahko sprejet v tujini, zato
ker sem drţavljan in otrok Evropske unije, zato
ker imam otroka v Sloveniji, zato ker vsak dan
sem dokaz in dokazujem, da skupaj izpolnjujemo
vse cilje Evropske Unije in končno, zato ker sem
pridobil prav v Sloveniji toliko izkušenj.
Sam se kot član naše projektne skupine lahko
pohvalim z različnimi doseţki. Med drugim, sem
v devetih letih, skoraj vsako leto pomagal dijakom
osnovnih in srednjih šol, pri pripravah na
gledališki festival in na katerem so tudi nastopali.
V Franciji so lani, na natečaju pisanja v
francoščini 3 dijakinje z mojo pomočjo zasedele
prva 3 mesta. Med drugimi dejavnostmi so dijaki
srednje šole Veno Pilon v sklopu našega projektu
uporabili tudi nove tehnologije in ustvarjali bloge
v francoščini. Letos so se pod mojim mentorstvom
vsi dijaki, ki se so vpisali na izpit iz francoščine
dosegli dobre rezultate in ga tudi opravili.
Prepričan sem da, lahko svojim dijakom podelim
moţnost doseči neprecenljiv cilj, in sicer ta, da se
zavedajo, da ima vsaka kultura svoj pogled in da
so ob enem bolj pripravljeni sprejeti različnost v
svojem ţivljenju. To je pomembno orodje, ki jim
bo v prihodnosti pomagalo v privatnem in v
profesionalnem ţivljenju.
Republika Slovenija ţe več kot dvajset let ustvarja
kakovostno delo in pri tem uporablja zmeraj
boljše tuje učitelje, ki lahko ponudijo otrokom
kvalitetnejše učenje. Naša skupina tujih učiteljev
je še posebej pomembna, ker vemo, da lahko z
našim projektom ponudimo več. Sam šolski in
politični sistem, nam je do sedaj pri tem dal
primerno podporo in sredstva za razvoj in
kakovost našega dela.
Glede na potek aktualnih druţbenih in političnih
dogodkov, me dejansko zanima kako se bo
Ministrstvo za izobraţevanje, znanost, kultura in
šport odločilo za financiranje naše skupine in
projekta? Z drugimi besedami vas sprašujem, če
se so za vas, inovativnost, kakovost in različnost
vrednote, katere je v šolskem sistemu vredno
podpreti.
Vse kar zahtevam, je odločitev in pravočasen
odgovor na moje vprašanje. Karkoli se boste
odločili, menim, da je moja pravica, da izvem v
poštenem roku, če se moram pripraviti na
naslednje šolsko leto in pod katerimi pogoji. Ali
če moram najti drugo rešitev za svojo kariero in
posledično za svojo osebno ţivljenje in druţino.
Hvala za razumevanje.
Lep pozdrav,
Samuel Farsure
30
André Daniel Jean LOÏC, FRANCIJA,
francošĉina
Name & Surname:
André Daniel Jean
LOÏC
Age: 29
Nationality: French
I am a Normandic boy, born in
the little and cute city of Caen,
29 years ago. I obtained in
2011 a Master degree of
Teaching for primary school
(Master M.E.E.F) and got a Licence of Modern Letters. I also
got a Licence of F.L.E (French as a Foreign Language). I
completed all my studies in Caen. As a student, I worked 8
years as watcher (for night and day), assistant for education
and educator in several schools in Normandy. In 2008, I
worked one year as an educator-social worker in a center in
Montreal-Canada. I'm now teacher of French language in
Piran Gymnasium and assistant for the COMENIUS program
in Technical School Center of Kranj since September 2011.
Additionnaly, I organised and led »slam-poetry« workshop in
schools in France during school years 2010 and 2011.
I have lived in Slovenia since July 2011. It's a long time now
that I spent all my holidays in Slovenia, feeling a strong
attraction for the country. As if it was already written, I met
the girl who became my fiancée in Ljbljana. Also, I decided to
come and live in Slovenia to achieve my dreams of
happinness.
I'm a writer and poet. I just finished a book and will now try to
publish it. I love performing slam poetry and regularly have
concerts. I like Slovenian food very much but still don't know
how to make good potica. I'm really keen on all sports, mostly
ice hockey, football and tennis. I practise tennis and jogging.
Pismo ministru
Loïc JEAN
Trţaška cesta 410
1351 Brezovica pri Ljubljani
Professeur étranger de français
au Gymnazija de Piran
Docteur Ţiga Turk
Ministre de l‘Education, des Sciences, de la
Culture et des Sports De la République de
Slovénie.
Monsieur le Ministre,
Depuis octobre 2011, j‘ai la chance de pouvoir
enseigner le français au Lycée de Piran, dans le
cadre du programme EFLL (Enriched Foreign
Language Learning). En tandem, avec une
professeur slovène de français, nous enseignons
ma langue maternelle avec des résultats très
convaincants.
En découvrant le projet EFLL, j‘ai rapidement
compris que la Slovénie était à la pointe du
progrès et de l‘innovation en matière d‘éducation.
Pour avoir beaucoup voyagé en Europe et au
Canada et m‘être intéressé aux systèmes éducatifs
européens notamment grâce au programme
Comenius mais aussi dans le cadre de ma
formation qui m‘a permis d‘obtenir un Master des
Métiers de l‘Education, je n‘ai jamais eu
connaissance d‘un projet tel que le projet EFLL.
Le fait de faire appel à des professeurs étrangers et
de les intégrer aux équipes éducatives slovènes est
extrêmement ambitieux et s‘inscrit dans une visée
moderne et novatrice des techniques éducatives.
Il n‘est plus besoin de montrer que l‘enseignement
d‘une langue étrangère ne se réduit pas à des
aspects exclusivement linguistique mais doit
s‘accompagner de l‘enseignement-apprentissage
d‘éléments culturels fondamentaux. Ainsi, le
concept de langue-culture est central dans
l‘enseignement d‘une langue étrangère. Or, tout
spécialiste d‘une langue étrangère qu‘un
professeur peut être, sa connaissance culturelle
bien qu‘extrêmement étendue, n‘égalera jamais
celle d‘un professeur natif qui est né, a vécu et
grandi dans le pays en question. Aussi, le fait
d‘intégrer des professeurs étrangers dans les
classes de langue en Slovénie présente de ce
simple fait des avantages considérables. Lorsqu‘il
s‘agit d‘un apport culturel ou de l‘explication d‘un
aspect propre à la culture française, j‘ai, à chacune
de ces opportunités, l‘occasion de me rendre
compte par l‘exemple le bien-fondé de ma
présence et la pertinence de mon engagement.
Non seulement les élèves bénéficient d‘éclairages
et de témoignages vivants, clairs et intimement
véridiques mais encore le professeur slovène
trouve une caution et un appui à son
enseignement. Bien souvent, lorsqu‘au cours
d‘une leçon, j‘interviens pour apporter un
complément personnel sur un aspect culturel, il est
flagrant que les élèves écoutent avec intérêt et
curiosité la précision que j‘apporte. Par ailleurs, le
professeur avec qui je travaille gagne autant en
confiance mais aussi en crédit auprès des élèves.
Dans une autre mesure, la connaissance
linguistique d‘un professeur natif est évidemment
plus assurée et plus étendue que celle d‘un
professeur slovène. Pourtant, le professeur avec
lequel j‘ai la chance de travailler possède une
31
connaissance
incroyablement
précise
et
approfondie de la langue française. Celle-ci parle
pour ainsi dire sans accent perceptible et dans une
langue claire et riche. Pourtant, cette professeur
me sollicite beaucoup pour répondre à certaines
de ses hésitations ou simplement apporter des
corrections certes minimes mais qui améliore
considérablement la tenue de nos cours de
langues. Ainsi, les professeurs slovènes
acquièrent-ils
des compétences encore plus
solides et apprennent à comprendre d‘autant plus
précisément la langue qu‘ils enseignent. Dans une
vision purement pratique, la connaissance du natif
permet un gain de temps considérable pour le
professeur slovène qui se voit déchargé de
recherches et de vérifications qui peuvent être
parfois fastidieuses.
La collaboration entre un professeur slovène et
son homologue étranger en matière de réflexion,
de planification et de mise en place des
enseignements est un plus considérable dont
bénéficient les élèves. En effet, les échanges et les
réflexions en commun permettent une conduite
plus raisonnées et pertinente de l‘enseignement.
Ainsi, par l‘émulation, il est indéniable que les
cours gagnent en profondeur. De plus,
l‘observation de mon collègue en cours, me
permet de relever les points forts et les éventuelles
lacunes de sa conduite, pendant que celle-ci a
aussi l‘occasion d‘exercer un regard critique sur
mon travail. Après le cours, dans un temps de
concertation, il nous est alors possible d‘opérer un
retour réflexif sur notre travail afin de rendre celui
plus pertinent et efficace.
La mise en relation de deux professeurs issus de
deux systèmes éducatifs différents permet
d‘aboutir à une connaissance plus approfondie du
métier d‘enseignant ce qui permet au professeur
d‘acquérir connaissance et confiance. Aussi, les
élèves sont-ils les premiers bénéficiaires de cette
saine collaboration et ont devant les yeux un très
bel exemple de complémentarité et d‘entraide.
La coopération planifiée ouvre aussi un large
panel de conduites pédagogiques et offre de
nombreuses
opportunités
en
vue
de
l‘enrichissement de l‘enseignement. En effet, la
présence du professeur étranger permet la mise en
place de modalités pédagogiques qui ne sont pas
offertes à un professeur de langue lorsque celui est
seul au sein de sa classe. La répartition en groupes
de niveau, l‘approfondissement ou le soutien
d‘élèves en difficultés, l‘aide personnalisée ou
simplement la division du groupe classe sont
autant de possibilités offertes par la présence d‘un
professeur étranger.
Il me semble aussi primordial de souligner
l‘apport considérable des professeurs étrangers au
niveau de la réalisation de certains projets et de la
mise en place d‘activités plus ambitieuses qui
dépassent parfois le simple cadre de la classe et
qui sont autant d‘occasion de décloisonnement.
Pour parler de mon exemple personnel, j‘ai au
cours de cette année mis en place un atelier
théâtre-slam avec mes élèves. Au cours de séances
très vivantes et intéressantes, à l‘extérieur du
cadre des leçons de français, nous avons pu
monter un court spectacle et offrir aux élèves
l‘opportunité de s‘épanouir tout en améliorant
considérablement leurs connaissances de la langue
française. Et nombreux sont mes collègues du
projet qui ont dirigés de tels projets culturels et
musicaux, comme j‘ai pu m‘en rendre compte en
me rendant avec mes élèves au Concours de la
francophonie à Celje en mars dernier.
Par ailleurs, un autre intérêt particulièrement
intéressant dans la présence d‘un professeur
étranger dans un établissement est la possibilité
qu‘elle offre de mettre en place des activités intermatières enseignées. Ainsi, il m‘a été donné
l‘occasion d‘intervenir dans des cours de musique,
d‘histoire-géographie mais aussi de langue
slovène. Dans ce dernier cas, ma connaissance de
la littérature française à laquelle j‘ai consacré mes
études, m‘a permis de soutenir le travail d‘un
professeur de littérature slovène et de présenter
des auteurs français comme Molière ou Balzac
avec une précision et encore une fois de donner
une caution et un point de vue personnel. Mettre
en relation les connaissances des professeurs pour
offrir aux élèves un enseignement toujours plus
pertinent, voilà tous les bienfaits de la présence
d‘un professeur étranger.
Lorsqu‘une école s‘arroge les services d‘un
professeur étranger, c‘est aussi une nouvelle
personnalité qu‘elle accueille avec tout ce qu‘elle
possède comme caractéristiques qui lui sont
propres. Pour ma part, je suis poète, slameur et
animateur d‘ateliers d‘écritures et de déclamation.
Aussi, ai-je pu faire découvrir le slam-poésie aux
élèves et m‘appuyer sur ma connaissance littéraire
mais aussi pratique en matière de fluidité de la
diction afin d‘en faire profiter au maximum les
élèves dont j‘ai la charge. Cette authenticité, cette
richesse propre à chaque professeur se voit
décuplée dans le cadre du projet EFLL qui compte
en son sein des personnalités aux parcours divers
et variés qui vont être autant d‘occasions pour les
32
élèves de se confronter à la différence mais
surtout d‘élargir leurs horizons et de relativiser
leurs points de repères afin de devenir des
citoyens tolérants et ouverts.
Chaque professeur étranger représente une région,
une ville, un pays, une expérience personnelle et
riche. D‘autant plus riche qu‘elle va permettre des
interventions
pertinentes
et
un
soutien
considérable pour les professeurs slovènes. Aussi,
pour toutes les raisons que je viens d‘évoquer
mais aussi pour bien d‘autres encore, je me suis
permis de vous écrire afin d‘attirer votre attention
sur l‘apport et les bienfaits considérables que
représente la présence de professeurs étrangers
dans les classes slovènes. La valeur ajoutée par
ces professeurs n‘est plus à démontrer et leur
présence fait de la Slovénie un des pionniers de
l‘enseignement des langues et il serait vraiment
dommage que toutes ces avancées opérées durant
ces dernières années soient réduites à néant.
J‘ai confiance en votre dévouement pour la cause
de l‘éducation en Slovénie, tout comme je suis
convaincu de votre écoute et de votre
compréhension. J‘ai bon espoir que vous
entendrez notre appel en vue de la continuation du
projet EFLL qui obtient des résultats si efficaces
depuis plusieurs années.
Veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Ministre,
l‘expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Loïc Jean
Elsa LOUIS, FRANCIJA, francošĉina
Name & Surname:
Elsa LOUIS
Age: 35
Nationality: French
Rojena sem bila 3.02. 1977 v
Nantesu, mestu blizu atlantske
obale v zahodni Franciji. Po
mladoletniškem sanjarjenju o
karieri kot astrofizik sem se
hitro streznila in odločila slediti
svoji prvotni ljubezni, in sicer do tujih jezikov. Ta pot me je
peljala najprej v juţno Francijo in kmalu v Tübingen v juţni
Nemčiji (Baden-Württemberg), kjer sem poleg študija
neskončno uţivala v vsem, kar mi je ponudilo tisto prekrasno
in ţivahno študentsko mestece z mednarodnim vzdušjem.
Francoski študiji iz nemščine ter iz francoščine sem
dokončala leta 2000, nemški »Staatsexamen« (izpit za
srednješolske učitelje), tudi iz nemščine ter iz francoščine, pa
leta 2004.
Med študijem sem ţe nabirala delovne izkušnje, najprej dve
leti kot asistentka za francoščino v dveh nemških gimnazijah,
potem pa štiri leta kot vodja večernih tečajev francoščine za
odrasle na ljudski univerzi.
Po končanem dolgoletnem študiju obeh jezikov v Franciji in
Nemčiji sem korakala naprej proti vzhodu in pristala v
Sloveniji, kjer ţivim od leta 2004. Razlog za mojo selitev v
Ljubljano je bila ljubezen, in na srečo sem takoj dobila sluţbo
kot tuji učitelj za francoščino na gimnaziji Škofja Loka, kjer
delam od septembra 2004.
