[etni] Fw: As we approach "D Day"

From: "Ask Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Etni" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:23:15 +0200
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Rita Braunstein - ritabr@xxxxxxx
Subject: As we approach "D Day"

As those of us who prepare students for the Bagrut exams approach "D Day" 
(or should I call it A B C D E F G day?) I wanted to offer my experience in 
a small class of 'false starters', "teunai tepuach" or whatever you want to 
call the weak students. Perhaps it can enlighten us about the difficulties 
that some students have, beyond understanding the English.
If  any of you are still familiar with it, I prefer to work with an old book 
called "Questions and Answers" which has short progressively difficult 
passages which I read to them, the idea being they start to learn the 
language without the reading and writing difficulties ( I know I haven't 
reinvented the wheel but I think it works). So saying, I read a passage 
which deals with a husband coming home from work, sitting down exhausted and 
asking his wife what she has prepared for dinner.  When she replies that 
they are having fish for dinner, he says he is not in the mood for fish and 
invites her out to a restaurant for steak.  Since it is a book from England 
it is supposed to be humorous and of course the waiter says there is no 
steak and offers them -  fish!   Can anyone envision a problem with the 
passage? I think not.  But as I said, my boys had many problems with it. 
"Why did he go into the living room to sit down while his wife is working in 
the kitchen?"  "What does he mean 'he doesn't want fish'?"  "Why are they 
going to a restaurant?". (There were a few who honestly had never eaten in a 
restaurant). They could understand the English but not the passage!

  I believe we, in the English department have taken it upon ourselves to 
teach not only English but clear logical thinking, general knowledge, polite 
acceptable behavior, etc.  I have been doing so in Israel since 1976 and 
believe we are doing the right thing.  However, we have to be aware that 
Israel is a true melting pot and the students come from such a diverse 
background that some of the simplest ideas to our mind, can cause real 
confusion to them.

So saying, I hope the people in the Ministry have taken this into account 
and both the passages and the questions will be  interesting and 
understandable to the students, in every way.
Rita Braunstein


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[etni] Fw: As we approach "D Day"

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