boring times

Sometimes I feel like my work is killing me.  Basically I love teaching Spanish and working with people. It fulfils me with energy and even if I have a bad day, since I go to work I come back with new power.

But there are moments when I really hate it. Especially when I say ok let’s prepare some exercices for them, they will be so happy with their new tasks to complete. But it turns out ( in the most of cases) that what makes me feel great about learning languages is not as fantastic for my students.

There are two cases that  I cannot stand. One of them Is someone who makes you question your knowledge or simply asks so many questions about vocabulary that you start considering yourself a dictionary. Well my dears I’m not one and I will never know all these words you are asking me about. Or in different words, yes I may know this vocabulary but it happens that right now, in this moment I will not be able to recall it. 

So please don’t ask me questions like ‘but how can we say jaki kraj taki obyczaj or wybrzeze kości słoniowej’ when I try to focus and teach you preterito perfecto.  Yes, dictionaries exist and even I consult them sometimes. And no, it doesn’t mean that being teacher means that you can’t be wrong sometimes!

On the other hand we have another hopeless case. KIDS.  

When you have in the same group 6,9,11 years old and they are 15 individuals in the same room and you have to (or you are downright) trying to get control over them. 

Sound like mission impossible?

 Yes it, indeed is. 

Small kids can’t write yet  and can’t read so all they want to do is playing and singing songs and colouring but the others? They are bored and tired and try to imagine what does it mean to be there trying not to yell and just finding the rest of your forces to teach them something. 

And all you want to hear in that moment is…

Can I go to the bathroom? I don’t want to write it down… How much time  do I have to sit here? Is there any reward for it?

And when you think that it is completely meaningless and after making up games, songs, and everything what can come to your mind, all of a sudden, you hear: I love it! 

Now I can tell my mum some words in Spanish!

....

And there’s nothing left but smiling.

Have fun!

Aga

story about nothing

I love learning new song by heart!

I think that there’s no better way of learning new vocabulary than listening to new songs. When I was younger and I had to remember all those new words because my english teacher was very strict I was always trying to find a song that would help me. It wasn’t a piece of cake though.

My brain is a tricky thing.  Everytime, when I start learning new language, something wrong happens: I feel like my brain was erasing the one I previously was learning.  That unfortunately happened with french which I was learning in secondary school, then with english when I started to become familiar with spanish… why is it so mean to me?

Then I figured it out ! I have to being in a constant contact with both languages! There is no possibility to leave behind one of them.

Now I’m trying to be a smart-ass! Even when I don’t have much time to read in English or to learn some new words ( what indeed would help me now as I feel like all the English words had disappeared of my brain) I try to watch something. It can be my favourite serie’s episode or a movie doesn’t matter, it counts.

My friends are talking about some geek mobile phone’s applications but I’m not very into it. I have a great luck of living with my bestie, it works better than any application though.  Firstly, each of us makes a list with words that we have to remember and then we talk about them, make questions and quizzes for the other one. Sometimes it’s frustrating as there’s always one of us that have a better day and memorizes them like a supernova but still, we have a lot of fun.

Well, I’m running out of ideas so I guess it means that the end of this post is imminent.

Take care!

Winter holidays

Yes I know that this post is a little bit delayed but still counts doesn't it?

Now my time is soooo fulfilled that I don't have time for anything. I'm so glad that sundays are free for me and I can literally do nothing.

So I wanted to post my note now, well maybe I don't find it overwhelmingly interesting, I'm not in mood :)

This is the time when I don’t have time for nothing, just running between work, university and trying to keep up with my home duties, meeting my friends in the meantime. I try to focus on the most important things such as family, education but it’s really hard!

Ok let’s stop pretending. I love watching films and series and that’s why I can’t manage time to do something constructive.  Then I fall into some kind of paradox.  When I have too much free time I want to have it more, but then, when it happens that there’s no need  to read, write and prepare materials for work I don’t really know what to do with myself. So I’m being unbearable or I complain on everything…

What’s wrong with us? Why do we always want the opposite? If I have too much free time I want to work then when I’m in a constant rush I dream about being at home.

Here’s the situation. I’ve been querulous all the time because of the lack of spare time and because  every day I had to do something related with my university. Now, when I have 2 weeks  of holidays and I can finally stay at home, do nothing, meet with my friends I cant! Why? Because I’m too lazy to do so.  Or I’m too tired because of doing nothing.

Ok. that’s all for today. Hope You had wonderful time! During your winter holidays. Or maybe you’re working  as I have to J

Green heaven

Hi! 

Today I want to to share with you with my favourite places in Northern Ireland. I will divide this post in 3 or 4 parts because they are ( in my opinion) utterly interesting. I'd like you to travel with me through this amazing country and part of the world. 

Ok let's stop this blabbering and get to the point.

Norther Ireland, with its capital Belfast is situated by the ocean. As you probably have seen on photos and you may know from tv advertisements, its shockingly and vividly green and all the views are breathtaking and unforgettable once you already get there. I could even say (besides some exemptions) that it's pure and untouched. 

First things first I may say that there are things that astonished me from the begging. I lived in the norther part of Northern ireland, in Colerain which, with two other cities, are named Threecity just like our polish equivalent. One of them ( of the things that suprised me the most of course) was that if you like to, you can get to the beach with your own car. Literally, you can actually  kind of park your car on the beach. Irish people do that very often and what's more, they even bring barbecues and spend there their spare time with friends and family throwing the party! Unfortunately, the ocean is horribly cold even in summer so if you don't have a wetsuit you will probably freeze, well unless you're a winter swimmer (in polish mors).

But landscapes including the ocean are brilliant. Clear, blue water, white sand and green fileds with adorable sheeps everywhere.

Are you feeling excited yet?

you should be. And it's just the beginning.