V prostem času se trenutno veliko ukvarjam s sinom, ki bo
kmalu star dve leti.Odkar ţivim tukaj sem se občutno
»slovenizirala«  - naučila sem se smučati; kadar imam čas
za rekreacijo zelo rada hodim v hribe oz. v naravo; med
tednom pa se trudim za telesno zdravje in ravnovesje na jogi
ali na pilatesu.
La société contemporaine tend irrepressiblement
vers la globalisation, qu'elle soit géographique,
économique, culturelle, ou même, par certains
aspects, linguistique. Cependant la notion de
globalisation ne va pas obligatoirement de pair
avec celle d'appauvrissment culturel, au contraire.
Pour tirer profit de cette tendance, il faut faire de
la globalisation un synonyme d'échange
linguistico-culturel, de diversification, de
mobilité. Considérons ici de plus près l'un des
domaines possibles d'application de ces notions, à
savoir l'institution scolaire, et plus précisément
l'enseignement des langues étrangères (dans notre
cas précis celui du français): qui est plus à même
de représenter et de véhiculer ces valeurs que le
professeur étranger, intégré à part entière au
système éducatif? C'est ce que nous propose de
réaliser le projet slovène »OUTJ«.
Nous
examinerons dans cet essai les principaux aspects
de la valeur ajoutée que le professeur étranger
apporte au cours de langue, en s'appuyant sur des
exemples personnels.
Le premier aspect à prendre ici en compte est
celui de l'authenticité: quoi de plus motivant pour
l'élève que de communiquer avec un(e) »vrai(e)«
Français(e), plutót que de simuler des situations
artificielles de communication où les apprenants
doivent parler en français à un professeur
slovène? Par sa présence même, le professeur
étranger donne l'envie d'apprendre et transforme la
langue-matière scolaire en un outil vivant
d'expression et de communication. Dans mon
lycée, ma présence au sein du collectif de travail
est depuis longtemps un argument de poids pour
la promotion de l'apprentissage du français. C'est
33
ma présence qui donne aux élèves l'une de leurs
motivations majeures pour apprendre le français.
De surcroît, si l'on se base sur l'hypothèse selon
laquelle l'enseignement d'une langue comporte
une composant culturelle indissociable de la
composante linguistique, le professeur étranger
incarne une référence de choix en matière
culturelle. Tout en se gardant de faire du
professeur étranger une référence absolue – il n'est
pas une encyclopédie et n'a pas toujours la
réponse à toutes les questions! – , reconnaissonslui son róle d' »ambassadeur culturel«: le
professeur étranger est le plus à même de
décrypter et d'expliciter les composantes (qui ne
sont parfois qu'allusions) culturelles des supports,
de »lire entre les lignes«, d'interpréter les
documents authentiques grâce à son propre
bagage ou arrière-plan culturel. Allons encore
plus loin: l'avantage indéniable du professeur
étranger par rapport à son homologue slovène est
son biculturalisme. Vivant hors de son pays de
naissance et intégré à la société slovène, il porte
un double regard extérieur (et, s'il le faut, critique)
non seulement sur sa propre culture, mais aussi
sur la culture slovène. Il est l'interlocuteur idéal en
matière
d'interculturalité,
d'intégration,
d'adaptation. Dans mon cas personnel, j'estime
représenter un bon exemple de multiculturalisme
et de mobilité, ayant vécu et étudié d'abord en
France puis de nombreuses années en Allemagne.
Je pense avoir un regard non seulement extérieur
sur la France, les Français et ma langue
maternelle, mais aussi nourri d'une tierce culture,
celle de l'Allemagne. Ce »triple bagage culturel«
me sert souvent d'arrière-plan à de nombreuses
discussions et débats en classe dans une
perspective comparative.
Il faut ajouter à l'avantage culturel du professeur
étranger son avantage linguistique sur la grande
majorité des professeurs slovènes même les plus
expérimentés, qui ne pourront que très rarement
maîtriser aussi bien que le professeur étranger les
idiomatismes et phraséologies, les différents
registres de langue (on pense par exemple à
l'argot), les dialectes et divers parlers régionaux,
ou encore les néologismes. C'est très souvent à
moi que mes homologues slovènes font appel
pour des questions linguistiques auxquelles ils ne
sont pas à même de donner des réponses. Cet
avantage ne profite pas seulement aux élèves,
mais aussi, et il s'agit d'un aspect non négligeable
pour
l'amélioration
de
la
qualité
de
l'enseignement, au professeur slovène, qui, au
contact du professeur étranger, renouvelle et
affine ses compétences culturelles et linguistiques.
Souligons en outre l'une des valeurs ajoutées
fondamentales du professeur étranger au niveau
micro-curriculaire, c'est-à-dire au niveau du
groupe, de la classe, du cours lui-même: le travail
en binóme avec le professeur slovène améliore
non seulement indéniablement la qualité de la
préparation des cours (le regard extérieur de
l'autre professeur, sa critique constructive permet
une préparation plus productive; les meilleures
idées voient toujours le jour lorsqu'on les met en
mots!), mais diversifie aussi les méthodes
d'enseignements car chacun apporte le »bagage
pédagogique« propre à sa culture qu'il a acquis
pendant sa formation, et présente enfin un
avantage linguistique pendant le cours même car
les deux professeurs sont complémentaires. Du
point de vue de l'élève, l'enseignement en tandem
permet à celui-ci de multiplier ses références lors
de l'apprentissage de la langue, en les mettant dès
la première heure de cours au contact d'un
locuteur natif. Le cours de langue devient ainsi
véritablement »interculturel« à tous les niveaux.
En collaborant régulièrement avec d'autres
professeurs de matières non linguistiques, le
professeur étranger est le maillon idéal qui permet
d'exporter cette interculturalité hors des frontières
du cours de langue. Dans mon lycée, nous avons
instauré il y a plusieurs années déjà un plan
annuel d'heures interdisciplinaires de la première à
la quatrième année, qui me permet de collaborer
avec des collègues enseignant les matières les plus
diverses, de l'éducation physique à la géographie,
de l'histoire à la musique. De nombreuses
préparations de cours innovatrices ont de cette
façon vu le jour au cours des dernières années,
que ce soit au sein même du cours de langue ou
dans le cadre interdisciplinaire. Ainsi, au niveau
que l'on pourrait appeler meso-curriculaire, c'està-dire au niveau de l'institution scolaire ellemême, la collaboration des professeurs étrangers
au sein des collectifs permet d'innover, de
renouveller les programmes en les enrichissant, et
répond ainsi au besoin croissant de modernisation
et d'actualisation des méthodes et des objectifs de
l'école contemporaine.
Mentionnons ici en outre la dimension nanocurriculaire, celle de l'apprentissage individuel,
que la présence de deux enseignants dans la classe
représente pour les élèves: l'enseignement en
équipe facilite indéniablement l'individualisation
de l'apprentissage, le travail en groupes restreints,
la gestion de la discipline, ainsi que le fait de
pouvoir être à l'écoute des élèves au cas par cas.
De plus, le projet OUTJ aménage dans l'emploi du
temps des professeurs étrangers des heures
individuelles, dont le contenu varie selon les
34
écoles, la formation, les intérêts et les talents
respectifs de chacun, la demande des élèves:
l'enseignement est diversifié grâce à l'introduction
d'activités extra-scolaires motivantes pour les
élèves car sortant du cadre habituel du cours.
Dans mon lycée par exemple, j'ai mis en place il y
a cinq ans déjà un cours de préparation au DELF,
diplóme de langue française reconnu dans le
monde entier. Les élèves qui participent à ce cours
et passent cet examen (dans mon expérience,
toujours avec succès) acquièrent non seulement
des connaissances pratiques et développent leurs
compétences d'expression et de compréhension,
mais se sentent surtout valorisés et constatent que
les connaissances acquises à l'école sont
réutilisables dans un cadre non scolaire.
Enfin, la valeur ajoutée du professeur étranger ne
se situe pas uniquement au niveau interne du
cours de langue lui-même, mais aussi dans une
perspective beaucoup plus globale que l'on peut
qualifier de macro-curriculaire, c'est-à-dire qui
renvoie au système éducatif national. Le projet
OUTJ offre, grâce aux réunions mensuelles qu'il
prévoit, une occasion régulière d'échanger idées et
expériences, et, grâce aux travaux de recherche,
d'encourager la créativité ainsi qu'une réflexion
permanente sur le processus d'enseignement, sur
ses propres pratiques et celles des autres.
L'intégration des professeurs étrangers dans le
système éducatif et administratif slovène les rend
acteurs à part entière, et pas seulement figurants.
Le projet OUTJ apporte donc aussi une valeur
supra-curriculaire majeure au système éducatif
slovène en lui permettant une ouverture
internationale.
A l'heure où la mondialisation se généralise, la
diversité culturelle qui subsiste malgré tout au
sein de nos sociétés peut rapidement faire place à
l'ethnocentrisme. Or, même si dans l'actualité
mondiale de notre époque, la tentation est grande
de n'envisager les rapports interculturels que sous
la forme de conflits, il faut au contraire
appréhender les différences culturelles comme
une source de richesse humaine. C'est ce róle,
celui de véhicule de la diversité culturelle, de
l'interculturalité positive, que se proposent
d'endosser les professeurs étrangers dans le
système éducatif en Slovénie, en l'enrichissant aux
niveaux supra-, macro-, meso-, micro- et nanocurriculaires; ils y ont d'ailleurs fait leurs preuves
depuis longtemps déjà, et souhaitent continuer à
pouvoir promouvoir toute la richesse linguistique
et culturelle acquise au cours de toutes leurs
années d'expérience.
Mary Ellen RAMASIMANANA VIRTIĈ,
FRANCIJA, francošĉina
Name & Surname:
Mary Ellen
RAMASIMANANA
VIRTIČ
Age: 43
Nationality: French
I am French and Madagascan.
I was born in Antananarivo,
Madagascar. I grew-up and
lived there until the end of
secondary school. I carried-on and finished my studies at the
University of Grenoble where I passed the degree of Master
in French as a Foreign Language (FLE). After my studies, I
entered professional life. My career path has two main lines
which alternated: a commercial path and a pedagogical path.
I have worked for 1 year as a secretary and personal
assistant in various companies in the program of the United
Nations for Development (UNPD) in Antananarivo, in the sale
of furniture for public corporation in Grenoble for 2 years, and
in retailing market in Maribor for 1 year and a half. In the
pedagogical field, I have occupied the function of
pedagogical and cultural adviser at the French Alliance of
Katowice, Poland for 2 years. I have taught all levels, from
beginners to advanced, business courses, as well as led
different workshops (film club, cooking workshops,
conferences on French and Madagascan cultures, bimonthly
radio cultural program) and have organised cultural events
supported by the General Delegation of French Alliances in
Poland. My path has led me to Maribor, Slovenia.
I arrived in Maribor at the beginning of school year
1999/2000. I have been employed by the Ministry of
Education and Sport of Slovenia as a French assistant and
have worked in two high schools: II. Gimnazija Maribor and
Škofijska Gimnazija AMS. In between, I married a Slovene
man and we decided to live in Maribor. After a 4 year
contract, I took a maternity leave for three years for our two
daughters (aged eight and seven now). I went back to work
as a substitute teacher (in Ljutomer high school) and as a
teacher in different institutions (in the Doba-Maribor language
centre, at OŠ Franca Lešnika Vuka Maribor primary school).
From September 2010, I have been working in the project
managed by the National Institute for Education of the
Republic of Slovenia which integrates foreign teachers in the
Slovene school system for the teaching and learning of
foreign languages. I have been working at II. Gimnazija
Maribor and at Prva Gimnazija Maribor. I came to Slovenia
out of curiosity and to fulfil the need for diversity in my
professional life. I decided to stay here and I live here by
choice not only because of my family but also out of love for
the country and its culture. Though challenging at first, it has
proved welcoming and nice to me.
In my free time, my husband and I take care of a group of
children aged between six and twelve (Lisiak in Lisičke) from
the
association
Pathfinder
Club
of
Slovenia
(http://stezosledec.si/ ). I like singing and I am a member of
35
the Maribor Adventist church choir. I also like hiking,
swimming and spending time with my family to play board
games. I like having my friends for dinner to share and make
them taste my cooking »experiences«.
De nos jours, à l‘ère de la globalisation, de la
mondialisation, de la communication - dans un
monde devenu « un monopolis » la
connaissance de langues étrangères
est
primordiale. Mais cette connaissance ne se
résume pas seulement
au savoir lire ou
comprendre un texte. D‘où le róle important des
enseignants. Ils sont les principaux vecteurs de la
connaissance. Ils éveillent les apprenants en
occurrence les élèves à être de plus en plus
conscients qu‘ils sont acteurs de leur
apprentissage et non de simples consommateurs.
C‘est avec un esprit similaire à cette analyse que
les responsables de l‘éducation nationale slovène
ont mis en place des stratégies pour enseigner les
langues
étrangères
dans
les
écoles :
l‘apprentissage
précoce
des
langues,
l‘introduction d‘un tandem enseignant « nonnatif » et « natif » dans les classes pour avoir des
cours de qualités. C‘est ce qu‘on appellera la
valeur ajoutée. Est-ce que l‘enseignant natif est
et/ou apporte une valeur ajoutée ? Quel est son
róle ? Quels sont les avantages de son intégration
dans la classe ? Nous allons aussi toucher un mot
sur ses faiblesses et peut-être des « dangers » à
éviter. Nous parlerons à la fin de ce
développement des opportunités que peuvent
apporter sa présence dans nos murs.
Depuis plusieurs dizaine d‘années, le système
éducatif slovène comme chez ses voisins
européens est une des institutions qui a introduit
des professeurs étrangers dans les classes. Cette
initiative
vient
d‘un
désir
d‘améliorer
l‘apprentissage des langues chez les jeunes. Mais
le róle du professeur étranger était à l‘époque
assez limité. Il était tantót lecteur, tantót assistant.
Dans l‘un comme de l‘autre, le professeur natif
n‘avait pas de statut qu‘on pourrait qualifié de
primordial. Il « assistait » et « aidait » seulement
le professeur « non-natif ». Il était présent pour
compléter le cours de civilisation par ses
expériences et ses connaissances. Ceci n‘est
qu‘une infime partie du róle que peut tenir un
professeur natif dans une classe. C‘est ainsi que
le projet de l‘Institut Slovène de l‘Education est
né : Enrichissement de l‘Apprentissage des
Langues Etrangères. C‘est un fait que le
professeur natif enrichit le cours. De part sa
différence (d‘accent, de prononciation) en tant
qu‘étranger,
c‘est
déjà
une
richesse
supplémentaire dans la classe. Le professeur natif
vient d‘un autre système éducatif, d‘un autre
« moule » de formation autre que les professeurs
nationaux. Forcement, il apporte une valeur
ajoutée à l‘enseignement. Il est la valeur ajoutée
et il en apporte avec ses connaissances. Son róle
est donc complémentaire à celui du professeur
non-natif. Chaque professeur est riche en luimême. Mettre en place un tandem de professeur
dans une classe crée un dynamique de cours qui
apporte des résultats plausibles.
