2.Woche Bald sind die drei ersten Wochen um und viele Dinge sind zum Alltag geworden. Was das Unterrichten angeht, kann ich nur eines sagen: Frustration in ihrer Reinform. Ich hatte in Zürich bereits zu kämpfen und einige Lektionen haben mir am Ende des Quartals kaum mehr Freude bereitet. Hier in der Mongolei ist es aber noch einiges schwieriger. Während manche Kinder sehr gut mitarbeiten oder mindestens "zu wenig erwünschtes Verhalten" zeigen, gibt es zu viele Kinder mit "zuviel unerwünschtem Verhalten", respektive ohne Respekt vor uns "foreign teachers". Ich finde es sehr schwierig zu eruieren, wo die Ursachen für dieses Problem liegen, es gibt mit Sicherheit mehrere Factors that play a role.
one hand, I do not speak Mongolian, which causes particularly the older pupils and students to make a joke now and I do not understand. When my 5-year-old first-graders for the same reason it is very challenging, even to design instruction that works. Some children do very well to the immersion teaching, others are more intimidated or can not understand that I am accustomed to their Mongolian stories they're telling me, (still) can not understand. Then the kids seem to mind have that foreign teachers often weave games and songs in the classroom. This causes even the youngest children, in befehlerischem tone "teacher - make game, make game" to say. The third reason probably lies in the education of children. You can tell immediately who is used to indicate the tone at home.
A third class it stands out in particular. On Thursday I had collected in a Natels lesson two, three friendly books, a baggage chips and a Lolipop! When I wrote something on the board and for a moment was not paying attention to one of the girls was promptly snatched her mobile and quickly disappear from the desk in her sweater can be. Previously, someone had called four times on the mobile phone that was lying on my desk. I insist: "Who's trying to call you during class?" Student: "My brother, my younger brother":-D The postitive about the whole thing is that these kids certainly do not lag behind the technology.
In any case, there are great moments in teaching and some incredible students - whose performance I must praise all the more after this week I my first Mongolischlektion at Enkhtuya, one of our English teachers had. Ida and I were the only and so the hour (the full two hours long) to a spontaneously chosen Beginners hour. Enkhe leaves us informed of the Mongolian alphabet, which consists of 35 characters and ran with a mad pace of the very interesting lesson. She went with us to the other Zeichen durch und wir übten die Aussprache. Im Moment geht es darum, das wir das Alphabet gut beherrschen und somit die Mongolische Schrift (eigentlich Kyrillisch mit zwei speziellen mongolischen Zeichen) lesen können und danach die Sprache lernen können. Enkhe unterteilte die Zeichen in Vokale und Konsonanten, welche anschliessend nochmals unterteilt werden. Vokale gibt es die gleichen wie in unserer Sprache (a, e , i, o, u), welche alle auch als Doppelvokale (aa, uu) existieren und dann auch - unterschiedlich zusammengesetzt - Laute wie "ä" oder "ö" ergeben. Das tönt jetzt alles einfach, aber die Tatsache, dass es drei unterschiedliche o gibt macht es nicht einfacher. Ausserdem werden die Laute teilweise with other characters are written than in German. The same is true for the consonants: An H is for example an N, an N an I, etc. Then there are finally two characters that are used in the words as a soft sign and field signs. And those who think that there are no subtleties in the debate or deviations from the notation - who has been deceived again. But the language is already simple.
Mongolian is an agglutinative language, that there is a root word (verb) are appended which give staff the time and form of information to which different endings. I see before me a huge challenge and found myself wondering how much I be in Mongolian einem Jahr sprechen und verstehen kann!? Im Moment ist mir alles so fremd und ich habe das Gefühl, ich vergesse jedes Wort und jeden Mongolischen Namen, die mir gesagt werden. Ich kann gerade halbwegs "Danke" ("Bayrtla") verständlich aussprechen. Sonst kenne ich nur die Wörter für Lehrer ("bagsch"), Milch ("suu") , rot (ulaan), Grossmutter (emee). Alles andere ist mir schon wieder entfallen.
