Let's Get Started

"If it's raining, it must be...." the teacher begins. In unison the collection of second form students all respond, "Spring." "If the sun is shining, it must be..." she begins again, moving quickly around the room to show herself to all the students, who reply, "Summer." And so it goes as the second form students all concentrate on memorization of the seasons, practicing their English in simple, repetitive form. The teacher, who starts with this group as their primary English teacher, will now follow the students to third form, fourth form, and so on.

I was unaware of this practice of language instruction, though learned from speaking to other American teachers who have traveled more widely than I have, that it is a fairly common practice in other parts of the world, Ukraine included. This eliminates the gaps that might form when one teacher passes off his or her students to another teacher. In language instruction this is thought particularly critical, as gaps can take a long time to fill, if they are ever truly filled.

There are maybe twelve of these second form students in this classroom, their workbooks simple picture books with spaces for single words to be filled in. Repetition of sound is emphasized over writing at this young age. The students all resemble one another in that their is a de facto school uniform, which consists of a black or green blazer for the boys, and a dark blazer for the girls of this age. Older boys continue to wear the blazers, while older girls are more apt to simply wear a skirt, dress, or dress slacks. There are no jeans or t-shirts at school, but when I encounter students on the streets of town, they are dressed much like students I might meet in Petoskey, where I live.

The teacher of the second form students seems more harried than the other teachers I've met, but it is no easy task to keep a group of such young students always at attention and always moving toward their goal. The schedule has the langauge teacher with the students for the better part of an hour. The primary teacher, whose English is less advanced than the English teacher's, sits in the back of the room grading papers while this lesson goes on. She also ocassionally pets the class gerbil, which she has on her desk.