Ces résultats constituent les avantages de
l‘intégration du professeur étranger dans la classe.
En tant que locuteur natif et témoin actif de la
réalité linguistique contemporaine, le professeur
étranger est certes un « modèle linguistique »,
mais aussi l‘interlocuteur de l‘enseignant(e). Le
tandem professeur « natif » et « non-natif »
préparent les cours innovants et complémentaires.
Leurs regards se croisent et créent des matériels
interculturels plus vraisemblables, plus proche de
la réalité. Dans l‘enseignement de la civilisation
contemporaine il apporte une aide précieuse pour
relativiser les stéréotypes et mettre l‘accent sur les
réalités francophones souvent occultees dans les
manuels.
La présence d‘un professeur etranger dans
l‘établissement peut constituer, pour un certain
nombre d‘élèves, un premier contact avec un
locuteur natif de la langue enseignée. C‘est
l‘occasion pour eux de vaincre leur réticence à
s‘exprimer oralement et peut-être de s‘habituer à
une autre facette d‘une même langue. Il peut aussi
plus facilement apporter une dimension ludique à
l‘apprentissage de la langue, faciliter la prise de
risque et la participation active de tous les
apprenants. Il peut en profiter pour traiter avec
eux des thèmes qui les intéressent et les motivent.
Le professeur étranger représente un système
éducatif moins sévère bien qu‘il évalue en
permanence le processus d‘apprentissage. Les
élèves ne perçoivent pas cette évaluation comme
« sanctionnante ». C‘est la grande « reforme »
qu‘apporte la présence du professeur natif.
Ces résultats sont recueillis au niveau de
l‘établissement-école. Sa répercussion est plus
palpable car elle s‘étend jusqu‘au niveau
institutionnelle-nationale. Le projet réunit
mensuellement les professeurs étrangers tous
azimuts et de différentes langues cibles. Ces
rencontres sont constructifs et créatifs car elles
favorisent les échanges d‘idées, d‘expériences, de
ressources et de matériels. Elles leur permettent de
36
faire une auto-reflexion et auto-critique sur leur
propre processus d‘enseignement.
Y a-t-il des faiblesses qu‘on peut appeler comme
tel dans ce projet ? Il existe mais pas aussi
nombreux. Par contre ses conséquences placent le
professeur étranger dans une position assez
critique. Le point essentiel qui empêche un
meilleur déroulement du travail du professeur
natif est lié à son statut. Beaucoup de son
entourage professionnel sont encore confinés dans
l‘étau de l‘assistanat. On est relégué au rang
d‘aide provisoire voire même d‘un dictionnaire
ambulant pour vérifier tel ou tel orthographe. Cela
peut être flateur d‘être considéré « savant », celui
qui sait tout, qui maîtrise tout car il est « natif ».
Pourtant, loin de nous d‘être un sur-professeur.
Nous restons des personnes donc faillibles. Mais
si le statut peut s‘améliorer, l‘instabilité de
l‘emploi du temps crée la plupart du temps des
confusions et des improvisations. Un autre
obstacle : le projet est atteint dans son
fonctionnement quand une incompatibilité
d‘humeur s‘installe entre le tandem professeur
étranger et slovène. C‘est la difficulté la plus
difficile à résoudre car bien des fois, les caractères
de chacun sont forts. Trouver un compromis
s‘avère un parcours du combattant. Du coup, le
professeur étranger se sent isolé et se replie sur
lui-même. Une telle situation nuit à la productivité
du travail.
Malgré ces faiblesses, le projet offre des
opportunités et des ouvertures contructives. Au
delà des travaux de recherches qu‘on fait faire aux
professeurs natifs, des améliorations au sein du
travail prennent place : une amélioration des
compétences interculturelles, une amélioration des
capacités à introduire de nouveautés en classe. Il
ne faut pas négliger le fait qu‘avoir deux
professeurs en classe de langue facilite
l‘apprentissage car le groupe est plus encadré,
« policé ». On oublie souvent que le professeur
natif
est
généralement
« monolingue »,
« monoculturel » et le professeur non-natif
« bilingue » et « biculturel ». Ces différences ne
doivent pas être considérées pour hiérarchiser les
compétences des deux pour faire un classement du
meilleur ou pas. On voit bien que ce que possède
l‘un, l‘autre ne l‘a pas. La complémentarité est de
nouveau spectaculaire. Personne de devrait avoir
un quelconque complexe devant l‘autre.
L‘opposition entre « natif » et « non-natif » ne
peut plus se concevoir comme une opposition
tranchée, mais au contraire comme un continuum
exprimant des trajectoires et des situations
linguistiques variées. D‘où une meilleure prise de
considération de la valeur ajoutée de chacun. Le
projet rend le professeur étranger acteur de
l‘apprentissage et non plus un figurant comme on
avait toujours tendance à le faire.
Irma BANDIERA, ITALIJA,
italijanšĉina
Ime in priimek: Irma
BANDIERA
Starost: 35
Državljanstvo:
italijansko
Izobraževanje in
usposabljanje:
Maturirala sem na klasičnem
liceju v Gorici.
Diplomirala sem (22.6.2004) iz ruščine in slovenščine na
Oddelku za tuje jezike in knjiţevnosti Univerze v Vidmu.
Izpopolnjevanje: na seminarju Slovenskega jezika, literature
in kulture v Ljubljani v letih: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003; prisotna
“Erasmus Program” v Ljubljani od januarja do julija 2002;
Leta 2005 sem obiskovala začetni tečaj angleščine A1 v
izobraţevalnem centru C.C.I.A.A. Trgovinske zbornice v
Vidmu.
Opravila sem tudi tečaja “Kako opravljamo administrativne
posle” in “Office automation” pri izobraţevalnem centru IAL v
Vidmu in pri izobraţevalnem centru C.C.I.A.A. Trgovinske
zbornice v Vidmu.
Imam potrdilo DITALS iz Univerze v Sieni za poučevanje
italijanskega jezika kot tuji jezik.
Delovne izkušnje:
Bila sem od leta 2005 do leta 2008 gostujoča učiteljica
italijanščine na Gimnaziji Nova Gorica. Od leta 2008 sem tuja
učiteljica na OŠ Renče, letos učim tudi na Gimnaziji Tolmin
kot partnerska šola, pa na srednji niţiji šoli »Simona
Gregorčiča« v Dolini pri Trstu – Italija kot satelitska šola.
Znanja in kompetence:
Tekoče govorim in pišem v slovenskem jeziku.
Zelo dobro je tudi moje znanje ruskega jezika.
Zadovoljivo je moje znanje francoščine;
Obvladam tudi osnove angleščine.
Poleg tega imam veliko interesov – berem tuje knjige in
časopise, imam glasbeno znanje, zanimajo pa me petje,
gledališče in literatura.
Zakaj sem prišla v Slovenijo?
Ţe na koncu svojih študij mi je bilo primarno, da koga učim
oz. da posredujem svoje znanje jezikov. Ker sem študirala
slovenščino sem se odločila, da učim Slovence italijanščino
in posredujem svojo kulturo.
37
IL VALORE AGGIUNTO DELL'INSEGNANTE
STRANIERO NELL'AMBITO DEI PROGETTI
DELL'ISTITUTO DELL'EDUCAZIONE DELLA
REPUBBLICA DI SLOVENIA
La mia esperienza di insegnante straniera anzi di
insegnante ospite (gostujoči učitelj) è cominciata
nel 2005 al ginnasio di Nova Gorica. Il mio lavoro
era diverso da quello di adesso. Insegnavo solo
italiano e collaboravo con due professoresse. In
quella scuola ho passato tre anni, ma devo dire
che, come esperienza iniziale, è stata quella finora
peggiore. Spesso ero costretta a restare in sala
insegnanti a causa di un compito in classe o
semplicemente perché le insegnanti non sapevano
»cosa farmi fare«. Alla fine del lavoro mi sono
sentita dire queste parole: »Noi non abbiamo
bisogno di un'insegnante straniera«. E pensare che
appena arrivata a scuola mi ero sentita dire che
un'insegnante madrelingua d'italiano l'avevano
aspettata per tredici anni.
Come persone siamo diversi e la situazione a
scuola dipende da quanto gli insegnanti siano in
grado di capire quanto sia importante che gli
studenti sentano parlare la lingua »in originale«.
All'epoca il preside era d'accordo su questo, ma
evidentemente non è bastato. Ho notato poca
volontà di rinnovarsi. Per quale motivo quelle
insegnanti, che fino ad allora avevano lavorato da
sole, avrebbero dovuto lavorare il doppio per
pianificare le ore d'insegnamento per sé e per
qualcun altro? Forse loro la vedevano in questo
modo. Il nostro lavoro in tandem, invece, sarebbe
stato molto più vario, interessante, produttivo e
soprattutto utile agli studenti.
Tutta un'altra cosa, un'altra sensazione, un'altra
esperienza è stata quella che tuttora continua dal
2008 alla scuola elementare e media di Renče.
All‘inizio tutto era diverso, gli alunni, la
metodologia d‘insegnamento, l‘ambiente, il corpo
insegnante. Lì ho potuto davvero ―spaziare‖
nell‘attività d‘insegnamento. Ho cominciato a
collaborare anche con gli insegnanti delle
discipline non linguistiche e ho davvero provato
cosa vuol dire insegnare a bambini di tutte le età.
Oltre agli alunni che avevano scelto l‘italiano
come materia opzionale, ho avuto modo di
―promuovere‖ la mia lingua tra i bambini che
frequentavano le classi del primo e del secondo
ciclo e tra quelli dell‘asilo. È stata sicuramente
un‘esperienza importante grazie alla quale anche i
più piccoli si sono potuti avvicinare alla lingua e
alla cultura italiane autentiche. Credo che sia
molto importante far conoscere ai bambini fin
dall‘inizio la corretta pronuncia, guidarli
gradualmente durante il primo approccio con una
nuova lingua e fornire loro, anche sulla base del
gioco, delle informazioni sulla cultura autentica di
un popolo che solo una persona originaria di quel
posto può dare. In futuro, forse, i piccoli potranno
sviluppare la loro curiosità cercando di conoscere
meglio il popolo vicino e imparando a rapportarsi
con chi proviene da una cultura diversa.
Con i ragazzi più grandi ho avuto modo di
presentare, oltre alla lingua, le abitudini di vita
degli italiani, la loro storia, la letteratura, le
tradizioni, supportando la spiegazione con video e
diapositive che mostravano la vera immagine
dell‘Italia. Con gli alunni di nona classe che
studiavano l‘italiano abbiamo messo in scena due
rappresentazioni teatrali in lingua. Ho avvicinato i
ragazzi all‘uso del dizionario sloveno- italiano
durante la traduzione in italiano di favole e poesie
composte da loro e li ho anche accompagnati per
due anni di seguito a vendere i loro manufatti in
Italia, al Mercatino della Bontà organizzato a
Udine dall‘Unicef.
Già da 35 anni il comune di Renče e quello di
Staranzano (Gorizia) sono gemellati e di
conseguenza gli alunni delle scuole partecipano a
due incontri annuali. Ho aiutato i miei alunni a
imparare le prime frasi in italiano, a presentarsi ai
loro compagni di oltreconfine, cercando di
interessarli il più possibile alla lingua dei vicini,
cosa che purtroppo nell'altra scuola non si fa. Ho
inoltre collaborato a tutti i preparativi agli incontri
del gemellaggio aiutando le colleghe a
comunicare con le altre maestre.
Quest'anno ho aggiunto ancora due scuole alla
precedente, completando il mio orario cone le
lezioni al ginnasio di Tolmino e alla scuola media
con lingua d'insegnamento slovena di San Dorligo
della Valle – Dolina presso Trieste. Ancora
un'occasione per arricchirmi personalmente e
professionalmente e per presentare la mia cultura
a diverse tipologie di studenti. Da una parte quelli
che studiano la lingua ad un livello più alto e
hanno bisogno di approfondire la loro conoscenza
culturale e linguistica, dall'altra quelli che, vista la
zona dove vivono, sono già automaticamente
bilingui ed entrano quotidianamente in contatto
con due culture diverse.
Con gli studenti del ginnasio cerco di impostare il
nostro lavoro in maniera tale da fargli usare il più
possibile la lingua esprimendosi in maniera
diversa, nel modo a loro più congeniale (testo
38
scritto, presentazione Power Point, cartelloni) e
fin dai primi anni. Fornisco loro del materiale
autentico (riviste, giornali, cataloghi turistici,
musica, libri, video, DVD e videocassette di film
italiani) e li guido durante la produzione dei loro
lavori. Li stimolo ad usare la »vera lingua
italiana« e non quella finta dei manuali. Se
vengono a contatto con la lingua in modo diverso
dal mero apprendimento sui libri, gli studenti
imparano più in fretta.
Gli alunni di San Dorligo, invece, studiano
l'italiano come L2 e hanno dei programmi
particolari per quanto riguarda la storia e la
geografia. È stato interessante presentargli
qualche lavoro svolto con gli alunni di Renče e
spiegare degli argomenti di storia dell'Italia che
loro non approfondiscono.
Se siamo in Europa, l'insegnante straniero
dovrebbe essere una presenza costante nelle
scuole, una figura fondamentale che consenta agli
alunni di »aprirsi« al resto della comunità. La
conoscenza di più lingue e culture diverse
arricchisce la formazione di ogni individuo e aiuta
l'accettazione del diverso. Il ruolo dell'insegnante
straniero sarebbe quello di fare da anello di
congiunzione fra la propria cultura e quella locale.
La possibilità di sentire una lingua straniera in
originale non aiuta solo nello studio della lingua
in sé, ma apre diversi orizzonti anche nell'ambito
di altra discipline. Un argomento di una materia
non linguistica spiegato in un'altra lingua, oltre ad
arricchire il lessico, sviluppa la curiosità per
eventuali studi futuri. Già in altri paesi d'Europa
fa parte del normale curriculum di alcune scuole
l'insegnamento di determinate materie nelle lingue
straniere studiate dai ragazzi. Le lezioni sono
tenute dagli insegnanti stranieri e gli studenti delle
scuole secondarie sono molto propensi a
proseguire il percorso formativo nel Paese di cui
studiano la lingua.
Lavorando in tandem con l'insegnante locale,
l'insegnate straniero arricchisce e completa il
lavoro di quest'ultimo. L'insegnante straniero è
ambasciatore e conoscitore di una lingua e di una
cultura autentica. Può cambiare l'aspetto di un'ora
scolastica e renderla più stimolante per gli
alunni/studenti perché gli porta informazioni
nuove, di prima mano e li educa all'uso corretto
della lingua.
Con progetti come il nostro, »L'insegnamento
arricchito delle lingue straniere«, in cui sono
inclusi gli insegnanti stranieri, si arriva quasi
all'abbattimento dei confini, perché un insegnante
straniero porta in classe non solo se stesso, ma
anche una cultura e un modo di pensare diversi.
Irma Bandiera
insegnante straniera d'italiano presso
la scuola elementare e media di Renče
e il ginnasio di Tolmino
Andrea LEONE, ITALIJA, italijanšĉina
Name & Surname:
Andrea LEONE
Age: 28
Nationality: Italian
I am a 100% Italian boy; my
family is from the South of Italy,
from the region of Calabria, but
I was born and raised in the
North, in Belluno, a small city in
the region called Veneto. I
generally remark with my students this mixture between
North and South, so they can understand better the different
Italian cultural traditions.