Letzten Montag war Tag der Frau, weshalb die Schule ausfiel. Ida hat mich gesagt, dass sie in Old Darkhan an das Food Festival der Mongolian-Turkish High School eingeladen worden sei und so wurde ich etwas später von Nadine und Steven dorthin mitgenommen. Die Frauen der türkischen Lehrer und einige Studentinnen und Lehrerinnen hatten unterschiedliche türkische Spezialitäten gekocht, durch welche wir uns mit Freude durchprobierten. Anschliessen kauften wir auch noch einiges für die folgende Woche. Bei dieser Gelegenheit habe ich einige Lehrer der Schule kennengelernt, welche wohl die beste der Mongolei ist. Burak, einer der Leiter des dormitorys, zeigte uns stolz die grosse Küche, die Schulgebäude und anschliessend das Internat. Er kochte und Tee und erzählte und erzählte... Er ist seit vier Jahren in der Mongolei und bereitet sich momentan auf seinen TOEFL Test vor, um anschliessend Englisch unterrichten zu können. Die Schülerinnen und Schüler der Schule kommen aus der ganzen Mongolei und wohnen fast alle im Internat. Sie have very strict rules and plans and on the weekends are fixed learning time available. Similarly, the students also have free time or do group activities.
One of the female supervisors, Hilal, informed us this morning in the Turkish High School on Turkey's morning meal with the group of their assigned students in the graduating class (year 11). Ida did come this morning at 7:00 clock to my apartment, together we caught a minibus to Old Darkhan (which at this time takes more than the usual 30 seconds) and were warmly received by Hilal. Before I was a bit of studying Ida (piano and economy in Butler) told which was quite interesting because I do not know much about American education. The students were all gathered in the large kitchen, where she cooked the evening meal ... It was admittedly not at all typical Turkish, but still very good. There was black and was eaten with the hands and the help of a fork or a spoon. There were (that is the only authentic Turkish) a scrambled egg, pepperoni dish, bread, piles of pancakes, french fries, fresh butter mixed with sugar (meeega good as Mama's homemade butter, just sweet), butter, boiled with sugar ( "butter syrup"), Nutella, jam and roasted peppers. It was quite a feast that lasted well according hat. Die Schülerinnen waren alle sehr herzlich und erfrischend unkompliziert, wie alle Menschen, die ich bisher in der Mongolei kennen gelernt habe! Die erste Frage ist immer der Name, der für die Leute hier sehr wichtig zu sein scheint. Dann kommt die Frage nach dem Land ("Ohhhhh, I looooove Switzerland" - " So you've already been there?" - "Uhhhm, no!?") und anschliessend nach Beruf/Studium. Alle Schüler hier möchten in Europa, den USA oder Australien studieren. Viele wissen genau wie schwierig es ist und versuchen, nach ein oder zwei Studienjahren in UB, Darkhan (oder für Schüler der Turkish High School der Türkei) ihre Englischprüfungen abzulegen (TOEFL) und anschliessend an eine Uni "abroad" to change. At least for many students of Turkish High School, these doors are wide open. What about the young people of our school, I can not say, but most talk after the year 11 a good German and their English is much better than if they attend a state school. Efforts are also available to offer a 12.Schuljahr, which meets the requirements of universities in Europe and America. It is hoped that these young people, if they finish their studies abroad, come back again sometime in Mongolia and apply their knowledge here ... The same would be even more important in the artisanal sector, who are like this wants to convince, may like to come to Dakhan and see our apartment. In contrast to Ida and Steven and I live Jaisri not in a building built by the Russians from the Soviet era, but in a reconstructed building Mongolian recent. The difference in quality is not to be overlooked.
I can not complain at this point but again, because it is getting warmer here and I have not frozen over the last four nights. During the day it is now with the sun always warm.
yesterday celebrated their Jaisri 28igsten birthday and I was with her and Keichi invited to a restaurant of her brother. This is just in Russia on business, but his Mongolian wife Bilgee had cooked for us. I have contributed a birthday cake, that I would remember but can save as may the two nephews of Jaisri (Abbas, 6, my students and Tarass, 7.Klässler) both no chocolate. The food was not Mongolian, but a mix of various Asian cuisines and veeeery good. Coffee is always, without exception, by the way instant coffee and most of the brand MacCoffee. There are also the Mongolian milk tea MacCoffee it as tea bags. Which is pretty good and I can be sure that no meat swimming in it. I like that fact rather not, and because every restaurant offers a slightly different milk tea, you never know what you get.
