The bright side of north devon

It feels almost surreal, being here, in Bridge Chambers in Barnstaple after what feels like no more than a couple of days, but it actually is just under 10 days! Time flies when one is having fun, that we know, but how much work, fun and exploring is really going on with the teachers at a typical Teacher Training Course at SOL in North Devon? We asked the participants themselves! At a SOL course, teachers come from many different backgrounds. Most of us however, teach at a public school, and do some tutoring in addition. A slightly smaller number of us is employed in private language schools and only one among us teaches in a private University in her home country – how admirable! When it comes to levels of EFL we teach, many of us work with students between ages 7 and 14 – very important age when it comes to languages - and an experienced few also teach adult learners and children in preschool.

We were proud to learn from the survey that several of us have had no less than 20 years of teaching experience! Most, however have been teaching for about 10 years, along with a few young aspiring teachers, who have been 'in the business' for just under 5 years. Everybody has their own reasons for embarking on a 10-day SOL course in North Devon, the most frequent one being the wish to meet new people and explore the English way of life. Naturally, another motive we had in common was to learn new teaching methods and a great opportunity to speak English 24/7. Towards the end of the course, teachers were asked if they found the course helpful, and an amazing 90% said they were learning a lot and loved the fast pace of each new day in North Devon, while more than a half is sure they will use the new information in their classroom.

How do we as teachers feel about How do we as teachers feel about the SOL Teacher Training course? the SOL Teacher Training course?

We found out!We found out!

The Bright Side of North Devon – Thursday – August 23, 2012

Next, the survey focuses on the teachers' experiences with some of the must see towns of North Devon. Interestingly enough, most teachers fell in love with Lynton and Lynmouth, their gorgeous landscape, the ocean and the famous clotted cream tea. Barnstaple was praised for its hospitality and great history, while, interestingly enough, the most memorable thing about Appledore was its wonderful sunset.

Overall, all of us liked North Devon based on what we visited. Most of us got the impression it was a lovely and quiet seaside area with very polite locals and many great stories to tell. Although most will agree that the English way of life greatly differs from the one we lead at home, all of us connected very well with our host families and most of us found them to be understanding and pleasant people.

Being in the UK, weather is an inevitable issue! Curiously, many teachers said they did not mind the weather, however many of us also admitted it was unbearable to keep up with how much it changes on a daily bases. The one part of North Devon lifestyle that got mostly mixed reviews was its food. Some of us loved it, while other agree that food is not one of its strong points. The traditional English sweets however, seem to be everyone's favourite. As the experience in Barnstaple draws to a close, we were very happy to hear that most of us would like to come back and visit North Devon in the future, and some would even do it ' in a heartbeat'! Overall, the course proved to be a great success, according to our survey.


During the past week, I have visited more places with my SOL group than I had done in the past couple of months all together. The visit to Appledore will stick with me as being both educational and fun, having ended in a wonderfully crowded pub with a cider or Guinness in most of our hands. Croyde's beaches offered me the first glimpse of the Atlantic ocean and its amazing surf.The most stunning moment however, perhaps for all of us, must have been standing near the edge of the cliff in Lynton and gazing at the vast ocean. No wonder Wordsworth used to stay there...

Even now, sitting in Bridge Chambers in Barnstaple with my fellow teachers, all worked up about our online newspaper, nothing can compare to the feeling of teamwork and companionship that not many people experience, but that we have right here.

That is something very special

and worth remembering!


Interesting people

At 65 years old – changing his career There are a lot of people

who work until they age 60 and 65. They collect their gold watch and only want the well-deserved rest after so many years of working. Experts say that today more seniors are choosing to retire and to make a change in their career.

So, this is exactly what happened with Ernie Wills (75 years old) from Barnstaple. This former engineer decided that retirement was not his cup of tea, so he decided to attend another college and become – guess what? – a bee-doctor.

Here is what he had to say about recareering.

