Language for Peace Forum
Educator Insights
Second Language Expression and Remaking Self
As I’ve begun paddling around in the wide seas of thought in the fields of language, peacebuilding and mission, I’ve come away with the realization that this stuff is at least half in the practice–theory can only get us so far. But that doesn’t stop me from philosophizing often, and this article, Born Again in … Continue reading
Literature and Conflict Resolution
A while ago we shared a resource for books on bullying, and also a list of Children’s books for use in Peace education, and I was reminded about it reading an article by Jennifer Luke and Catherine Myers. The article, entitled Toward Peace: Using Literature to Aid Conflict Resolution, says more eloquently and succinctly the thoughts I … Continue reading
Learning about the Rainforest in German: A Lesson in Empathy (Teacher Interview)
“Empathy is a tricky element in teaching. Many would agree it is essential to truly great teachers, as it underlies deep connection and rapport between student and instructor. That said, it is also not something likely to manifest itself without some sort of shared experience.” -Josiah Long, TESOL Instructor. Consider the above quote as you … Continue reading
The Meaning Between the Words and Peaceful Communication
I was driving to work a while ago and heard a short story on the radio about etiquette and rituals in Japanese business culture, and though I personally am not very interested in business, a part of the discussion caught my ear: “…What’s really important is understanding the different styles of communication that different cultures … Continue reading
What It Takes (And Means) To Learn English As An Adult
In listening to an old NPR news story from 2013, I got a good reminder of the difficulties that language learning presents for older learners. It’s exciting sometimes working with children, noting sometimes quite fast progression and the steady building of language knowledge. I remember the moments in my classroom after teaching a new question … Continue reading
“Why I’m Learning chiNhungue”: Language learning for bridge building
Why is it important to learn languages, especially non-dominant ones? We explore that question quite a bit here on the blog, and there are a myriad of answers to it, but perhaps the best way to answer questions like these are through real-life stories. That is why I think you should give Grace’s blog post … Continue reading
Personal reflections from the Language4Peace workshop
The Language4Peace focused workshop was held during Mennonite World Conference this past Wednesday, July 22. There, Kate Wentland and myself met with group of around 15 or so Anabaptists with experience and/or interest in teaching Language, Peace, and Mission. We began by introducing ourselves and our language identities, answering questions like “What is your native … Continue reading
Who do you help? Introductions from a different angle
How do you introduce yourself? Bernard Marr suggests that rather than throwing a business card, dropping names, or telling our life story, we simply frame our work by saying who we help. Introductions can shape the rest of our interactions and the language we choose can open others up to relating or shut things down. In language learning settings, we are often asked to introduce ourselves as one of the first phrases we say in a new language. Continue reading
Approaching Fluency: Stories from English Language Learners
I’m on the hunt for stories from language learners. What is the experience like? what grabs hold of a learner to motivate them? What are the struggles they encounter? How can we as teachers make it an experiences that enriches and empowers? So, though it is an old recording, I was glad to come across … Continue reading
Creating a National Peace Education Curriculum: Vietnam Peace Education Manual Case Study
In late 2004 and early 2005, the International Congress of Education for Shared Values for Intercultural and Interfaith Understanding and of Religion in Peace and Conflict: Responding to Militancy and Fundamentalism met in Adelaide and Melbourne, Australia respectively. The proceedings from these meetings were compiled, and in my perusal of them I came across an article reporting … Continue reading
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