I am a qualified teacher of Italian for foreigners, Spanish and
English. I studied mainly at the University of Trieste, where I
obtained my Master Degree in Foreign languages and
cultures (intercultural communication). I also studied for
some time at the University of Amiens (France) and at the
University of Sevilla (Spain).
I had my “vocation” for teaching in 2003, as I was still a
student: I have taught Italian to immigrants who were coming
to Italy in search of a better future and helped them to adapt
to everyday life in Trieste. Afterwards, I used to teach Italian
and Spanish for a couple of years in Padova (Italy) for an
institution that organises language courses and working
experience in the countries of European Union. My students
were mainly experiencing a “Leonardo da Vinci - Socrates”
programme in Italy. After that time, I decided to start a new
adventure by applying to be a Comenius assistant in
Slovenia. Why Slovenia? Because I have always been
curious to learn more than what I knew about the Slovene
culture while living in Trieste, an area full of multiculturalism
where the Italians and the Slovenes have common roots.
So I worked for one year at the Srednja Šola Domţale as an
assistant. When in 2008 the first phase of the project took
place, both the school and I agreed that I could be a good
candidate for it. I really felt committed to the project since the
very first moment and in these four years I have been
offering my added value also to other schools: Srednja Šola
Veno Pilon Ajdovščina, Gimnazija Tolmin, and lately to
Gimnazia Piran and Gimnazija Koper, where I am currently
teaching.
In the last four years I also have been cooperating with the
Italian Institute of Culture in Ljubljana and I have worked as a
Professor of Spanish language at the University of Trieste.
39
I love to travel and discover everyday something new about
unknown cultures or traditions; as matter of facts, I am
surrounded by friends from all over the world. I am very
interested in cars, especially the sporty or old-timers ones. I
love also music and literature: I used to play violin and sing
and occasionally I still play guitar… but only at the beach in
the summer nights!
Pismo ministru
Gentili Signori,
mi chiamo Andrea Leone, sono italiano e sono
uno degli insegnanti stranieri che fanno parte del
progetto ―Obogateno učenje tujih jezikov‖.
Vi scrivo questa lettera perché sono fermamente
convinto che il progetto, ideato e promosso
dall‘Istituto Sloveno per l‘educazione, sia una
reale necessità per il sistema scolastico sloveno e
che debba continuare il suo corso nei prossimi
anni scolastici.
La Slovenia è uno dei Paesi che formano parte
dell‘Unione Europea: le nuove generazioni hanno
questa sensazione, ma hanno bisogno di vivere
l‘essenza di questa situazione europea e di esserne
una parte importante per comprenderne a fondo i
meccanismi.
Questo progetto, che prevede l‘impiego degli
insegnanti stranieri da tutto il mondo, è una delle
migliori opportunità per i giovani sloveni di
crescere in una dimensione scolastica realmente
fedele ai valori e alle competenze interculturali
previste dal contesto dell‘Unione Europea.
Da quando il progetto è iniziato nel 2008, è stato
sviluppato e migliorato fino a raggiungere un
elevato standard di qualità e un grande
cambiamento
rispetto
all‘insegnamento
tradizionale degli anni precedenti. Io ne faccio
parte proprio da quell‘anno, e ho avuto modo di
vedere come gli studenti abbiano raggiunto dei
traguardi davvero sorprendenti fuori e dentro le
mura delle scuole.
Tutto ciò è successo perché noi insegnanti
stranieri e tutte le persone che si sono dedicate al
massimo ad esso (Katja Pavlič Škerjanc e il suo
staff) siamo stati e siamo tutt‘ora completamente
dediti ad apportare un‘evidente qualità
nell‘insegnamento delle lingue straniere, ma
anche un sapere globale e multiculturale degli
studenti.
Bisogna sottolineare che questo accade perché gli
insegnanti stranieri non sono semplicemente degli
―assistenti‖ degli insegnanti sloveni: il nostro
valore aggiunto non consiste esclusivamente
nell‘essere dei parlanti nativi. Siamo anche
insegnanti qualificati e con esperienza, che
lavoriamo in sinergia con gli insegnanti sloveni
per fornire agli studenti un insegnamento di alta
qualità. Inoltre, noi insegnanti stranieri siamo un
valore aggiunto perché siamo gli ―ambasciatori‖
dei nostri paesi, culture ed esperienze
multiculturali. Tra l‘altro, la nostra vita quotidiana
è segnata profondamente da questo parallelismo
tra il nostro bagaglio culturale e la vita da
straniero in Slovenia. Questo è per gli studenti
un‘eccellente occasione per crescere mettendo in
pratica le proprie abilità nel confrontarsi con
qualcuno di ―diverso‖ da loro, il che li previene
dall‘avere un‘esperienza sterile basata solo su testi
scritti e media.
In secondo luogo, gli studenti sono più curiosi e
motivati a conoscere di più la lingua e la cultura
target: in questo modo sentono che posso ottenere
un‘informazione ―di prima mano‖, autentica e
personale.
Imparare una lingua senza prima comprendere la
cultura connessa ad essa è qualcosa di quasi
impossibile. Comprendere una cultura straniera
solo attraverso i libri è una maniera estremamente
piatta e insufficiente.
In terzo luogo, gli insegnanti stranieri sono
un‘opportunità per le scuole per promuovere e
arricchire
l‘insegnamento
collaborativo
interdisciplinare. Ciò è dovuto al fatto che ogni
insegnante straniero possiede anche altri tipi di
competenze che possono essere applicate a diversi
campi di conoscenza. Per esempio, alcuni di noi
sono anche insegnanti di matematica, filosofia,
musica e così via.
Questa è una buona occasione per gli studenti, che
possono combinare le loro abilità in più materie
contemporaneamente.
In più, noi insegnanti stranieri con quelli sloveni
ci arricchiamo tra di noi con nuove conoscenze,
competenze
e
questioni
connesse
all‘insegnamento linguistico-culturale.
In questi quattro anni di progetto, un altro fattore
che ho notato nella mia esperienza personale, oltre
a quella di tanti altri colleghi, è che noi insegnanti
stranieri siamo dei ―ponti‖ tra le istituzioni
slovene e quelle dei nostri paesi d‘origine. Per
40
quanto riguarda l‘italiano come lingua straniera,
ho lavorato sulla cooperazione tra le scuole
slovene e istituzioni italiane come l‘Istituto
Italiano di Cultura di Lubiana, l‘Università degli
studi di Trieste, scuole secondarie di secondo
grado in Italia e diversi centri linguistici di
italiano per stranieri, tra cui l‘Università per
stranieri di Perugia. Grazie a queste
collaborazioni, i miei studenti sloveni hanno avuto
la possibilità di: approfondire la loro competenza
linguistico-culturale, prepararsi in maniera più
efficace e ottenendo eccellenti risultati all‘esame
di maturità di italiano, iscriversi a corsi
universitari in Italia, praticare la lingua italiana
direttamente con dei loro coetanei italiani.
Questo è stato possibile perché, oltre
all‘insegnamento frontale durante le ore di
lezione, comunque basate su metodi di
insegnamento
glottodidattici
innovativi
e
autentici, ho organizzato insieme ai miei colleghi
sloveni dei progetti che avevano l‘obiettivo
principale quello di motivare i ragazzi a studiare
la lingua e la cultura italiana in una maniera
―viva‖.
Uno di questi progetti, che ha avuto un successo
notevole, si chiama ―La Slovenia in cinque
parole‖. Una classe di studenti è stata divisa in 5
piccoli gruppi che rappresentavano 5 aree
tematiche riguardanti la Slovenia: la cultura,
l‘arte, lo sport, la storia e la geografia. Ognuno di
loro ha cercato, con l‘aiuto dei rispettivi
insegnanti delle varie materie, le informazioni
principali da presentare a degli studenti italiani
loro coetanei. Dopodiché, hanno preparato dei
dépliant in italiano contenenti le informazioni
trovate e li hanno inviati ad una scuola superiore
italiana con la quale mi ero messo in contatto.
Infine, hanno presentato ―dal vivo‖ il proprio
lavoro attraverso una videoconferenza via
internet, la quale per loro stata un‘esperienza
memorabile e densa di significato, perché anche
chi di loro aveva dei problemi con l‘italiano in
classe, ha dimostrato un notevole impegno per
raggiungere risultati eccellenti ma soprattutto
concreti.
Molti di questi ragazzi praticano tutt‘ora l‘italiano
a distanza con i loro ―amici italiani‖ attraverso la
rete.
Ad ogni modo, grazie alla presenza degli
insegnanti stranieri, il modo di insegnare le lingue
straniere si è evoluto drasticamente anche nelle
lezioni frontali quotidiane. Ognuno di noi
collabora con più insegnanti sloveni, apportando
ognuno il meglio delle proprie competenze ed
esperienze personali sia dal punto di vista dei
contenuti linguistici, sia dal punto di vista
culturale.
Un altro elemento di notevole importanza è la
creazione, giorno dopo giorno, di materiale
didattico nuovo, autentico e innovativo, prodotto
―su misura‖ in base alle peculiarità di ogni classe
e/o contesto scolastico.
In conclusione, spero che consideriate seriamente
questa visione dall‘interno riguardo al progetto
―Obogateno Učenje Tujih Jezikov‖, che è stato
promosso a pieni voti dalla Commissione Europea
per la sua elevata qualità. Noi insegnanti stranieri
in Slovenia abbiamo ancora molto da dare.
Personalmente, fin dal primo momento l‘ho
considerato come una micro-rivoluzione nella
didattica delle lingue straniere, un esempio pilota
di prodotto sloveno che molti contesti europei
dovrebbero prendere in considerazione e seguire.
Vittorio PORZIO, ITALIJA,
italijanšĉina
Ime in priimek:
Vittorio PORZIO
Starost: 47
Državljanstvo:
italijansko
Rojen sem blizu Milana ampak
maturiral sem v srednji šoli za
turizem v Riminiju in potem
diplomiral iz političnih ved na
univerzi v Bologni. Na univerzi
Ca' Foscari v Benetkah sem dodatno še pridobil certifikat
CEDILS za poučevanje italijanščine tujcem.
V Italiji sem delal nekaj let v turizmu, najprej kot vodič in
potem kot zaposlen za tour operator. Potem sem pet let delal
v import-export podjetju kot komercialist.
V Slovenijo sem prišel leta 2001 in od takrat poučujem
italijanščino, najprej sem poučeval odrasle, nato sem
poučeval na gimnaziji v ŠCRM Kamnik kot tuji učitelj v
projektu Europski oddelek in sedaj v projektu OUTJ tudi na
gimnaziji A. Aškerc v Ljubljani.
Prišel sem v Slovenijo, ker me je očarala, ko sem prišel kot
vodič še v času Jugoslavije in potem ko sem začasno tukaj
bival za mojo raziskavo za diplomsko nalogo. Ta ljubezen se
je tako razvila v ţeljo, da bi tukaj ţivel in tako sem se nekega
dne enostavno odločil in vse pustil, odšel ter se preselil v
Ljubljano.
41
Igram kitaro (ampak vedno manj zaradi pomanjkanja časa) in
oboţujem glasbo. Rad tudi fotografiram in pišem.
Pismo ministru
QUAL E' IL VALORE AGGIUNTO
DELL'INSEGNANTE STRANIERO NELLA
SCUOLA SLOVENA?
Dopo quattro anni di esperienza al liceo Rudolf
Maister di Kamnik nel progetto europeo
―Evropski oddelek‖ ho avuto la fortuna di essere
ammesso a partecipare al progetto ―Obogateno
učenje tujih jezikov‖, al quale collaboro da un
anno. Ritengo l'esperienza fatta fin qui molto
positiva, anche se è ovvio che ci sono ancora
molte cose da migliorare o cambiare. Per prima
cosa penso che sia necessario ricordare che la
conoscenza delle lingue straniere è fondamentale
per il futuro professionale, ma anche personale,
dei giovani e spero che su questo punto si sia tutti
d'accordo. Ormai una buona conoscenza
dell'inglese è il requisito minimo per potersi
muovere nella società odierna e la conoscenza di
una seconda o addirittura terza lingua straniera è
già diventata necessaria, se si vuole avere qualche
possibilità in più.
Naturalmente le lingue straniere si insegnavano
prima dei progetti EO e OUTJ e si insegneranno
anche dopo, ma questi progetti hanno apportato, o
almeno hanno cominciato ad apportare degli
importanti cambiamenti nel modo di intendere
l'insegnamento delle lingue straniere.
Per prima cosa la presenza di un insegnante
straniero obbliga ad un approccio diverso verso la
lingua insegnata e studiata. La lingua non è più
una materia astratta da imparare dai libri di testo o
dai CD con l'aiuto di un insegnante sloveno che
probabilmente ha una buona o ottima
preparazione teorica e conoscenza dall'esterno
della cultura o di parte di essa. La lingua studiata
nelle scuole diventa una cosa viva perché ogni
insegnante straniero appartiene ad una cultura, la
conosce dall'interno, ne ha esperienza diretta e la
stessa cosa vale per la lingua, che è molto di più di
una lingua più o meno standard descritta nei libri
di testo e che in qualche caso non è più nemmeno
esistente. E secondo me è importante proprio
questo approccio non standard allo studio ed
all'insegnamento delle lingue straniere. Conoscere
una lingua e una cultura di un Paese rendendosi
conto benissimo che non sono LA lingua e LA
cultura di quel Paese, come invece il più delle
volte viene fatto credere più o meno
consapevolmente dagli autori dei libri di testo e da
alcuni insegnanti sloveni di lingue straniere. La
lingua è viva e, soprattutto nella nostra epoca, si
trasforma molto velocemente e un insegnante
straniero che con quella lingua è cresciuto e pensa
può essere un grande aiuto per l'insegnante
sloveno.
Dal punto di vista dello studente, a torto o a
ragione,
l'insegnante
straniero
ha
più
autorevolezza nel campo della conoscenza pratica
della lingua e in quello della conoscenza della
cultura, nel suo significato più ampio, del Paese o
dei Paesi in cui si parla la lingua obiettivo. Questo
fatto comporta dei vantaggi pratici non
trascurabili, in quanto gli studenti sono più inclini
a collaborare con un insegnante straniero che
rappresenta per loro una novità e che stimola la
loro curiosità perché proviene da un mondo che a
loro è sconosciuto o che conoscono solo
attraverso i libri o la televisione. Proprio questa
curiosità è un fortissimo elemento motivazionale
che può e deve essere sfruttato al massimo nelle
scuole slovene che partecipano al progetto OUTJ.