•Some people look forward to retirement but they see it as a time of leisure. What about you? No. I tried it for 2 weeks but it just didn’t suit me. I couldn’t face months and months of doing nothing. Then, I said to my wife: “Sorry, I can’t do this, I must find something different to do.” I didn’t want to go back to engineering. Once you leave a company things change.

Ernie Wills (75 years old) - former engineer – now a bee-doctor

He recovered from 4 illnesses and he still had strength to start a new career.

You can see him in this photo, enjoying his glass of wine in his lovely garden


Interesting people

•Have you ever thought of returning to the place of employment from which you have

retired but on a part-time basis? No, because it just won’t work. When you leave, things change. Somebody else takes your job and they have different ideas, different ways to do the job.

It just doesn’t work to go back and try to take over again.

•Jobs most often filled by seniors are: accountants, school-bus drivers or librarians. Why did you choose to be a bee-doctor?

Because it was something different.

•Volunteering often gives seniors a chance to use the skills they spent so much time cultivating. Can volunteer opportunities be found in North Devon? You can volunteer for different things for charity, but not for working. You can’t volunteer to go and do engineering because apprentice people are coming through the ranks, so they need the jobs. If you want to go doing an engineering job, you will stop someone else from moving in.

It’s not fair to the company to try and go back and change back again, so I decided to look for something brand-new. I was listening to the news one day and I heard about bees suffering from diseases and I thought to myself: “That’s something I would be interested in!” So I phoned up the college and asked if there were any courses on bee-keeping and they said “Yes!” I enrolled in the course for 3 months. I decided that was what I wanted to do. Then I went to different shows and meet new people and started to import different treatments.

•Do you think that retirement would be a proper moment to explore a new career? Why? Yes, because it gives you a new outlook on life and it gives you more friends, more things to look forward to, to wake up in the morning and look for another day.

•Is it easy for a senior to find a job in North Devon? No, it’s not easy at all.


Interesting people

•Was the chance to earn supplemental income one of the main reasons of your career change? And how about meeting new people?

Money was not a problem. Money didn’t come into it. It was meeting new people. Since I started doing the bees I’ve been going to all the bee-shows, meet lots of people, made lots of friends. All over the country I have lots of new friends.

•What did you do to upgrade your skills and broaden your knowledge?

I went to college and that certainly helped.

•What was the difference between going to college in your ‘20s and in your ‘60s?

In the ‘20s it was very strict because you always had to be in the classroom, but now it’s very relaxed. You go to the courses you want to go, you go to the lectures you want to go and you do the homework in your own time, on the Internet. It is a very relaxed learning process.

•What was your impression about teachers back then? What about now?

Teachers back then were very set in their ways and they had a class of 25 or 30 students to teach and that was all. Now, it’s more one-to-one. Teachers go out of their ways to make sure students have the right knowledge.

For further information about bee-problems you can visit his web site : http://www.bee-bay.net


Strange People

Surprisingly enough, when Jerry got his first dog, who fathered what now seems to be a proper pack, he was going to have him sterilized. Obviously, he didn’t do it soon enough. ‘Now Henry is the leader of the pack’, explains Jerry pointing to one of the bigger males, ‘He fought his father and he won!’

The Ilfracombe Dog Lover

As we walk up the hill next to the Ilfracombe Theatre, we notice a couple of shepherd dogs running around, playfully. Since we are on a lookout for interesting people for our North Devon newspaper, this does not exactly grab our attention. Soon, however, we find out there is more to it than meets the eye. A lot more.


Jerry, from Ilfracombe, lives in an apartment on the outskirts of town with no less than 17 dogs! Having decided that our ‘interesting people’ section would’t be complete without at least one eccentric, we approach him with our camera. He smiles, all tangled up in dog-leads and tells us the story of himself and his dogs. Needless to say, more and more black – and – white shepherd dogs and pups emerge from all sides of the hill, greeting us by wagging their tails.

