Near where I live there’s a lovely little state school with a big playground which is lying unused, in a state of abandon. When I pass by I always remember Oscar Wilde’s story of The Selfish Giant who would not let the local children play in his big beautiful garden, even though they had nowhere else to play.
I thought, ‘If the local authorities don’t know what to do with this place I’ll give them an idea.’
Teachers of English in the schools here in Spain are doing a wonderful job and the idea was to offer evening classes to help schoolchildren consolidate their learning and to extend teaching of the English language to reach a greater number of people by offering classes to adults in the morning and late evening.
The teachers would come from any of the many English speaking countries in the world.
The idea was to create a warm learning environment with attractive activities and teaching methods. The beauty of the language class is that it brings children from different schools, different backgrounds together and they are all equal. They could have playground games in English in that wonderful playground.
Families of low income and people who are long term unemployed would be able to bring their children too and come themselves to improve their chances of finding good employment.
To quote a former pupil in a debate about the right of parents to choose and pay for the best education for their children,
‘All children have the right to the best education.’
We cannot underestimate the importance of the ability to communicate in the 'lingua franca' of global research and the need for young Spanish learners to master English in the contemporary world of increasing internationalization.This school would aim to have high quality teaching open to all because a key E.U. policy is that access to knowledge is a right for everyone and it must be promoted.
Together with my friend and neighbour, Ascen, I approached the local authorities with this proposal. We were told that the school was being used for offices by the local government in Madrid and that before they could do anything with the idea we would have to prove that our interest was not for personal gain but for the community.
Thankfully, my neighbours José and Ascen had the courage and goodwill to join me and form this non profit making association.Together we could get it moving and time will tell if is a good idea and a viable one. Right now we are taking it step by step.
At this stage we are connecting people who are interested in any aspect of the English language. This is a very broad definition but it covers those who have always wanted to learn the language and those who, like myself, have it and want to use it in a social context. We have had shared readings of Oscar Wilde's wonderful plays and stories at the local library already.
We have introduced into the association the idea of bringing together those English speakers who live in the area and would really enjoy a space where they could exchange books, meet people and pursue common interests and those English learners who have invested a lot of time and money in classes but have no opportunity to practise outside the classroom context. A lot of people just need someone to organize the activities for them and that is what we propose to do in ASEDOW. I’m sure our paths can meet.
The lovely thing about this project is that it is not top down.
People are pushing it up.
We are going about this in a happy way. Please don’t come worried about your level of English. Leave your worries at home.
Relax and enjoy the activities that are coming up.
Hopefully these activities will lead us back eventually to the original idea of
la escuela de inglés de Oscar Wilde.
viernes, 29 de enero de 2010
Asociación Educativa Oscar Wilde
By naming the association after Oscar Wilde we raise our hats to this gentle giant because - how many of us who have read his works would like to have been the stranger who did just that, the one man among the crowd of people who raised his hat, as Wilde was being escorted to court from the prison cell handcuffed between two policemen, his head bowed?
From De Profundis:
‘I store it in the treasure house of my heart. I keep it there as a secret debt that I can never possibly repay. That lovely little silent act of love.’
Oscar Wilde’s writing is beautiful, sensitive and deeply Christian. It would be a wonderful destination for all lovers of the English language.
There is another reason why the name of Oscar Wilde is perfect.The name crosses the barriers of race, righteousness and religion. He was born in Dublin. He went to school in Northern Ireland. He was an Irish Protestant from an upperclass and highly respected family.From his mother he learnt to be proud of his Irish heritage and the social impact of literature. He went from fame to infamy and suffered the humiliation of imprisonment in England for his homosexuality. He was a master of the English language and to see, act and perform his plays may seem an impossible task for second language learners but it has been done.
Our first three events:
A children’s Halloween Party
A beautiful walk in Cercedilla
A pub quiz in San Sebastian de los Reyes
They give a taste of things to come and reflect the spirit of the association, also reflected in our logo.
Lifelong learning in a relaxed environment.
From De Profundis:
‘I store it in the treasure house of my heart. I keep it there as a secret debt that I can never possibly repay. That lovely little silent act of love.’