Ma il vantaggio non è solo dal punto di vista degli
studenti,
infatti
anche
l'indispensabile
collaborazione con l'insegnante o gli insegnanti
sloveni di lingua straniera (ma non solo) porta
inevitabilmente ad una crescita personale e
professionale di entrambi. I differenti approcci
nell'insegnamento, le diverse conoscenze acquisite
nella propria formazione, il differente contatto con
la lingua insegnata (più teorico l'uno, più pratico
l'altro) e la diversa visione della cultura del Paese
o dei Paesi in cui si parla la lingua (come detto,
dall'esterno l'uno, dall'interno l'altro) comportano
necessariamente uno scambio ed un arricchimento
reciproco. Oltre a tutto ciò, un arricchimento dal
punto di vista personale e professionale deriva
anche dal fatto che l'insegnante straniero in buona
parte insegna in compresenza con l'insegnante
sloveno, di lingua o di altre materie, e questo
obbliga ad una stretta collaborazione sia per la
pianificazione, sia per lo svolgimento delle lezioni
e tale collaborazione »forzata« contribuisce
fortemente a sviluppare una mentalità cooperativa
(team), più aperta, flessibile e creativa e più
critica. Naturalmente la stretta collaborazione può
portare anche a dei conflitti, ma credo che questo
sia il prezzo necessario da pagare per la crescita
ed il cambiamento.
Personalmente in questi anni ho lavorato in team
strettamente con quattro insegnanti slovene di
lingua italiana e con numerosi altri insegnanti di
materie diverse, anche se in maniera meno
42
assidua. Il fatto di lavorare in compresenza con
molti insegnanti, e con quelli di italiano in modo
continuato e sistematico, i quali altrimenti solo
occasionalmente collaborano tra loro strettamente
per la pianificazione e l'attuazione delle lezioni,
mi ha portato più volte ad assumere una funzione
importante all'interno dell'attivo o anche della
scuola, cioè quella di trasmettere e trasferire
informazioni, esperienze e nuove proposte,
adattandole ai differenti contesti. Inoltre nel
progetto OUTJ è previsto che l'insegnante
straniero insegni in almeno due scuole e questo ha
come conseguenza che informazioni, esperienze e
nuove idee e proposte si trasferiscano anche al di
fuori della singola scuola che le ha generate,
realizzando uno scambio che supera l'ostacolo
della tendenza, che ho osservato qui in Slovenia,
che hanno le scuole a tenere gelosamente le
proprie esperienze per sé, in una controproducente
logica concorrenziale. E quando l'insegnante
sloveno è abbastanza aperto al cambiamento e
desideroso di migliorarsi, il fatto di avere un
osservatore esterno con cui si sviluppa un
rapporto di collaborazione e fiducia può essere
molto utile e più volte mi è capitato che un
insegnante sloveno mi chiedesse di svolgere
questa funzione di »amico critico«. In qualche
caso, infine, la mia funzione è stata quella di
mediatore tra insegnanti con cui collaboravo, ma
che non riuscivano a collaborare tra loro.
Inoltre, diversamente dall'insegnante sloveno di
lingue, l'insegnante straniero ha avuto esperienza
diretta del sistema scolastico, di quello lavorativo
e sociale del Paese di cui si insegna la lingua e
questo ha sicuramente un'utilità pratica
nell'ambito dell'attuazione del programma
didattico, in quanto il bagaglio di conoscenze ed
esperienze
non
strettamente
didattiche
dell'insegnante straniero può essere messo a
disposizione degli studenti e degli insegnanti di
diverse materie, a seconda del campo in cui queste
esperienze sono state fatte. Nuovi temi possono
essere sviluppati, in molti casi legati all‘attualità
del Paese di cui si studia la lingua, e per i quali è
necessaria una conoscenza della situazione
piuttosto approfondita, quella conoscenza
―dall‘interno‖ di cui parlavo in precedenza.
Oppure si possono trattare i temi consolidati e più
tradizionali in modo diverso, da un altro punto di
vista e con un differente approccio. In ogni caso,
come già detto in precedenza, gli studenti
normalmente
apprezzano
l‘approccio
più
personale che rende le lezioni, se non proprio
autentiche, almeno più realistiche e concrete.
L‘insegnante straniero inoltre ha più facilità nel
reperire materiale autentico da utilizzare in classe,
nel selezionarlo in base alla rilevanza per gli
studenti ed alle loro esigenze e nel proporlo con i
mezzi di cui dispone e in questo può essere di
grande aiuto agli insegnanti sloveni che spesso
hanno difficoltà a trovare materiale che non sia
già adattato per la scuola o che sia attuale.
Un ulteriore, anche se secondario, vantaggio della
presenza nelle scuole dell‘insegnante straniero è
un vantaggio organizzativo pratico. Infatti
l‘insegnante straniero può sostituire l‘insegnante
sloveno di lingua quando questi è assente, per
malattia o per motivi di lavoro, mantenendo così
la continuità didattica. Nella scuola dove lavoro la
realizzazione delle lezioni di italiano non è
praticamente mai sotto il 100% e in più di un caso
va oltre. In un caso sfortunato, poi, quando una
classe ha cambiato tre insegnanti di italiano in due
anni, gli studenti hanno espresso apprezzamento
per il fatto che la mia presenza fosse rimasta
costante, alleviando così gli effetti negativi degli
avvicendamenti dei professori sloveni.
Un altro importantissimo aspetto della presenza
nelle scuole slovene degli insegnanti stranieri è
che questa aiuta gli studenti a conoscere culture
diverse dalla propria e di conseguenza ad
approfondire la conoscenza e consapevolezza
della propria. Tutto ciò con l'obiettivo di
sviluppare negli studenti, ma anche negli
insegnanti, una visione critica, ma più aperta delle
problematiche
legate
all'intercultura
e
multicultura, problematiche che è ormai
fondamentale e assolutamente necessario inserire
nell'insegnamento nelle scuole slovene. La
Slovenia, infatti, solo negli ultimi anni si sta
aprendo alle
diverse culture attraverso
l'immigrazione e in parte anche grazie al turismo,
ma è chiaro che nei prossimi anni dovrà affrontare
anch'essa gli stessi problemi che stanno già
affrontando da anni altri Paesi europei, come la
Gran Bretagna, la Germania, la Francia o l'Italia.
L'insegnante straniero porta in classe la sua
cultura, le sue conoscenze e il suo modo di vedere
la propria cultura e quella slovena. Questo non
significa assolutamente che la cultura, le
conoscenze o la visione del mondo dell'insegnante
straniero siano in qualche modo più giuste o
migliori di quelle degli studenti (o degli
insegnanti) sloveni, ma rapportarsi ad una persona
di un'altra cultura, anche quando piuttosto vicina
alla propria, può essere molto utile per abbattere
le barriere della diffidenza, dell'intolleranza, degli
stereotipi e di alcune convinzioni granitiche. Ci
sono moltissimi piccoli esempi che si possono
43
fare, ma penso che uno possa bastare per tutti: da
quando sono in Slovenia ho sentito infinite volte
parlare della questione di Trieste, sia dagli
studenti che dagli insegnanti e la cosa interessante
è che quasi nessuno si chiede se la propria
versione della storia sia vera, così come quasi
nessuno in Italia si chiede se la versione della
storia che conosce sia quella vera; solo
nell'incontro delle due versioni della stessa storia
ci si può rendere conto che esiste un'altra storia,
un'altra visione degli stessi fatti e che persone
assolutamente normali pensano in modo
completamente diverso dal nostro e hanno
differenti convinzioni, le quali non sono in alcun
modo meno giustificabili delle nostre.
Da un altro punto di vista l'insegnante straniero
costringe anche lo studente a farsi domande sulla
propria cultura e a cercarne gli aspetti più positivi.
Una tendenza naturale delle persone è cercare le
differenze tra sé e gli altri e quindi anche tra la
propria e l‘altrui cultura. Nel rapporto con
l‘insegnante straniero quindi lo studente cerca di
definire i tratti caratteristici della propria cultura e,
anche guidato dall‘insegnante, sloveno e/o
straniero, sviluppa una maggiore consapevolezza
ed un atteggiamento positivo verso di essa. In
questo ambito una materia come ―Slovenija v
svetu‖, parte del progetto Evropski oddelek, mi
sembra fondamentale. Nella mia esperienza in
quel progetto, infatti, gli studenti cercavano di
presentarmi aspetti della Slovenia da me non
conosciuti, in una situazione di comunicazione
autentica e oserei dire anche gratificante: lo
studente può insegnare qualcosa al suo professore,
ma per farlo deve prima approfondirne lui stesso
la conoscenza.
Infine, un ulteriore importante aspetto della
presenza dell'insegnante straniero come valore
aggiunto per la scuola slovena è il fatto che la
flessibilità del suo orario gli permette di essere di
supporto all'insegnante sloveno di lingua
dedicando alcune ore al sostegno degli studenti in
difficoltà oppure a programmi più individualizzati
per gli studenti più dotati, sia con attività
extrascolastiche sia con ore aggiuntive oppure
anche nell'ambito del normale orario degli
studenti, ma in gruppi separati e più piccoli. In
questi casi il valore aggiunto è evidente sia per gli
studenti che ricevono un insegnamento quasi su
misura, sia per gli insegnanti sloveni che possono
contare su un sostegno esterno che in molti casi li
può alleggerire della difficoltà, molto accentuata
nell'insegnamento delle lingue straniere, di dover
contemporaneamente seguire studenti con livelli
diversi di comprensione e capacità. Finora nella
mia esperienza i risultati sono sempre stati molto
positivi, da un lato per i risultati raggiunti dagli
studenti con questo sostegno aggiuntivo e
dall'altro per il cambiamento di atteggiamento
della maggior parte di essi, che hanno cominciato
a percepire la scuola come un luogo di opportunità
a loro favore piuttosto che di obblighi contro di
loro. A questo può contribuire anche il fatto che di
solito gli insegnanti stranieri sono più in contatto
con le istituzioni del Paese della lingua obiettivo
(ambasciate, istituti di cultura, centri di ricerca o
altro) e quindi possono dare importanti
informazioni o consigli agli studenti desiderosi di
approfondire la propria conoscenza della lingua o
della cultura di quel Paese. Per esempio una
studentessa che ho messo in contatto con l'Istituto
di cultura italiano per una borsa di studio in Italia
in due anni ha ottenuto due borse di studio per
studiare in Italia, ha deciso di partecipare alla gara
nazionale di lingua italiana, vincendo un
importante premio, e ha deciso di migliorare la
sua conoscenza della lingua e della cultura fino a
scegliere l'italiano per la maturità; ma ciò non ha
influito solo su di lei perché quella studentessa ha
entusiasmato anche alcune sue compagne,
portando ad un generale miglioramento nel
rendimento della classe, almeno per quanto
riguarda l'italiano.
Per concludere vorrei ricordare il ruolo
fondamentale che l'Istituto per l'Educazione della
Repubblica di Slovenia (Zavod RS za šolstvo) ha
nel fare in modo che gli insegnanti stranieri
inseriti nel programma OUTJ siano veramente un
valore aggiunto, nei diversi aspetti sopra esposti, e
non rimangano invece al livello di meri assistenti
senza apportare alcun cambiamento nel modo di
intendere l‘insegnamento delle lingue straniere
nelle scuole slovene. In questi cinque anni, ma
soprattutto durante l‘ultimo anno, ho avuto la
possibilità di partecipare a numerosi incontri
organizzati
e
condotti
dall‘Istituto
per
l‘Educazione e ritengo di averne ricevuto un
grande arricchimento professionale, che ho potuto
portare nelle due scuole in cui lavoro, insieme alla
consapevolezza di essere parte di un processo di
cambiamento della scuola slovena.
Spero quindi che questo processo potrà continuare
anche in futuro perché sarebbe un peccato, direi
quasi una disgrazia, abbandonare tutto proprio
quando questo cambiamento diventa ancora più
necessario.
44
Andrea VALENTI, ITALIJA,
italijanšĉina
Name & Surname:
Andrea VALENTI
Age: 38
Nationality: Italian /
Croatian
I was born in Pula, Croatia, to
an Italian father and a Croatian
mother. I completed my
educational process in Italianlanguage schools at all levels.
When I was 18 years old, I moved to Italy where I completed
my university studies. I graduated from the University of
Triest in Foreign Languages and Literatures (English and
Italian). In the year 2001, I was an Erasmus student in
Scotland (UK). During the stay in the U.K., I completed
research for my University Degree in Germanic Philology.
In 2006, I completed a Master of Arts in Human Rights
Studies at the IUIES - International University Institute for
European Studies in Gorizia, Italy. My thesis was on the
international legal framework in the Guantanamo Bay
prisoners case. During that period, I made a stage at the
Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities Research “EuroBalkan” in Skopje, Macedonia.
Before moving to Slovenia, I taught History of the European
Union at the Slovenski deţelni zavod za poklicno
izobraţevanje in Gorizia (Italy), Italian language at different
private language schools in Italy and Slovenia, and English
language at the Slovenski deţelni zavod za poklicno
izobraţevanje in Triest (Italy). Before that, I worked as the
assistant manager of an Italian engineering and services
company based in Padua.
I have been living in Slovenia since 2008. I moved to
Slovenia for personal reasons, and because I was looking for
a job opportunity. It was not difficult to get used to the country
and its people since my personal culture is half Slavic, and I
can now say that I feel this country is a part of me. Since my
arrival, I have been employed as a foreign teacher in different
projects coordinated by the National Education Institute of
Slovenia. During the last four years, I have worked at
Gimnazija Poljane, Srednja šola Domţale, Gimnazija Antona
Aškerca and Gimnazija Joţeta Plečnika.
By now, I am fluent in the Slovene language. I speak Italian
as my first language and Croatian as my second familylanguage, and of course I am fluent in English.
Mi sono laureato presso l‘Università di Trieste nel
2001 e sono qualificato per l‘insegnamento della
lingua italiana all‘estero.
Mi rivolgo a Lei nella speranza che questa lettera
e le altre lettere dei miei colleghi insegnanti
stranieri possano far sentire le nostre istanze e le
nostre considerazioni arricchite dalla nostra
esperienza diretta nella aule scolastiche.
Il 31 agosto scadrà il quarto anno da quando
lavoro come insegnante nei licei della Slovenia.
Ho avuto modo di cambiare diverse scuole (Liceo
di Poljane, Scuola media superiore di Domţale,
Liceo Joţe Plečnik e Liceo Anton Aškerc) e
durante questo percorso ho iniziato a credere
sempre di più negli obiettivi e linee guida del
nostro progetto. E‘ stata una crescita per tutte le
persone
coinvolte
in
questa
avventura
professionale, da quelle che si occupano della
gestione a quelle che in classe portano avanti le
teorie e i metodi discussi durante i nostri seminari
mensili.
In questa mia vorrei sottolineare l‘importanza del
progetto dal punto di vista didattico e, secondo
me, i vantaggi che uno studente sloveno può avere
da progetti di questo genere.
Quello che immediatamente salta all‘occhio è la
collaborazione continua tra l‘insegnante straniero
e l‘insegnante sloveno della lingua obiettivo.
L‘insegnamento collaborativo prevede un
continuo coordinamento e una costante e
dettagliata pianificazione del lavoro da fare in
classe a tutto vantaggio della qualità delle lezioni
proposte ai ragazzi. I due insegnanti si completano
a vicenda, e mentre l‘insegnante sloveno può, per
esempio,
soffermarsi
sulle
caratteristiche
sintattiche e grammaticali della lingua, siccome
conosce il pensiero cognitivo dei discenti,
l‘insegnante straniero può invece completare il
processo di apprendimento proponendo un‘analisi
della cultura della lingua che parte dall‘interno,
essendo egli nato e cresciuto nell‘ambiente dove
la suddetta lingua viene parlata.