Strange people When asked if it is difficult to take care of so many dogs at once, Jerry says it’s a pleasure for him. ‘But, not many people understand’, he complains, and points out that people need to be considerate when walking their own dogs around such a large pack. Well, there you have it! The ultimate dog-lover of Ilfracombe! A great example of how far people are prepared to go in order to pursue their passion.


The Millenium Mosaic

The Mosaic is set in the sunken quay area of the Strand Promenade outside of the Heritage Centre. Each of the 53 panels show an important period depicting scenes of Barnstaple's past, with the focus on the history of the riverfront and quayside. Using coloured mosaic tiles, the scenes were created forming a chronological sequence of significant events from the 10th to the 21st Century.

Fascinating places

Fascinating places

Age Concern Barnstaple were instrumental in helping with the mosaic and through the local office a grant was obtained from the Lottery. The people of Barnstaple gave donations of £1 and their details are to be recorded and buried in a time capsule that will be buried in September within the Town. The first Tile was laid by the eldest lady at Age Concern and workshops were held throughout the Town which enabled residents of Barnstaple to lay their own tiles. The rest of the mosaic panels were made by the two local artists Shannon Ridd and Jonathan Rodney-Jones of Articulture who were commissioned to design and lay the mosaic.


12 Things to do in SeptemberExeter Phoenix - KinderkinoFrom 16 Oct 2011 To 16 Oct 2012 LocationGandy Street, ExeterMonthly Cinema events for mums, dads,carers, babies and children in a safe and comfortable environment. Limited spaces so book early.RAW Comedy at the Barnfield TheatreFrom 1 Jan 2012 To 31 Dec 2012 LocationExeterCome and join us at the Barnfield for a nightpacked full of laughter and raw talent from national and local stand-ups alike.

Guided Historical Walks around Babbacombe and St. Mary ChurchFrom 3 Jul 2012 To 25 Sep 2012 LocationTorquayThe Babbacombe and St Marychurch Local History Society run historic guided walks. They are every Tuesday during July, August and September – starting outside The Royal on Babbacombe Downs Road at 10.30 am.

Selling Dreams : One hundred Years of Fashion PhotographyFrom 7 Jul 2012 To 2 Sep 2012 LocationExeterThis is the first touring exhibition from the V&A’s collection to explore the work of international fashion photographers.

Sea Ilfracombe 2012From 31 Aug 2012 To 4 Sep 2012 LocationIlfracombeAll that is to be celebrated in Ilfracombe & our wonderful coastline! Come along & enjoy the ride.


12 Things to do in SeptemberYMCA Devon Summer Activities ProgrammeFrom 19 Jul 2012 To 5 Sep 2012 LocationClennon Valley, PaigntonCome and join our fun packed Summer Club!Exeter Cathedral – Cathedra 900From 23 Jul 2012 To 30 Sep 2012 LocationExeterInnovative high quality multimedia digital art project by Mark Ware - aims to interpret the cathedral's history spanning nine centuries.

Nowhere Island

From 1 Sep 2012 To 4 Sep 2012

LocationIlfracombe

Nowhereisland’s territory originated from an island newly revealed by a retreating glacier in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

Torbay Vintage Bus Running DayFrom 2 Sep 2012 To 2 Sep 2012 LocationTorquayAbout 30 buses, several of which spent some of their working lives in the Bay, have already been entered for the free event.

Port of Dartmouth Royal RegattaFrom 30 Aug 2012 To 1 Sep 2012 LocationDartmouthHuge extravaganza with air displays, tennis, running, yacht races, children's activities, fireworks, plus much more for the whole family.


12 Things to do in SeptemberMussels by MoonlightFrom 6 Sep 2012 To 6 Sep 2012 LocationBrixhamA magical evening aboard a boat that will help spotting dolphins, seals, seabirds and other amazing marine life.

Queens Theatre 60th Anniversary ExhibitionFrom 8 Sep 2012 To 13 Oct 2012 LocationBarnstapleThe Friends’ Committee of North Devon Theatres will be leading a day that celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Queen’s Hall and Theatre.


