ERADICATING FOL TOPPI AND FAN CAKE – By Capt Elmo Jayawardena
CandleAid started a new project. We have an ’Out of the Box’ program to teach English to anyone who wants to learn.
It is an 8 week course and another 8 weeks of advanced training. The total is 4 months.
We have planned its contents and the first batch of 6 has finished and so has the 2nd batch of 6. The ones who went through the whole course and successfully leart to speak English were 5.
7 fell off on the wayside, maybe they learnt something.
The 5 who passed speak and write better English than I ever expected. jwe are now on the look out to share this course with others.
The course is given to any one and it is free.
Every week the students do the following.
- 1/ Write an essay of minimum 100 words on a given subject.
- 2/ They will read 2 chapters of a book that is given to them.
- 3/ They will write 25 words in Sinhala and write the equivalent word in English. They will Whatsapp or email the essay and the 25 words to the main coordinator by 1900 every Saturday.
- 4/ They will talk on Whatsapp 7 minutes minimum 3 times a week with an appointed Talk Mate.
- 5/ They will talk 10 minutes minimum ONCE a week with two different Talk Mates.
- 6/ On Sunday at 2030 they will do a zoom conversation with the Head of the Program for 1 hour. This can be a live meeting too. This to chk weekly progress.
There were 6 in the first batch, and one was terminated for not completing one Assignment.
We have talk Mates from different parts of the world. If a Talk Mate volunteers for 7 minute slots they have to do 7×3 per week a total of 21 minutes. Those who do 10 minute slots will do 10 x 6 slots = 60 minutes per week. All Talk Mates can take a week off anytime by informing the coordinator with adequate notice. We always have standbys.
CandleAid is slowly expanding the project. No one pays anything and no one gets paid anything. This is a simple way of operating on ‘Collective Kindness’
A Talk Mate works a minimum of 21 minutes or 60 minutes depending on the 7 or 10 minute he/she volunteers.
If you wish to be a Talk Mate please contact The Head of the program.. You can be a resident anywhere. We have Talk Mates from New York, London and Singapore at present. They manage the time change.
Very important. When students talk, do not correct them. If they say “I is going to the home” ignore it and continue to talk. Interrupting them at that moment breaks their chain of thought. Just go on as long as you know what he/she said is that he/she is going home. No I have never taught English but I have been teaching pilots for more than 50 years.
The extended course of the 2nd 8 weeks is only weekly eassy and 1 hour of Talk Mate conversations. The 1 hour must be with a minimum of 3 Talk Mates. Works out to 20 mts per Talk Mate.
This is the stage that improves the writing and the spoken English.
This entire course is totally dependent on dedicated students and dedicated Talk Mates and Disciplined Program Organizers.
It is a tough course, but it works.
Blue skies
Capt Elmo
Tel +94761662448
