Life takes you through stages. Stages that define you. Stages, that define your choices. Stages, that at times, transform you. I may not be the best teacher to my students. I may not be someone cut out for teaching either but the experience from being a student of French to being a teacher of the same language has been immensely enriching.
This takes me back to the time when I began this journey...
I keep telling everyone that French happened to me like an accident. When everyone around me was filling out their M.A applications, I was struggling to figure out which road to choose. "A graduate in English doesn't really have many options in life to choose from" I always told myself. Considering that I picked up another language to keep myself engaged with something that sounds productive enough. Aastha, a very dear friend introduced me to French (for she was learning it at that time) and I can't thank her more for doing so.
This blog post will revolve around a very special person. She is someone I openly admire to the extent that I don't hesitate in admitting that I almost copy and imitate her teaching styles.
My first professor of French, Arpita Dutta and her ways of teaching always inspired me in a way that I can't explain. I remember my first class with her, and I remember how she used to explain the meanings of different words by jumping, hopping and doing all the crazy stuff in class. I remember how she'd never let us think in English. Almost, inadvertently, I saw myself doing the same with my students on my first class. I remembered my first class with her the day I began teaching my A1 students at the School of International language.
The feeling when your students frame their first sentence in a language otherwise unknown to them... it's inexplicable. I am neither earning bomb nor I am too fond of teaching but one thing that keeps me going is- the feeling that I am making a difference to their lives in whichever small-little way I can.
Today, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Arpita Dutta for making this "stage" possible in my life for she is the one who laid the foundation. :)
Wow .. excellent post ! N infact, its the same scenario with me too. I am an engg. and i have completed my C1 level in french but frankly never thought that i would go so ahead. I had taken up french just to pursue something in life other than engg. But sometimes as they say, when things happen unexpectedly, they seem to be more beautiful. I too have posted an article on my journey with french. Do read it when u find time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ingenieurarjunparlefrancais.blogspot.in/2012/09/ingenieur-arjun-et-le-francais.html
Thankyou Monsieur ingenieur ;)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! Reminds me of Harivansh Rai Bacchan's lines where he says, "gar tere mann ka ho toh acha. Jo tere mann ka na ho toh aur bhi acha." :D Life is super unpredictable at times, and that's where the fun begins.
Let me read your post! :)
Amazing blog and very interesting stuff you got here! I definitely learned a lot from reading through some of your earlier posts as well and decided to drop a comment on this one!
ReplyDeleteHey keep posting such good and meaningful articles.
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