It is sad that I have to type this Story again as the last time I posted on 7th March is somehow could not be uploaded either due to internet problem or the post got deleted by some virus on my pc.
This might be slightly different than what was the original post as I frankly don’t remember the exact words of my posting.
When I was in Class Vth, I was studying in ODF Yeddumailaram which is commonly known to situated and called as “SOUTH INDIA” by rest of the world, Actually geographically when Maharashtra is called in Central or western part of India so places near Hyderabad are technically no exactly in south of India but in a border where we define central and southern part of India.
Though this post do not focus on physical situation of India, I justwanted to use the stereotype that I lived in South India where a language was used which is diffrent than the two popular national lanugage of India i.e English and Hindi.just wanted
As every person in my school was comming form diffrent paraental baground, thus there was no common definite ground to take “HINDI” as basic language. As though Hindi is called as popular National Language of India, I was mostly raised in diffrent part of India where I never felt Hindi as National Language.
Thus as being in English medium school, Everyone was forced to learn English and communicate in the language or else pay the fine. Fine usually use to be small punishment or a note to your parent that the student is miss-behaving or not following the teachers. That note was enough to change the soul of a studnet those days..ha ha…
The main problem we faced in our Class Vth was, before Class Vth we all had permission to talk, express and learn in our native language. But form now most of our literature (except literature of other language) was wirtten in English. Thus to learn these subjects we need to learn English Compulsarly.
Now To teach any language to any person, first of all a “will to learn” has to be developed. The will to learn Engish was created by giving more importance to English than our native langue. People who know english were treated as Royal people and the people who dose not know English were looked down in most of Indian community. So Part 1 of learning English has begun at home, Public places and many other surroundings (including markets and parlaiment house of India). So to be treated as a Royal Member of so called grwoing “SOCIETY” student started learing English.
The second lesson to teach a language after the ‘will to learn’ is teach a person the words. If a person dose not know the words and what dose the indivisual words mean, he would never be able to express what he really trying to say.
Mostly we tried to translate our native language to English and most of Gramaticall wrong sentences developed which sometimes we still think are correct.
The primitve ones were
“They dont have money to walk house” which was exact translantion form Hindi sencence like “Unke Paas Ghar Chalane k liea Paise nahi the”
The better way of writing the sentence would have been “they did not have money to run the household”
Other jokes inclued “Sit Quite, Principle is revolving around the school”
“Open window let the air force come in”
On those days, management of school was still happy that students have at least started trying to learn English what ever the means they are applying.
Some days later, addresing to the problem of words and their meaning, Lot of school started the technique of learning two new words daily.
Every student was asked to learn two new words form the Dictonary and write it on the black board of class which all the classmates use to learn and copy and in their note books.
The motive was every year i.e in 365 days every student can add 730 words to his vocabluary. (365×2=730)
The overall idea seemed good but giving power to kids means their choice to create, distroy or complicate things daily. One of those experice include learnig such words which no one would be teaching the Grade 5 students but are openly availabe in any dictonary.
I know in one of the UTSP I have told you the story how I learnd the meaning of “FUCK” but there is an extension version of the story which was not possible to cover in last ustp.
When it was my turn to write the two new words on the school black board, I wrote exactly this with Chalk and Duster:
The Two New Words of Today
1) FUCK: it is a verb, it means to have sexual intercourse with someone. It also mens damaging or ruining something.
2) FORNICATE: it is a verb, it means to have sexual intercourse with someone is not married to.
Usually this was the time that my English teacher would have left his seat, taken a big cane and hit me with the stick as hard as he could and given a written complaint to my parents for miss behavior.
But this was the first time he was so buzy in laughing over the incidnet that he just said, “I am glad I am your English teacher and not your Science teacher.”
The incident did not stop here and as according to basic rule that what ever goes on black board it is also copied down to each and every student note book without askign a single doubt. And thus it happened. Every student copied down the exact two new words and their meaning on their note book for them to learn for that day and take the notes at home.
I hope lot of students had to go through PEP TALKS all because of my stupidity or naughtiness.
Overall there is nothing in particular I have learned in today’s post just like in most of the post I do. But when I re-think the incident, I just wanted to tell you that I was momentarily a leader at that time when I was given the responsibility to learn two words and tech to all the class. Though because of my either ignorance or naughty behavior I miss leaded all the students and made them learn two words that they shouldn’t be learning at that age.
At school everyone had the learning attitude and mistakes can be overriden. But this can happen in real life too. A person not worth being leader can be made momentary leader and you may have to follow the person. As I know I was happy in childhood to do the naughty things and miss-lead the students as I thought it is fun. But in real life if a leader due to his poor sense of judgment or his ignorance guides you in wrong direction or miss-leads you. It is my humble request to please stop re-evaluate if you are doing right by following your leader and then take your final decision.
Tapish Dongre 