My
feelings for Aamar Nijer Training School (ANTS)
by Dave
For
two weeks, I had heard about the Aamar Nijer
- My Own Training School - the English Spoken
Confidently course and the Zardozi class, about
the new students in the class and about the
local community of Narkeldanga. The Zardozi
teacher and his willingness to share his knowledge
with the young, the Muslim girls and their enthusiasm.
I
was pleased to know about these students who
wanted to learn. In my life, I had not met many
students who really want to learn. The girls
there were hungry for the English Spoken Confidently
course. After the first class, the students
were so excited about the course that they went
home and told everyone how wonderful the class
is and by the next day, three hundred students
wanted to join the course. I was curious about
these students and the class, which Korak was
conducting. |
Korak and his ANTS
students.
© Aamar Nijer
|
Soon,
I experienced an evening with the students and the
English Spoken Confidently course. Before attending
the class, Korak only told me a few details about
the specifics of the course. What is taught, how
is that knowledge is taught, what homework is given,
how involved are the students – the answer to these
questions I did not know.
There
were about 35 students and one teacher. This felt
like a large class. My initial feeling was that
these students could not be the same students whom
I was told were so excited about learning.
The
class started with breathing exercises and concentration
exercises where the students were guided to reach
to a level of meditation and then slowly relaxing
the whole body to achieve the level of tension freeness
and calm and a better grasping power. This Korak
explained me later. Then there was an activity where
students paired up and spoke general greetings to
each other in English, learning to properly and
confidently introduce themselves to new people and
to make friends. With one teacher and 35 students,
the students were surprisingly focused and cooperative.
Sure, there were a few students who momentarily
laughed, giggled or became distracted, but that
was not unusual. The students were properly disciplined
and it appeared to be effective. When the teacher
would leave the room for a few minutes, the students
would continue to practice speaking English in an
attentive manner.
Next
there was a public speaking / confidence building
/ practice speaking English activity. Each student
was to stand in the middle of the room, greet the
class cheerfully and energetically, and get the
class to sing a song in English with herself. I
cannot recall if any student volunteered to go first,
but many were obviously nervous and some were frightened.
Such an activity, I think, was new for the students.
I was told that during their first class, the students
were very shy about even saying a few small things
about themselves in English.
After
the initial fright of the activity diminished, each
student performed, even the most shy and nervous
students who would repeatedly say they simply could
not do the activity. I was surprised to see these
young girls, from poor, Muslim and conservative
families, speaking in such a vigorous way, which
was unlike a girl from such a background. I had
thought of young girls from poor, Muslim and conservative
families to be timid, reserved and quiet. These
students were supportive of each other, subtly encouraging
each other to become better. Though this activity
was difficult, often the students were smiling.
I saw no student wearing a facial expression that
suggested that they did not want to be in the course,
regardless of how the course continually challenged
them. The teacher would motivate the students and
the students would motivate and energize the teacher
with their desire to learn and the progression they
had demonstrated. That seemed like a good situation.
After
the class was finished, I was given a refreshing
and delicious pineapple juice, which was made by
the students in the previous class where they were
taught to make that, followed by an offer for dinner
and sweets. The students’ generosity has touched
my heart. One of the goals of the English Spoken
Confidently course is to develop the students into
good human beings and it seems as if the students
have already being effected by the classes and they
are using it practically towards becoming a good
human being. If only after a few classes the students
have progressed so far, I can only imagine how advanced
they will be 12 months later when the course is
completed.
If
you want to talk to Dave or if you want to write
to him, then please Click
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