Throwing Chalk: diary of a trainee teacher

These days, when I am asked, “So what do you do, young man?” at some jovial cocktail party, I tell them, “I’m training to be a teacher.”

Which leads to a variety of further questions about who, where and what: post-16 learners, Nincomport College (last year) Porringo College (this coming year, all being well) subject = English. Then the conversation starts to tail off or starts to reveal some prejudice or other of the questioner, usually to do with disruptive pupils, the rise of txt msg Ingl1sh or else the inordinate length of the school summer holidays. Yawn, yawn and yawn again.

However, a Scottish doctor did ask me a follow-up question last week that made me think and struggle for an answer. Apparently, in Scotland, English lessons are just that: English lessons. There is no distinction between language and literature. I have not been able to ascertain if this is actually true, but the question still seems valid: what is the difference? Should there be a difference? Don’t you have to read to write, and then write to prove you understand what you’ve read?

The emphasis in modern teaching (or should I say, the emphasis in teaching-teachers-teaching) is increasingly focused on active learning. That was certainly true at Nincomport College where I did my 1st year's professional practice. The emphasis was also on getting students to set and answer questions of each other – something that was particularly true on the Access to University course.

What's the answer? Well what do you think the answer is? What would you do? If that was you how would you write that? How would you deal with that problem, Mrs Macbeth?

These sorts of techniques helped provoke debate and a deeper understanding of the use of language and the appreciation of literature. In my ighumble opinion they did anyway.

But back to the Scottish doctor, wanting to chat to me at a very inopportune time... The only answer I could come up with was that, “Literature is about reading books, Language is about writing… things.”

Which is both profound, clever and a bit duh-brained all at the same time...

QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) in their benchmark statement, describes the subject of English as being, “characterised by the rigorous and critical study of literature and language. It is concerned with the production, reception and interpretation of written texts, both literary and non-literary; and with the nature, history and potential of the English language. The study of English develops a flexible and responsive openness of mind, conceptual sophistication in argument, and the ability to engage in dialogue with past and present cultures and values.”

And to anyone still awake... Like I say, reading good books and writing good sentences.

Words, and the English language in particular, have never been more popular.

We are living in a Golden Age, possibly in the final years of the printed word and the well-thumbed paperback. The children of Harry Potter are arriving at Further Education colleges with cheap laptops tucked under their arms. As English teachers we need to go with the flow and share what we know. Inform the students with the simple blunt message: you can’t survive in this world without words.

If asked by a student what the point is, I would be tempted to write a simple quote on the interactive white board:

“There’s more to life than books you know, but not much more, not much more.” [Hand in
Glove by The Smiths, 1983]



A song quoting from Shelagh Delaney’s play, ‘A Taste of Honey’, written in 1958.

And now a phrase that brings back 99,500,000 hits on Google. More pages and words than anyone could ever hope or want to read. There is something for everyone when it comes to reading, and nowadays something written by almost everyone - including idiot bloggers like me adding to the word count.

But from cave drawings to carrier pigeons, from Morse code to MSN messenger, it’s all about the communication of ideas and emotions.

Ours is the language of love, laughter and elliptical loquacity. There is still no better way to connect and understand than by writing and reading in English.

Posted by Stipey Sullivan at 21:30 Comments