Gentile Ministro,
Tante volte capita che i due insegnati condividano
idee e valori e a questo punto i temi proposti in
classe assumono una valenza maggiore e gli
studenti si trovano coinvolti maggiormente
riportando così un migliore risultato complessivo
in termini di apprendimento linguistico.
mi chiamo Andrea Valenti e sono un insegnante
madrelingua di italiano coinvolto dall‘anno
scolastico 2008/09 nel progetto OUTJ del ZRSS.
Sappiamo quanto la cultura sia importante
nell‘apprendimento di una lingua. Essa diventa il
mezzo attraverso il quale avviciniamo e
Pismo ministru
45
motiviamo i ragazzi nello studio di una lingua. Il
nostro ruolo, cioè quello di insegnanti stranieri, in
questo contesto si è dimostrato essenziale.
Provenendo dal paese della lingua obiettivo siamo
capaci di individuare e scegliere criticamente i
vari temi, e soprattutto scremare le fonti e
focalizzare le lezione su aspetti e peculiarità che
l‘insegnante sloveno, seppur grande esperto e
conoscitore della lingua, non riesce a individuare.
In
questo
caso
il
valore
aggiunto
dell'insegnamento collaborativo è evidente.
Molto spesso noi insegnanti stranieri proveniamo
da culture miste, il che aggiunge una prospettiva
multiculturale alle ore che svolgiamo nei licei
sloveni. Essendo in Slovenia presenti anche vari
gruppi etnici, il ruolo dell‘insegnante straniero
diventa molto importante. Egli può fungere da
mediatore culturale che, attraverso la sua
esperienza personale che ogni giorno porta in
classe, aiuta ad abbattere stereotipi e pregiudizi
che ha volte possono emergere durante le lezioni.
I ragazzi sloveni spesso sono maggiormente
motivati nell‘insegnamento delle lingue quando si
trovano davanti due insegnanti che si completano
a vicenda e quando capiscono che hanno
un‘occasione preziosa, interagire con una persona
che è diversa da loro perché proviene da una
cultura diversa e parla una lingua diversa. In
questo modo le loro menti che in quel momento si
stanno ancora formando, accettano o al limite
riflettono sulla diversità e su prospettive diverse
dalle loro. Molto spesso ho riscontrato un vivo
interesse e curiosità per la mia figura di
insegnante. Sta all‘insegnante poi veicolare questo
interesse e cogliere l‘opportunità di trasformarlo
in qualcosa di costante e stimolante ai fini
dell‘apprendimento della lingua obiettivo.
Uno degli obiettivi del progetto è la
collaborazione tra le materie linguistiche e le altre
materie del curricula scolastico. Il valore aggiunto
che posso testimoniare e riguarda questi anni di
lavoro è notevole. Porto solo un esempio tra i
tanti. Le collaborazioni tra italiano e letteratura
slovena sono state spesso eccellenti, sia dal punto
di vista linguistico, che da quello contenutistico e
quindi
strettamente
letterario.
Essendo
appassionato di letteratura è stato naturale per me
pianificare diverse ore con l‘insegnante di lingua
slovena e riuscire così a presentare i grandi nomi
della letteratura italiana ai ragazzi nelle scuole. La
motivazione è sempre risultata essere sopra la
media (e lo provano le nostre valutazioni
sottoposte agli studenti dopo le suddette ore) e
l‘interesse per una materia a volte ostica è
aumentato. I discenti attraverso la letteratura
italiana i discenti così si avvicinano ulteriormente
alla lingua e conseguentemente apprendono più
facilmente e in modo alternativo l‘italiano (tante
volte il solo fatto di sentire un pezzo dell‘Inferno
di Dante letto in italiano è stimolante e foriero di
risultati positivi per l‘ora in questione).
Il progetto punta a usare anche le competenze
specifiche di ciascun insegnante straniero. Avendo
concluso un master universitario in diritti umani,
ho potuto sfruttare le mie conoscenze e applicarle
dal punto di vista contenutistico alle lezioni a
scuola. Tante volte abbiamo trattato il tema
dell'immigrazione coniugato alla lingua e cultura
italiana. In questi casi il nostro lavoro a scuola va
ben oltre l'insegnamento della lingua. Diventiamo
cioè educatori che espongono agli studenti temi
socialmente importanti e apriamo loro una
prospettiva nuova e ricca sul mondo.
Un altro punto fondamentale delle mia esperienza
è il lavoro a progetto. Questo metodo didattico
viene declinato all‘insegnamento della lingua
collaborando con insegnanti sloveni o con altri
insegnanti stranieri. Quasi sempre gli studenti
apprezzano e anche così riusciamo a creare quella
mescolanza tra professionalità e conoscenza
personale che servirà da stimolo per un
insegnamento d'alta qualità della lingua obiettivo.
In queste righe ho cercato di riassumere i punti
salienti di un progetto e di un‘esperienza che
reputo preziosi per me come insegnante e per i
ragazzi sloveni come discenti. Abbiamo cercato di
offrire e presentare le lingue in un modo diverso,
nuovo, fresco ma allo stesso tempo mantenendo
uno standard di qualità molto alto. In molti casi
siamo riusciti a far amare una lingua o a renderla
più piacevole. Sarebbe un grande peccato se
questo progetto centrato sugli studenti dovesse
concludersi. So che la mia lettera è una goccia nel
mare, ma quello che posso sicuramente dire e che
io ci ho messo competenza, passione e simpatia.
Distinti saluti.
Andrea Valenti
46
Philip JACOBS, NEMĈIJA, nemšĉina
Ime in priimek:
Philip JACOBS
Starost: 45
Državljanstvo:
nemško
Izobraževanje in
usposabljanje:
1987: Abitur (matura) v Berlinu
1987-1993: študij biologije na
FU Berlin, 1993 diploma
1998-2001: podiplomski študij andragogike na HU v Berlinu
(ob delu)
2006-2007: dopisni študij, Goethe-Institut: metodika in
didaktika poučevanja nemščine kot tujega jezika
Delovne izkušnje:
- Raziskovalec biologije na višji šoli Eberswalde (2 leti)
- Docent in raziskovalec biologije na HU Berlin (2 leti)
- Raziskovalec v privatni medicinski firmi (3 leta)
- Oblikovanje spletnih strani ekoloških organizacij (več let)
- Prevajanje SLO-NEM, ANG-NEM, ŠPA-NEM, deloma
tudi obratno (več let), tudi kečuanščina-NEM
- Sodelovanje pri sestavljanju slovarja PONS (SLO-NEM)
- Poučevanje odraslih iz medicine (več let, mdr. v
medicinski firmi)
- Poučevanje odraslih iz nemščine kot tujega jezika (na
jezikovnih šolah in
- na Goethejevem inštitutu)
- Poučevanje dijakov iz nemščine na slovenskih
gimnazijah (3 leta, prjekt OUTJ)
Znanja in kompetence
- Materni jezik NEM, Tuji jeziki SLO, ANG, ŠPA idr.
- Veselje pri poučevanju in prevajanju
- Dober odnos do dela, natančnost, ustvarjalnost,
samostojno učenje
- Petje, znanje nemške knjiţevnosti, znanje iz zgodovine,
obseţno splošno znanje
Zakaj sem prišel do Slovenije? Zaradi ljubezni (ţivljenje z
ţeno, ki prihaja iz Kamnika, in z otroki) in kar sem v Berlinu
ostal brez sluţbe.
Pismo ministru
Sehr geehrter Herr Minister,
ich schreibe Ihnen, weil ich Ihnen mit Beispielen
insbesondere aus eigener Erfahrung erläutern will,
warum die Beschäftigung muttersprachlicher
Lehrer aus dem Ausland im slowenischen
Schulsystem für die Qualität des Unterrichts in
Fremdsprachen bzw. Sprachen außer dem
Slowenischen wichtig ist. Ich will dabei auf vier
Punkte eingehen: die derzeitigen FremdsprachenProjekte mit Lehrern aus dem Ausland, die
Situation zwei- oder mehrsprachiger Schüler in
Slowenien und die môglichen Vorteile eines
offiziellen Faches Muttersprache Deutsch (und
anderer Sprachen) im Rahmen der ôffentlichen
Grund- und Mittelschulen, die môglichen Vorteile
zweisprachiger Schulen sowie die Fôrderung der
deutschen Sprache als erste Fremdsprache
(môglicherweise im Gegenzug für eine Fôrderung
des Slowenischen in Österreich).
Ich lebe nun bereits zehn Jahre als deutscher
Staatsbürger mit meiner Frau, einer slowenischen
Staatsbürgerin, und meinen vier Kindern in
Slowenien. Seit zwei Jahren arbeite ich im
Rahmen des Projekts Bereichertes Lernen von
Fremdsprachen (im folgenden BLFS, slowenisch
Obogateno učenje tujih jezikov OUTJ) an der
Mittelschule Domţale (Srednja šola Domţale)
sowie – zwei Tage pro Woche – am Joţe-PlečnikGymnasium in Laibach (Gimnazija Joţeta
Plečnika Ljubljana). Davor war ich im Rahmen
des Projekts der Europäischen Klassen (Evropski
oddelki) am Schulzentrum Cilli (Šolski center
Celje) beschäftigt. Darüber hinaus besitze ich
mehrjährige Erfahrungen im Deutschunterricht an
Sprachenschulen sowie mit Übersetzungen aus
verschiedenen Sprachen, insbesondere dem
Slowenischen, ins Deutsche, wozu auch die
Mitarbeit am Slowenisch-Deutschen Wôrterbuch
von PONS gehôrt. Da meine Kinder hier in
Slowenien zur Schule gehen, ist meine
Perspektive nicht nur die eines Lehrers, sondern
auch die eines deutschsprachigen Vaters, von
dessen Kindern keines im Unterricht einen Satz
Deutsch hôrt.
Beginnen wir mit dem Projekt BLFS und dem
auslaufenden Projekt Europäische Klassen, in
denen muttersprachliche Lehrer sowohl TeamUnterricht mit slowenischen Lehrern als auch
eigenverantwortlichen Fremdsprachen-Unterricht
durchführen.
Aus
eigener
mehrjähriger
Lehrerfahrung kann ich sagen, dass die
slowenischen Schüler den aus dem Ausland
kommenden Lehrer akzeptieren und seine
Anwesenheit begrüßen. Auffällig ist, dass Schüler
in den Europäischen Klassen, die neben dem
regulären Deutschunterricht zwei zusätzliche
Stunden in der Fremdsprache im Team-Unterricht
mit einem muttersprachlichen Lehrer haben, in
der Regel deutlich sprachgewandter sind als
Schüler anderer Klassen. Ähnliches kann ich auch
bei meinen derzeitigen Klassen beobachten, bei
denen ich zwei- oder dreimal pro Woche im
Team-Unterricht anwesend bin, im Vergleich zu
Klassen, die nur einen slowenischen Lehrer haben
oder die den muttersprachlichen Lehrer hôchstens
einmal pro Woche sehen. Die Sprachgewandtheit
47
bezieht sich sowohl auf Kommunikationsfähigkeit
als auch auf mündlichen und schriftlichen
Ausdruck sowie Hôr- und Leseverständnis.
In Fragebôgen bezeichneten Schüler meiner
Klassen unter anderem die Anwesenheit zweier
Fremdsprachen-Lehrer, den geteilten Unterricht in
zwei kleineren Gruppen sowie die Tatsache, dass
der aus dem Ausland kommende Lehrer mit den
Schülern ausschließlich bzw. überwiegend in der
Zielsprache kommuniziert, als Vorteil dieser
Unterrichtsform.
Es liegt auf der Hand, dass ein Lehrer, dessen
Muttersprache die Zielsprache des Unterrichts ist,
diese auch in der Kommunikation mit den
Schülern bevorzugt, während ein Lehrer, der
dieselbe Muttersprache wie seine Schüler hat,
immer wieder auf diese zurückgreift, um sich die
Kommunikation zu vereinfachen. Hier liegt ein
besonderer Vorteil des muttersprachlichen
Fremdsprachen-Lehrers, der bei einer ganz
natürlichen Kommunikation die Schüler immer
wieder seiner authentischen Ausdrucksweise in
der Zielsprache aussetzt, so dass neben den
bewusst als Lernziel gesetzten Inhalten auch auf
unbewusstem Wege authentische Sprache
vermittelt wird, was sich erfreulicherweise in
Äußerungen der Schüler zeigt. Durch seine
Kenntnisse der Literatur in seiner Muttersprache
hat der Lehrer einen reichen Schatz an Quellen
authentischer Texte für den Unterricht in
geschriebener, gesprochener und gesungener
Form. Dabei kann er die Feinheiten im Ausdruck
erfassen, wie es niemand kann, der die Sprache
nicht
als
Muttersprache
spricht.
Die
Zusammenarbeit mit dem slowenischen Lehrer
bietet wiederum Môglichkeiten, gute slowenische
Übersetzungen zu erarbeiten. In jedem Falle
fôrdert eine solche Begegnung zweier Kulturen
das Erlernen interkultureller Kompetenz.
Beim Unterricht an Sprachenschulen sind mir
Schüler begegnet, die nach acht Jahren
Deutschunterricht an slowenischen Schulen
schwere mündliche und schriftliche Ausdruckswie auch Verständnisprobleme hatten, Ich bin
nach meinen Lehrerfahrungen fest davon
überzeugt, dass es hierzu beim Einsatz
qualifizierter muttersprachlicher Lehrer, aber auch
bei kleineren Lerngruppen und einem auf
Kommunikation ausgerichteten Unterricht nicht
so leicht gekommen wäre.
Ein sehr erfreulicher Nebeneffekt der zusätzlichen
Anstellung muttersprachlicher FremdsprachenLehrer für den Team-Unterricht ist die
Môglichkeit, geteilten Unterricht in kleineren
Gruppen durchzuführen. Der Vorteil liegt auf der
Hand: Bei Gruppen von acht bis sechzehn
Schülern hat wirklich jeder die Môglichkeit bzw.
ist auch dazu genôtigt, zu Wort zu kommen, so
dass gerade auch weniger selbstbewusste Schüler
gefôrdert werden. Im Allgemeinen halte ich es für
unangemessen, fremdsprachlichen Unterricht in
großen Klassen (in der in Slowenien üblichen
Klassengrôße) abzuhalten, da zum Erlernen einer
Fremdsprache die aktive Kommunikation
unabdingbar ist. Bereits eine Anzahl von über
zehn Schülern ist hier hinderlich.
Vor diesem Hintergrund wäre es ein großer
Verlust für den Fremdsprachenunterricht in
Slowenien, wenn das Projekt BLFS gestrichen
oder in seinem Umfang gekürzt würde, vielmehr
sollte
durch
Festanstellung
qualifizierter
muttersprachlicher Lehrer aus dem Ausland der
Team-Unterricht wie auch eigenverantwortlicher
Fremdsprachen-Unterricht durch Muttersprachler
Teil des slowenischen Schulsystems werden.
