一同學習 Learning Altogether

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無編輯文章，筆誤、誤植敬請見諒

This work is not edited; any typos or whatever faulty areas/spots please kindly tolerate them. TKS!

「妳應該是對人有非常敏銳的感知和觀察能力!」甫與大家開始合作的外籍教師在與我對談時說到。

 

“Your observation towards people is quite sensitive.” Our newly-arrived foreign teacher told me when we exchanged ideas.

 

 

我們在兩個課程當中合作，一個是低年級，另一個是高年級—

由於剛剛開學，校方給這位外師足夠的時間適應環境，並且仍在逐漸將其教學範疇與年段確認的階段。

We worked for two classes: one was a lower while another higher grader—as school has begun just recently, the faculty members would like him to get used to the working environment; furthermore, some time is needed for the finalization of what graders he will teach.

 

 

在低年級我設計的是讓學生會讀「影子」這個詞彙的中文與英語，學生會唸讀之後，他們會以一組一組的方式上台，大方與大家打招呼後，把這個詞彙的中文與英語清楚說出，甚至比出「影子」動作，再學會如何從台上「退場」。

For the lower graders who are around 7 or 8 years old, I would like the students to learn how to say SHADOW in both Mandarin Chinese and English correctly. After such, as groups, students would go onto the stage for the production of practicing greeting their audience, state the wording of SHADOW clearly in both Chinese and English, and even gesture the SHADOW they believe would look like. Afterwards, they'd learn how to retreat from the stage. 

 

 

這位初來乍到的外籍同學對我說：

「是否我可以和這些學生們一起在台上演出呢?」

My new colleague said to me,

“May I perform with the students by accompanying them?”

 

 

我說：

「當然可以，非常好呀!」

I replied “Of course. Please do it!”

 

 

於是，和學生解說過後，該班的兩組學生們非常愉快地與外師上台，歡喜但又害羞地演出……直到最後一組，也就是第三組表示他們不要外師同台，外師這才下台。

This way, after explaining to the students, the first two groups of students were performing with that new foreign teacher of theirs shyly but with such delight. This new colleague of mine left the stage until group three, the last group expressed they did not want to have the foreign teacher working with them.

 

 

另一節我們協同授課的是高年級學生。經過從低年級變化到中年級、最後到達高年級，除了看得出成長軌跡之外，也可以見識到學生在性情方面的變化，包括他們多數更加不願意於眾人面前表達自我。所以，在希望多多了解他們的情況之下，我開始於課堂上提出一連串問題：

Another class we co-teach would be students who are of higher levels, around 11 to 12 years old. From their lower to higher grade levels, these students have changed a lot. Aside from their changes in height and weight, clearly, their worldview and personality have transformed, too, including their unwillingness to express themselves in front of the public. Due to such, I issued a series of questions for the students:

 

 

是否在過去有學習英語的障礙過?

Have you encountered learning difficulties in English acquisition in the past?

 

 

是否有遇過讓人不愉快的英語老師?

Have you met any English teacher who has made you upset?

 

 

是否喜歡英語?

Do you like English?

 

 

是否由於在重要場合需要與外籍人士溝通，而發現英語的重要性?

Have you noticed how important English is when you have tried to communicate with foreigners in important occasions?

 

 

是否會將英語當作未來發展的重要實力?

Will you view English as something important to develop yourself in the days to come?

 

 

當學生們企圖回應這些提問時，這位新來的教育夥伴也思考著。最後，他詢問道：

「我有一些自己的學習經驗想跟學生們分享，請問可以嗎?」

When the students were trying to answer these questions, this new colleague of mine were also thinking. Afterwards, he raised this issue.

“I’ve got some personal experiences I would like to share with them. May I?”

 

 

「當然很棒，請盡量與學生分享!!!」

“Please feel free!” Energetically I said.

 

 

He drew a triangular shape on the blackboard, with each point a word like CULTURE and EXPERIENCES. Then, using English, he began to share with the students his experiences of learning Mandarin Chinese, our mother tongue, not his, whereas I would be interpreting his words into our mother tongue that students can understand.

他在黑板上畫了一個三角形，上面各寫了一個字，例如「文化」、「經驗」等等，接著，他開始以英語分享自己的華語學習歷程，由我從旁逐字逐句口譯。

 

 

“When I learned my mother tongue, English, it was not a class. It was a process. Because of that, I understand when I learn Mandarin Chinese, I cannot view it as something learned in a class. I have to use it. That is why I am here in Taiwan.”

「從小，因為我的母親就是說英語的人，所以，我的母語是英語，它不是一門課程。所以，當我學習華語時，我記取了這樣的經驗值，不將我的華話學習當作是一個課程，我反而把它當作經驗的累積，所以我來到台灣，讓自己生活在華語的環境當中。」

 

 

All of us learn so much altogether that day as such energy flowed inside the classroom where everyone was in awe of the magic we altogether created. The very next day, I told him I would like to give him some feedback. One of the parts I remarked made him feel that I have such great intuition towards people—the kind of intuition is something all of us should possess but have perhaps forgotten or neglected along our journey in life. Since the remark is very professional but also personal in his terms, something about his career, I do not feel right to reveal it here in a work shown to the public. Nevertheless, when people begin to look at each other as equals, we do not force the others to act our own ways. Instead, we respect who they are, what they wish to do, and find our way in between.

當天，我感到在教室裡面有一種奇妙的學習氛圍，如此充滿魔幻的力量，讓在場的我們每一個人都學習到種種奇妙的事物。

 

 

第二天，我告訴這位外師，我想給他與我所進行的協同教學活動一些反饋，而我給他的反饋雖然非常專業，也非常偏向屬於他的個人、及私人領域方面的專業回饋。誠然，在這樣公開的文章當中，不大適合表達得完完整整，但是他也因為這樣的反饋，而告訴了我他看到我對人在觀察上的敏銳度：

一種我們都有，但在歲時推進過程當中，也許逐漸淡化、遺忘了的特質。

 

 

Other than an English course inside the classroom, for someone like me who has done service, humanitarian works for strangers living in dire poverty worldwide, I tend to think what our collaboration that day has demonstrated as long as people are willing to communicate and work through cultural and ideological differences, people grow themselves and the others simultaneously. If we extend such growths to the whole world, imagine that peacefulness we can bring!

除了在教室裡面的學習，對於學生而言的這樣一堂英文課或雙語課程，由長期從事國際偏鄉服務工作的我的角度解讀，我認為當天我們的合作模式所展現的是一種簡單的道理：

 

如果人們願意在尊重對方應有的空間的前提之下合作，同時，適當表達自己的方法和態度，這個人間將充滿多少詳和的氣氛，而我們又會因為彼此之間不斷突破的美好，而有多少成長的可能呀!