Oscar Wilde’s writing is beautiful, sensitive and deeply Christian. It would be a wonderful destination for all lovers of the English language.
There is another reason why the name of Oscar Wilde is perfect.The name crosses the barriers of race, righteousness and religion. He was born in Dublin. He went to school in Northern Ireland. He was an Irish Protestant from an upperclass and highly respected family.From his mother he learnt to be proud of his Irish heritage and the social impact of literature. He went from fame to infamy and suffered the humiliation of imprisonment in England for his homosexuality. He was a master of the English language and to see, act and perform his plays may seem an impossible task for second language learners but it has been done.
Our first three events:
A children’s Halloween Party
A beautiful walk in Cercedilla
A pub quiz in San Sebastian de los Reyes
They give a taste of things to come and reflect the spirit of the association, also reflected in our logo.
Lifelong learning in a relaxed environment.
lunes, 18 de enero de 2010
Helpful hints for a .....
Happy New Year!! Peace and Prosperity to you!!
HANDBOOK for 2010
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to enjoy yourself
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep to your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
HANDBOOK for 2010
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to enjoy yourself
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep to your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
lunes, 21 de diciembre de 2009
A good pub quiz
Here are some pictures of the pub quiz we celebrated on December 17th in Nuba.
It was great fun.
The questions were challenging, the wine was good and the quizmaster, Melanie, did an excellent job with no microphone to help her.
Her strong voice comes from her experience at closing time in O’ Hare’s bar in Newcastle, where she worked as a student, telling the reluctant customers when it was time to go home.
The winning team scored 9 in the sports section thanks mostly to José Manuel and they also knew the first name of the jazz composer Thelonius Monk. They took home the English breakfast hamper.
The second prize, the box of shortbread went to Belly Dance Power and they answered some very tricky questions too.
Oliver was in good company as you can see!
So was Luis in the team that came third.More girls than guys at this pub quiz.They won a nice bottle of Gordon’s gin.
For a first time it went really well but I know people will be asking for quiz books for Christmas to be ready for the next one. Hopefully Food Hall will field a team too and come to enjoy a relaxing evening after a hard day’s work.
Nuba is a beautiful bar with friendly staff and the owners are charming.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and prosperous new year.
sábado, 12 de diciembre de 2009
jueves, 10 de diciembre de 2009
Christmas Pub Quiz
CHRISTMAS PUB QUIZ
GREAT PRIZES from FOOD HALL!!!!
Date: 17th December
Place: Bar Nuba (Plaza del Voluntariado, esquina C/ Manuel de Falla)
Our thanks to Nieves, Jorge and Silvia for letting us use their bar.
Time: Try to be there around 21.30h. The quiz starts at 22.00h sharp!
What do you have to do?
Come with your friends, form a team, find a table, get an answering sheet,have a drink while you wait for the quiz to begin and write down as many correct answers as you can.
What do you have to bring?
A pen.
This is going to be fun so don’t miss it!
viernes, 4 de diciembre de 2009
Mientras tanto
As we wait for news of the pub quiz I will entertain you with another story. It's my favourite.
Our Eileen (this time my dear sister) was living with me here in Spain for a while. Eileen is a very sociable person and it's not easy finding someone to talk to in English here so she was happy to accompany my friend Pilar and walk her dog together. Pilar was learning English at the time. Anyway one day Pilar didn't turn up and told Eileen the next day that it was because her doctor was ill. 'Oh,' Eileen said, a bit puzzled, 'you and your doctor must be good friends.' 'Oh yes, yes she is my friend but she is my doctor' answered Pilar. Eileen said, 'Oh your doctor is a woman. ' 'Yes yes of course but she is very young.' Eileen nodded, still very puzzled specially when she learnt that Pilar's doctor was only nineteen. The conversation continued in this strange fashion until at last they realised that while Eileen was talking about her doctor Pilar was talking about her daughter.
All those consonants we use and don't pronounce!!