Zu betonen ist in diesem Zusammenhang auch,
dass die große Unsicherheit, ob es nach Ablauf
des Arbeitsvertrags eine Verlängerung gibt, für
die aus dem Ausland stammenden Lehrer eine
schwere, kaum zumutbare Belastung darstellt,
weshalb sich manch einer nach anderen
Verdienstmôglichkeiten umsieht und für das
Projekt verloren geht. Deshalb ist es wichtig,
Môglichkeiten für eine dauerhafte Anstellung zu
schaffen.
Kommen wir nun zum zweiten Punkt: Viele
Kinder und Jugendliche in Slowenien sind
zweisprachig. Manche von ihnen haben zuvor
Schulen im Ausland, z.B. in Deutschland oder in
Österreich besucht. Meine Kinder gehôren zu
dieser zweisprachigen Bevôlkerung, wobei nur
mein ältestes Kind bereits anderthalb Jahre die
Schule in Deutschland besuchte. Alle meine
Kinder sprechen jedoch fließend Deutsch, sie
sprechen zu Hause mit mir, teilweise
untereinander und selbst mit manchen Freunden
Deutsch. Sie sehen deutsche Filme, hôren
deutsche Lieder und lesen neben slowenischen
auch deutsche Bücher. Das slowenische
Schulsystem bietet ihnen jedoch keine
Môglichkeiten, in seinem Rahmen davon zu
profitieren.
Der
fremdsprachliche
Deutschunterricht, wie er an slowenischen
Schulen angeboten wird, entspricht nicht ihren
Lernbedürfnissen. Deshalb haben sich meine
beiden älteren Kinder am Gymnasium für
Italienisch als zweite Fremdsprache entschieden,
während sie an der Grundschule keine zweite
Fremdsprache hatten. Sie profitieren dabei
übrigens sehr von der Mitarbeit eines Lehrers aus
48
Italien in der Europäischen Klasse und sprechen
erstaunlich gut Italienisch. Das Problem ist
jedoch, dass das slowenische Schulsystem kein
Unterrichtsfach Deutsch als Muttersprache oder
auf muttersprachlichem Niveau zulässt (und auch
keine andere Sprache, z.B. Kroatisch oder
Albanisch, mit Ausnahme der beiden anerkannten
Minderheitensprachen innerhalb der festgelegten
Gebiete). Durch meine Unterrichtserfahrung habe
ich auch slowenische Schüler kennen gelernt, die
durch ihre Kindheit im deutschen Sprachraum
oder auch einfach nur durch intensive Nutzung
deutschsprachiger Medien ein Niveau der
deutschen Sprache erworben haben, das sie
ebenso wie meine Kinder für ein solches Fach
Deutsch als Muttersprache geeignet macht. Einige
solcher Schüler habe ich im Einzelunterricht,
wobei sie zu erstaunlichen Leistungen fähig sind.
Da es regelmäßig nur wenige Schüler pro
Jahrgang sind, wäre es meiner Meinung nach
angemessen, an Grund- und Mittelschulen
jahrgangsübergreifende Gruppen für diese Schüler
zu schaffen, wobei muttersprachliche Schüler mit
slowenischen Schülern mit herausragenden
Vorkenntnissen problemlos kombiniert werden
kônnten. Anstatt vorhandene Potentiale brach
liegen zu lassen, kônnte man so die sprachlichen
Potentiale der Schüler und somit deren
Mehrsprachigkeit und interkulturelle Kompetenz
optimal fôrdern. Muttersprachliche Lehrer wären
für den Einsatz im Deutschunterricht auf
muttersprachlichem Niveau die richtige Besetzung
und
bei
gleichzeitiger
Tätigkeit
im
Fremdsprachenunterricht nicht einmal mit
zusätzlichen Gehaltskosten verbunden.
In Slowenien gibt es bis heute eine Reihe von
Menschen deutscher Abstammung, darunter
Nachkommen der mehreren hundert Gottscheer,
die
sich
der
Aussiedlung
durch
die
Nationalsozialisten widersetzten und so in
Slowenien verblieben, nach dem Zweiten
Weltkrieg aber zwangsassimiliert worden sind.
Unter diesen gibt es ein starkes Interesse an der
Sprache der Vorfahren. Ich sehe keinen triftigen
Grund, dieser Gruppe einen zweisprachigen
Unterricht, der mit der ersten Klasse der
Grundschule beginnt, zu verweigern. Der
Unterricht derselben Fächer sowohl in der Erstals auch der Zweitsprache führt in der Regel dazu,
dass die Zweitsprache intensiv erlernt wird, ohne
dass die Kenntnisse in der Erstsprache leiden. Die
Schüler erwerben auch Fähigkeiten zum
Übersetzen und Vergleichen der beiden Sprachen.
Als Modell kônnten die zweisprachigen
slowenisch-ungarischen Grund- und Mittelschulen
in Prekmurje dienen. Sehr attraktiv kônnten
solche Schulen auch für deutschsprachige
Einwanderer wie meine Kinder sowie für
slowenische Schüler mit den oben beschriebenen
Vorkenntnissen sein. Warum sollten solche
Schulen – offen für alle Schüler der Region –
nicht auch in der Gottschee, in Laibach und
Marburg sowie môglicherweise an anderen Orten
mit vorhandenem Interesse eingerichtet werden?
Gefôrdert würden dadurch die Mehrsprachigkeit
und
interkulturelle
Kompetenzen.
Deutschsprachige Lehrer würden hier in
Zusammenarbeit
mit
slowenischsprachigen
Lehrern alle Fächer unterrichten. Ähnliches wäre
mit vergleichbarem Nutzen auch für andere nicht
offizielle Minderheitensprachen durchführbar,
würde die Potentiale zweisprachiger bzw.
interessierter, sprachbegabter Personen fôrdern
und das Niveau der Ausbildung erhôhen. Dass
dies môglich ist, zeigt beispielsweise Berlin, wo
es eine ganze Reihe zweisprachiger EuropaSchulen gibt, die sowohl für Einwandererkinder
als auch deutschsprachige Kinder offen sind.
Darüber hinaus belegen Beispiele interkultureller
zweisprachiger Erziehung auch auf dem
amerikanischen Kontinent, dass Kinder, die
zusätzlich in ihrer Muttersprache Unterricht
haben, auch in der dominanten Landessprache
bessere Kenntnisse erzielen.
Kommen wir schließlich noch zur allgemeinen
Situation des Deutschunterrichts in Slowenien.
Mit großem Bedauern stelle ich fest, dass Deutsch
in den Regionen Sloweniens, wo es bisher als
erste Fremdsprache angeboten worden ist, immer
mehr verschwindet und durch Englisch verdrängt
wird. Andererseits gibt es in anderen Teilen
Sloweniens einschließlich der Hauptstadt keine
Môglichkeit, zwischen mehreren Sprachen für die
erste Fremdsprache zu wählen. Ich teile die
Meinung slowenischer Lehrerkollegen, dass dies
unlogisch und lebensfern ist, schließlich ist
Österreich Nachbar, und Deutschland und
Österreich sind die wichtigsten Handelspartner.
Nicht zuletzt ist aber Deutsch auch von
historischer Bedeutung und noch dazu – wenn
auch eine kleine – Minderheitensprache. Durch
den Einsatz von Lehrern mit deutscher
Muttersprache kônnte der Deutschunterricht auch
in den Anfangsklassen der Grundschule attraktiv
gemacht werden. Môglich wäre auch ein
Lehreraustausch mit Österreich, wobei im
grenznahen Gebiet auf slowenischer Seite
Deutsch und auf ôsterreichischer Seite Slowenisch
Pflicht-Fremdsprache wäre. So kônnten beide
Sprachen als Zweitsprachen gefôrdert werden.
Ähnliche Modelle sind auch für die Grenzgebiete
mit den übrigen Nachbarn Sloweniens denkbar.
49
Ich hoffe, dass meine Anregungen für Sie
hilfreich sind und verbleibe
mit freundlichen Grüßen
Philip Jacobs
Ministrstvo za izobraţevanje, znanost, kulturo in
šport
Masarykova 16, 1000 Ljubljana
Zadeva: Projekt OBOGATENO UČENJE TUJIH
JEZIKOV
Gerosa
LAMBERGAR,
nemšĉina
NEMĈIJA,
Ime in priimek:
Gerosa LAMBERGAR
Starost: 40
Državljanstvo:
slovensko
Rojena v Stuttgartu (Nemčiji)
kot hčerka slovenskih staršev
sem bila dvojezično (nemško
– slovensko) vzgojena. Svojo
celotno šolsko in študijsko
obdobje, ter nekaj delovnih izkušenj sem preţivela v Nemčiji.
Za utrjevanje francoščine sem med drugim tudi študirala dve
leti v Franciji.
Leta 1996 sem diplomirala ( Erste Staatsprüfung) in leta
1998 sem opravila strokovni izpit ( Zweite Staatsprüfung) v
Stuttgartu in pridobila naziv: profesor Srednje Šole za
francoščino, geografijo in glasbo (Staatlich geprüfte Lehrerin
an Realschulen in Deutschland). Da bi spoznala deţelo mojih
staršev in osveţila slovenščino kot drugi materni jezik sem
prišla v Slovenijo in se tukaj tudi poročila.
Najprej sem dve leti poučevala kot asistent za nemški jezik
na Srednji Vzgojiteljski Šoli in Gimnaziji Ljubljana in nato kot
gostujoči učitelj dve leti na Gimnaziji Poljane. Od avgusta
2005 do avgusta 2006 sem bila na porodniškem dopustu
(rojstvo 1. sina).
Potem sem dve šolski leti poučevala francoščino na Osnovni
Šoli Valentina Vodnika. Tu sem bila tudi mentorica dvema
tujima učiteljicama francoščine, s katerima smo z različnimi
oblikami timskega poučevanja imeli prijetno učno vzdušje.
Vse te bogate izkušnje, ki sem jih nabrala v Sloveniji, so bili
povezani s tem trenutnim projektom »Obogateno učenje tujih
jezikov« . Po sodelovanju na obeh straneh teh primerljivih
projektih – najprej štiri leta kot tuja učiteljica in potem dve leti
kot slovenska učiteljica – sem se (po rojstvu 2. sina) po
drugem porodniškem dopustu vendar spet vrnila na delovno
mesto tujega učitelja, ker je nemščina le moj prvi jezik. Sedaj
sem 3. šolsko leto na Gimnaziji Vič, kjer smo sodelovali eno
leto na projektu »Razumevanje v tujih jezikih« in sedaj drugo
leto na projektu »Obogateno učenje tujih jezikov«.
Pismo ministru
Gymnasium Vič
Trţaška cesta 72
1000 Ljubljana
Spoštovani,
Rada bi Vam prikazala pomembnost našega
projekta in hkrati nujnost njegovega nadaljevanja.
Naši primeri in izkušnje so« iz prve roke«, tega
domači učitelji enostavno ne morejo zagotoviti. S
takšnim načinom dela, tuji učitelji lahko
omogočamo pravo avtentičnost in medkulturno
učenje pri pouku tujega jezika.
Običajno poučujemo enkrat na teden na
posamezni razred, skupaj s slovenskim učiteljem
pri pouku nemščine. Z njim sodelovalno
poučujemo v različnih konstelacijah odvisno od
teme. Največkrat pouk poteka tako, da si
razdelimo razred in poučujemo manjše skupine,
kar je zelo produktivno za pogovor, komunikacijo,
konverzacijo ali diskusijo. V drugem primeru pa
lahko tudi povem, da je prisotnost dveh učiteljev v
razredu precej priljubljeno med dijaki, ker
omogoča bolj individualiziran in diferenciran
pouk, laţje vzpostavljanje discipline in delo po
skupinah.
Vsakoletne ankete pokaţejo zainteresiranost in
radovednost dijakov za delo s tujim učiteljem,
učenci so zelo motivirani za sodelovanje. Pouk je
kot ene vrsta spremembe za učence in glede nato,
da je drugačen kot klasičen pouk verjetno ravno
zaradi tega včasih tudi bolj zanimiv.
Razlog je v tem, da po njihovem mnenju tuji
učitelji uporabljajo raznolike teme, aktualne
dogodke in prave druţbenopolitične probleme
današnjih časov. Razlike so tudi v večji
prilagodljivosti in kreativnosti
pri samem
predavanju, saj te lastnosti naj bi tuji učitelji ţe
pogojno vsebovali, ker večinoma poučujejo v
najrazličnejših timih: v šolskem projektnem timu,
v medkulturnih timih, v večpredmetnih
povezavah, v inter- in multidisciplinarnih
povezavah …
Tuji učitelji izvajajo več medpredmetnih povezav,
s tem učenci dobijo večjo širino in različnih
perspektiv. To so povezave med jezikovnimi
predmeti ali nejezikovnimi predmeti. Na naši šoli
izvajamo največkrat medpredmetne povezave med
nemščino in geografijo ali glasbo ali umetnostno
zgodovino ali psihologijo ali biologijo.
50
Če povzamemo, bi lahko rekli, da tuji učitelj
vnaša dodano vrednost v pouk tujega jezika in na
šole nasploh in da s tem tudi pripomore k dvigu
kvalitete pri pouku.
S spoštovanjem,
Gerosa Lambergar
Maja von LEHE, NEMĈIJA, nemšĉina
Name & Surname:
Maja von LEHE
Age: 39
Nationality: German
I am a child of the windy, salty
air part of Germany, from
Hamburg - that is also where I
studied
psychology
and
sociology. In addition I
completed a post-graduate
qualification as a teacher of German as a foreign/second
language.
After my diploma I worked for three years as a career
consultant in a business consulting agency. Here in Slovenia
I began to work at the Goethe-Institute, then as a teacher at
foreign language schools. In 2006 I started as a foreign
teacher in various projects coordinated by the National
Education Institute of Slovenia. First employed by Gimnazija
Lava in Celje I then quickly found my working homebase at
Gimnazija Kranj where I also joined the school development
team. At the Institute I have previously worked as as
coordinator of all German foreign teachers within the project.
In an effort to avoid any possible boredom I was also
teaching for five years a class of the German children who
live in Slovenia.
Being happy to function as a change agent in developmental
projects I decided to have one on my own and in 2011 gave
birth to surely the cutest baby boy ever. I have just returned
from maternity leave and look curiously forward to the
adventures yet to come...
Slovenia was introduced to me by my then brand new
boyfriend who had Slovene roots. I immediately fell in love
again – this time with charming Slovenia. Having travelled a
lot and always being keen on the experience of actually living
in a foreign country I was thrilled by this one which seemed
cosily old-fashioned and at the same time vibrant by the
many young people.
Generally speaking I am fond of humans, cross-cultural out
of curiosity and love to cook, especially hot curries. Not to
forget my favorite sport: shuffeling the baby carriage up to
the hill Roţnik!
Pismo ministru
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
heute wende ich mich an Sie, um Ihre
Aufmerksamkeit auf ein Schulprojekt zu lenken,
welches schon länger als Flagschiff des Schulamts
und damit Ihres Ministeriums fungiert: das Projekt
OUTJ. Ich arbeite darin bereits seit 6 Jahren als
ausländische Lehrerin, bin noch immer täglich
davon begeistert und môchte auch Ihr Herz für
dieses
enorm
effektive
Instrument
zur
Verbesserung des Unterrichts an "unseren"
slowenischen Schulen gewinnen, da wir in der
aktuellen Lage auch gerade Ihre Unterstützung zu
seiner Fortführung benôtigen.
