How bizarre ...

The month of May is considered to be the unlucky month in many cultures. We are not superstitious and we see this period as the time when flowers emerge and crops begin to sprout and the whole world is brought back to life. So let’s leave all pessimistic thoughts aside and enjoy the weather and the next issue of The Teacher magazine.

With the perfect weather the problems with discipline can start, especially with the pupils who attend English lessons as optional classes. Ewa Kozłowska wrote about this in her article “Praca z trudną grupą”. The author presents the tricks and practical approach to the discipline problems that may appear in any group of 11-15-year-olds. She also points out the effects ofmistakes made by teachers and the difficulty in repairing them. When we grow older problems do not disappear as if by magic, discipline may no longer be an issue, nevertheless, there are some other aspects of language teaching that need closer attention.

Blanka Frydrychová Klímová in her article “Teaching business English” provides a characteristic picture of a business English learner and sets out a number of key strategic skills that are necessary to master when doing business in English language. She presents the observations and reflections she made about teaching business English during her teaching career.

Teaching and learning languages are strictly connected with the political, technological, economic and social realities of the modern world and they have led and still lead to more contact between people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Globalization has made the world interconnected. The world is rapidly becoming a mixed global village where the role of
languages is extremely important. In an integrated world, integrated learning is viewed as a modern form of educational delivery. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is considered to be an innovative way of learning and teaching languages. To read more and find out some details study the article “Why CLIL?” by Katarzyna Papaja.

To show you that the world with all its complicated and complex matters is not as terrifying as it may seem and tame your fear, we recommend another story by Paulo Coelho, “Rebuilding the
world”. This is a wonderfully simple story about seeing things in a different way, and thinking outside of the box. Children look at things in different ways than adults, simpler and easier. It is the wisdom coming from a child and since children hold the keys to our future we should learn from the young as they are so pure they think best sometimes. This boy from the story in amazingly innocent way rebuilt the world by rebuilding a man.
We, as teachers, educate those innocent children and at the same time have unique chance to learn a lot from them to improve our lives and make the world a better place. Use this wisdom well and enjoy this issue of the Teacher Magazine.

Elżbieta Kwiatkowska
Editor-in –chief

Miesięcznik The Teacher dostępny w prenumeracie. 2009-05-18