As a little boy in Patricia's class used to say,
'Los ingleses escriben una cosa y luego dicen lo que les da la gana,'
Our Eileen (this time my dear sister) was living with me here in Spain for a while. Eileen is a very sociable person and it's not easy finding someone to talk to in English here so she was happy to accompany my friend Pilar and walk her dog together. Pilar was learning English at the time. Anyway one day Pilar didn't turn up and told Eileen the next day that it was because her doctor was ill. 'Oh,' Eileen said, a bit puzzled, 'you and your doctor must be good friends.' 'Oh yes, yes she is my friend but she is my doctor' answered Pilar. Eileen said, 'Oh your doctor is a woman. ' 'Yes yes of course but she is very young.' Eileen nodded, still very puzzled specially when she learnt that Pilar's doctor was only nineteen. The conversation continued in this strange fashion until at last they realised that while Eileen was talking about her doctor Pilar was talking about her daughter.
All those consonants we use and don't pronounce!!
As a little boy in Patricia's class used to say,
'Los ingleses escriben una cosa y luego dicen lo que les da la gana,'
martes, 24 de noviembre de 2009
Un bonito día de campo
El domingo 22 se realizó la segunda actividad de la Asociación, que consistió en un par de sendas por el Valle de la Fuenfría (Cercedilla).
El día fué magnífico: soleado, temperatura muy agradable y sin lluvia ni nieve. ¿Que más se puede pedir?. Por otra parte, a pesar de lo avanzado del otoño, todavía los árboles conservan muchas hojas y el bosque resulta todo un espectáculo con sus tonos amarillos, ocres......
En total asistimos diez personas con muy variado nivel de inglés, de manera que se pudo hablar en los dos idiomas, en mi opinión de una manera natural, que era en cierto modo lo que se pretendía.
Con respecto a las sendas, creo que fueron acertadas. Desde la estación cogimos el Camino Puricelli hasta el Centro de Educación Ambiental, donde paramos a comer y disfrutar um poco del día y despues, bajamos por el Camino del Agua hasta Cercedilla pueblo.
El día fué magnífico: soleado, temperatura muy agradable y sin lluvia ni nieve. ¿Que más se puede pedir?. Por otra parte, a pesar de lo avanzado del otoño, todavía los árboles conservan muchas hojas y el bosque resulta todo un espectáculo con sus tonos amarillos, ocres......
En total asistimos diez personas con muy variado nivel de inglés, de manera que se pudo hablar en los dos idiomas, en mi opinión de una manera natural, que era en cierto modo lo que se pretendía.
Con respecto a las sendas, creo que fueron acertadas. Desde la estación cogimos el Camino Puricelli hasta el Centro de Educación Ambiental, donde paramos a comer y disfrutar um poco del día y despues, bajamos por el Camino del Agua hasta Cercedilla pueblo.
sábado, 14 de noviembre de 2009
Our Melanie ('Our' indicates I'm writing about a member of my family, in this case my lovely daughter, born and bred in Spain. In Northern Ireland, in our speech, even total strangers soon become acquainted with all the family) went to study in Newry and lived with my family in Castlewellan. In the evenings she worked in a bar in Newcastle.
Now in Spanish you use the word 'molestar' all the time but in English 'molest' has other connotations. Poor dear late Michael Jackson was accused of child molesting. Melanie had been complaining about somebody molesting her and only realised her error when she was told that she was making a grave accusation.
So what word do you use in English.? Well, I was suggesting annoys, bothers ... but Marcos, who had lived in London had a better suggestion... he pisses me off.
Anyway I saved Melanie the bother of writing this story herself. It's not easy facing a blank page is it?
Now in Spanish you use the word 'molestar' all the time but in English 'molest' has other connotations. Poor dear late Michael Jackson was accused of child molesting. Melanie had been complaining about somebody molesting her and only realised her error when she was told that she was making a grave accusation.
So what word do you use in English.? Well, I was suggesting annoys, bothers ... but Marcos, who had lived in London had a better suggestion... he pisses me off.
Anyway I saved Melanie the bother of writing this story herself. It's not easy facing a blank page is it?
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