Was genau habe ich - gemeinsam mit meinen
slowenischen Kolleginnen und Kollegen –
gebracht?
Kurz gesagt: Frischen Wind an Sloweniens
Schulen!
Erreicht haben wir dies durch Unterrichten im
Team mit dem Schwerpunkt auf interkulturellen,
authentischen
und
individualisierten
Unterricht.
Um Ihnen nur einige, wenige Beispiele zu geben:
Zum
Thema
Fôrderung
interkultureller
Fähigkeiten:
Der
von
mir
initiierte
Schüleraustausch
mit
einem
Hamburger
Gymnasium (von woher ich stamme) ist zu einer
wirklichen interkulturellen Begegnung geworden.
Ich habe ihn in eine großes, interdisziplinäres
Unterrichtsprojekt zum Thema Migration
eingebunden: Schüler verschiedener Klassen
haben beispielsweise ihre Definition von Heimat
gesucht und gefunden; von den Auswirkungen
einer Migration habe ich ihnen aus erster Hand
berichten kônnen. Weitere Meinungen dazu haben
die Schüler mit Hilfe von von ihnen in München
interviewten
slowenischen
Auswanderern
generiert. Als bleibendes Dokument dieses
Projektes haben die Schüler eine zweisprachige
Internetseite zu diesem Thema entworfen.
Ein Beispiel, wie ich den Unterricht môglichst
authentisch gestalte: Ich habe einen sehr alten
Freund, der im zweiten Weltkrieg Soldat war. In
Zuge einer von mir gestalteten Unterrichtseinheit
zum Thema „Warum war A. Hitler damals so
beliebt?― habe ich einen Briefwechsel mit ihm
organisiert, er antwortete dort auf ihm von den
Schülern gestellte Fragen.
51
Die Schüler schätzen es sehr, wenn ich den
Unterrichtsstoff mit Beispielen aus meinem
persônlichen Leben veranschauliche. Eines Tages
habe ich die Geschichte meiner Großmutter
erzählt, wie sie im zweiten Weltkrieg flüchten
musste: 34 Schüler einer sehr lebendigen vierten
Klasse waren am Freitag in der letzten Stunde 15
Minuten totenstill.
Was die Individualisierung des Unterrichts
anbelangt, so ermôglicht mit meine Ausbildung
als Diplom-Psychologin, mich besonders gut in
verschiedene Kulturen und Persônlichkeiten
hineinzuversetzen und so Schülern in schwierigen
Lebenssituationen fachgerecht helfen zu kônnen.
Auch zu diesem Zweck biete ich regelmäßig
individuelle Konsultationen an, die über einen
reinen Sprachunterricht hinausgehen kônnen. Es
hat sich vielfach gezeigt, dass sich dadurch nicht
nur die fremdsprachlicnen Fähigkeiten der jungen
Menschen verbessern, sondern sie auch in ihrem
persônlichen Wachstum deutlich unterstützt
werden.
Auswirkungen meiner Tätigkeit auf Schüler und
Kollegen Zusammenfassend lässt sich anmerken,
das sich die Schüler besonders motiviert zeigen,
da der Unterricht lebendiger geworden ist und sie
an Hand meines Beispiels besonders ihre
Aussprache und ihren Wortschatz beständig
verbessern kônnen. Neben ihrer aktiveren Rolle
im Unterrichtsgeschehen gefällt ihnen besonders,
dass sie durch mich aktuelle Informationen über
die deutschsprachigen Länder und aus dem
„wahren― Leben bekommen.
Der Erfolg des Ansatzes zeigt sich beispielsweise
darin, dass wir in den letzten Jahren im Fach
Deutsch keine Nachprüfungen mehr vornehmen
mussten, oder auch, dass sich einige Abiturienten
selbst nach Beendigung ihres Unterrichts die
Fortführung der individuellen Konsultationen
wünschen.
Die
Veränderungen,
die
sich
im
Fremdsprachenunterricht ergeben haben, haben
sich auch in anderen Fächern niedergeschlagen.
Beobachtungen zeigen, dass der Funke des
interkulturellen Teamgedankens auch auf andere
Kollegen übergesprungen ist, die feststellen, dass
diese Form der Zusammenarbeit ihren Beruf
leichter
und
interessanter
macht.
Eine
Geschichtslehrerin beobachtete z.B., dass sich der
Blickwinkel der Schüler auf die europäische
Geschichte verändert und erweitert hat.
Wie diese Beispiele belegen, sind die positiven
Auswirkungen des Projekts OUTJ auf die
Entwicklung der interkulturellen Fähigkeiten von
Schülern und Lehrern sowie die erhôhte
Authentizität
und
Individualisierung
des
Unterrichts ebenso tiefgehend wie weitreichend
und nachhaltig.
Genau deshalb würde ich den eingeschlagenen
Weg sehr gerne fortführen. Doch allein mit der
Hilfe
des
sehr
engagierten
nationalen
Projektteams unter der Leitung von Katja PavlicSkerjanc am ZRSŠ ist eine Fortsetzung dieses so
erfolgreichen Projekts nicht môglich, da das
ZRSŠ über die Finanzierung nicht entscheiden
kann.
Was wir benôtigen, ist Ihre Unterstützung. Es
lohnt sich.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Maja von Lehe
Juan de Teresa ROMERO,
ŠPANIJA,španšĉina
Name & Surname:
Juan
de
Teresa
ROMERO
Age: 29
Nationality: Spanish
I did my high school years in my
hometown (Valladolid, Spain)
except for 11th grade, which I
had the opportunity to study in
Frederick, Maryland (USA).
I studied Psychology at the University of Salamca, Spain,
although I did my fourth year at the UMASS (University of
Maastricht, Holland) through an Erasmus scholarship. After
graduating I did a course at the Faculty of Pedagogy in
Salamca which entitles me to be a teacher.
After a 4 year period in Salamanca I went to Lisbon,
Portugal, to work in a primary school as a counselor. During
this time, I was involved in some other community projects,
basically efforts to improve educational and social services to
disadvantaged communities. In Lisbon I started a new
degree in Political Sciences which I am about to finish this
year.
My next destination was Barcelona, were I worked at an
institution with autistic children and people diagnosed with
schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. It was a
challenging but grateful job in which I learnt how to love
people for what they really are, no matter their deficiencies or
mistakes. That is a lesson I got there and that I try to remind
52
myself from time to time, as we humans tend to forget so
often.
To Slovenia I came for love reasons. It was supposed to be
for some months, but it has been almost 4 years already. I
started teaching Spanish in a private language school and
after a while I was lucky enough to start at Gimnazija
Poljane. Here I enjoy my daily work, specially the freedom
and support that is given for developing new ideas. This year
I also started teaching at Šolski Center in Postojna once a
week.
Concerning my skills I think I am quite good at sports (I was
training basketball for many years, and in Spain you get a
football before you start walking).
I also like reading and writing and I think I am not bad at it.
This year I was writing a theater play with a group of students
which we have already performed at different venues.
I also think I am quite ok at teaching, as I am able to
emphatize with people. Well, I guess that is enough talking
about myself.
Pismo ministru
Estimado Seðor Ministro,
Soy consciente de que la actual coyuntura
econñmica motiva a los gobiernos de todos los
países europeos a revisar sus gastos para no
incurrir en un aumento del déficit que perjudique
la entrada de inversiones a su territorio. Así las
cosas, entiendo que también en Eslovenia se
procure realizar ajustes que permitan reducir
costes en aquellas materias que no resulten
imprescindibles.
A mi entender, existen ciertas áreas de la esfera
pública de importancia crucial para el país donde
el dinero deja de ser un coste para convertirse en
una inversiñn a largo plazo que permita solventar
la actual situaciñn econñmica con garantías de
futuro. Un sistema de salud pública sñlido, un
esfuerzo en ciencia e investigaciñn, así como un
sistema de educaciñn pública de calidad, están
entre los pilares sobre los que se construye una
sociedad capaz de afrontar con confianza el
futuro.
En el mundo global que habitamos donde los
intercambios entre culturas están a la orden del
día, considero que el aprendizaje de lenguas
extranjeras es una parte fundamental en la
educaciñn de los futuros profesionales eslovenos.
Por esa razñn, celebro el esfuerzo que se ha estado
haciendo en este campo durante todos estos aðos y
confío en que así siga siendo en un futuro
inmediato.
La enseðanza de un idioma requiere
necesariamente situarlo en la realidad social e
histñrica de los países donde es hablado, explorar
sus tradiciones y costumbres, comprender el
carácter de su gente, manejar con soltura tanto los
registros formales como los informales,
aprehender las formas de comunicaciñn
paralingüísticas, en definitiva, abordar todos los
aspectos que se encuentran implícitos en todo acto
de comunicaciñn entre culturas. Es precisamente
en este punto donde considero que la labor de los
profesores nativos es esencial.
A su vez, me parece que la docencia en tándem
(team teaching) entre profesores eslovenos y
profesores extranjeros aporta una perspectiva
diferente, un diálogo entre puntos de vista
moldeados por la acciñn de culturas distintas que,
si bien son similares en la superficie por la
igualaciñn cultural que ha traído consigo la
globalizaciñn, esconden un universo de
discrepancias a espera de ser debatidas. Es cuando
se tratan los contenidos transversales (en los que
se hace especial hincapié) como pueden ser la
libertad, la discriminaciñn, los estereotipos y
prejuicios, los derechos humanos y un largo
etcétera cuando esta experiencia resulta
particularmente enriquecedora para el alumnado.
Con la presencia en el aula del profesor nativo, se
están fomentando una serie de valores esenciales
para la formaciñn de la personalidad del individuo
y fundamentales para desarrollar las virtudes
cívicas de todo ciudadano. Esto se realiza no sñlo
de manera explíctia a través de los contenidos
trabajados, sino de una forma implícita: la
presencia de un extranjero en el aula con todas sus
peculiaridades personales y culturales con quien te
tienes que entender y comunicar, para lo que es
preciso desarrollar valores como la aceptaciñn del
otro, la no discriminaciñn de otras culturas, la
cooperaciñn, etc.
En cuanto a los aspectos más prácticos, la
presencia de un hablante nativo permite una
educaciñn más directa y personalizada (en
pequeðos grupos, individualmente) en la que la
utilizaciñn de la lengua extranjera resulta
necesaria. Considero este un aspecto fundamental,
ya que, en muchas ocasiones, el no encontrar una
verdadera utilidad al uso del idioma es lo que
entorpece su aprendizaje.
Con el objetivo de encontrar la utilidad práctica
del idioma, así como poder sumergirse en la
cultura del país donde se habla e integrarse
durante una semana en el día a día de una familia
53
extranjera, desde mi escuela y otras muchas se
organizan intercambios escolares, en lo que el
hablante nativo tiene un rol importante como
elemnto facilitador y nexo de uniñn entre ambas
culturas. Se realiza un trabajo previo con los
estudiantes tanto para dar a conocer algunos
aspectos básicos del lugar de destino, como para
lidiar con las expectativas e incertidumbres que
puedan sobrevenir a los estudiantes.
Otro valos aðadido del hablante nativo se da en su
disponibilidad a trabajar en proyectos, con énfasis
en algunos temas presentes en las sociedades de
nuestro tiempo con el objetivo de que el alumno
desarrolle un punto de vista propio y despierte su
capacidad crítica. A su vez, se discuten las
posibles similitudes o diferencias que puedan
darse en otros contextos culturales con los que el
hablante nativo está familiarizado.
También se buscan constantemente contextos
reales para el aprendizaje de la lengua, como
sucede por ejemplo en los grupos de teatro o las
actividades extraescolares centradas en un campo
concreto (deporte e idioma, visionado y discusiñn
de películas, etc.). Con vistas a ofrecer una
docencia de mayor calidad, el hablante nativo
trabaja en auqellas áreas que, bien por su
experiencia vital o por su formaciñn académica, le
permiten hacerlo con la necesaria competencia.
Sin ánimo de acaparar su tiempo en exceso y
agradecido por la posibilidad que se me brinda de
ser parte del sitema eduactivo esloveno, me
despido, no sin antes agradecer nuevamente su
paciencia a la hora de leer esta carta.
Atentamente,
Juan de Teresa Romero
Gimnazija Poljane
Igancio Escriche RUBIO, ŠPANIJA,
španšĉina
Name & Surname:
Igancio Escriche RUBIO
Age: 32
Nationality: Spanish
I am a Spanish guy who has
spent the last 8 years in this
beautiful country. Before I
came to Slovenia, I lived in
Valencia (Spain) and Utrecht
(Holland). In 2003 I got a
degree in Communication, but two years prior I had already
started teaching Spanish, which is my vocation. That is why I
got a Masters degree in teaching Spanish as a foreign
language in 2006. In Slovenia I have been working in several
language schools and since 2008 I collaborate with the
National Education Institute of Slovenia working for
Gimnazija Joţeta Plečnika Ljubljana and Gimnazija Kranj. I
love teaching.
The reason why I came to Slovenia was my girlfriend, who
nowadays is my wife. I like many different things: dancing,
cooking, talking, reading, walking, watching movies,
exploring, swimming, mending broken things... I also love
riding bikes and motorbikes. My current hobby is to play with
my little daughter.
I am an open person and, in spite of my many faults, I
consider myself positive and very flexible.
Pismo ministru
Spoštovani gospod minister,
v Sloveniji ţivim devet let in pri projektu
»Obogateno učenje tujih jezikov« sodelujem štiri
leta. Projekt ima ţe od vsega začetka zelo jasne
cilje, projektna ekipa pa dela projekt vodi na
način, da dijaki iz projekta dobijo kar se da veliko.
Moje delo na Gimnaziji Joţeta Plečnika v
Ljubljani in na Gimnaziji Kranj v Kranju dijakom
omogoča, da je njihova Španščina bolj tekoča, da
bolj špansko kulturo spoznajo iz prve roke. Na
naši šoli predstavljam špansko kulturo, moja
naloga pa je napraviti ure avtentične in za dijake
zanimive, nepozabne. Po oceni dijakov so v
zadnjih letih ure Španščine res zanimivejše, bolj
dinamične, Španščina pa je veliko bolj
uporabljana in prisotna v vsakodnevnem ţivljenju
gimnazijcev.
Seveda razumem, da ste v situaciji, ko morate
omejiti porabo denarja, s katerim razpolaga vaše
ministrstvo, a velika škoda bi bila, če bi ukinili
projekt s tako jasnimi pozitivnimi učinki kot ga
ima ta projekt. Prepričan sem, da lahko najdemo
skupno rešitev, da doseţemo cilj za katerega sem
prepričan, da ga delimo. Da slovenski dijaki
osvojijo tuje jezike na najboljši in najučinkovitejši
način.
Z iskrenim spoštovanjem,
mag. Ignacio Escriche Rubio
54

pisma tujih uĉiteljev ministru

Transcription

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