My real experience

Impressions of visiting Lynton, Lynmouth and

Ilfracombe

How exciting and amazing places are they!

Imagine rocky coasts, green hills with goats, wild horses, sea lapping, seagull crying. I really liked taking photos in the Valley of Rocks, walking down to Lynmouth, having cream tea, visiting a museum.

Go to see this of Exmoore National Park and enjoy it and then you will understand why it is called Little Switzerland.

And the next day I had other wonderful feelings from Ilfracombe. We were visiting Chocolate Museum, Tunnels beaches, passing a famous theatre, admiring beautiful nature, dark blue sea, palms, lovely flowers, sandy beaches, Union Jack on a hill etc. We really loved various kinds of Cornish pasties.

Impressions of the course

I’d like to invite you for this course. It is full of interesting ideas, suggestions and materials how you can motivate pupils more in an unplugged way. At the same time you visit interesting places, meet nice people and improve your English.


My real experience

Impressions of my host family I’d like to mention my host woman Jane, because I speak to her every day. Her husband Tony has night shifts at work and I’ve talked to him only twice. Jane is very friendly, kind, smiling, optimistic, enhusiastic person in spite of her problems with health. She has had 45 operations and has been waiting for the next one for 6 years. She takes 35 tablets a day, but she doesn’ t admit anything. She is helpful. Jane painted her neighbour’s flat and helped with cleaning because she needed help her friend’s husband left her and broke into her flat and stole furniture. I admire her power and vitality when she is so ill. I was surprised by her kindess and willingness not only in my host family, but all around me : at restaurants, shops, in streets. I must disagree with overgeneralization that the English people are reserved.


My Own

SOL Experience

No matter where we come from or how experienced we might be, the feeling of stepping into the Heathrow airport in London rarely differs for any of us – nervousness, excitement and anticipation of what may come when we, as teachers of EFL come to Barnstaple, North Devon and meet our host families for the first time. What came next however, has proven to be a dazzling adventure. For me, personally, coming to North Devon was a unique experience. On the first day, when we were greeted by our host families in front of TESCO's - one of England's latest inevitable landmarks, I remember thinking, 'every corner of this town looks picture-perfect!'. And if it doesn't the locals will strive towards making it so.

Coming to an English home was an enormous change, but a wonderfully positive one, to be sure. At this point, I can honestly say I enjoy the English lifestyle, the way everyone walks their dog in the morning before heading off to work, the impeccable politeness, and all of the wonderful new expressions – the 'tea' at 6 o'clock, how cheep or 'dear' things are and how we take 'coaches' instead of buses ...



Expressions learnt in Barnstaple

2. We went to a lovely

seaside town, Appledore

and we heard the

________________ of

the seagulls.

a. lappingb. shriekingc. rustling

3. During our input

sessions with Mark and

Luke we enjoyed the

________________ of

the birds outside.

a. twitterb. roarc. cry

4. On the second day of our course we went to the editing office of the North Devon Journal, where the editor explained us how the Journal is made. She mentioned that one of their stories got legs. It means:

a. It’s not true. (as it can easily run away.)b. It’s true. (as it stands on minimum two pieces of evidence.)c. It will go on. (as it can move on its legs)

1. On our very first day our professional guide Tom explained that to ford a river means.

a. to swimb. to crossc. to clean

Why don’t you test yourself on lexis and methodology?

QUIZ

Choose the best alternative.


Expressions learnt in Barnstaple

8. In Lynton an elderly woman told us as we were getting off the bus looking for our umbrellas: “It’s all right ________________ . As you can see, it is spitting again.”

a. sheepb. duckc. kitten

10. He has also mentioned this proverb: “Every cloud has a _______________lining.”

a. silverb. goldenc. shining

7. Our trainer Luke showed us a picture of a jackdaw as a lead-in to his presentation. It is:

a. A glossy black European bird of the crow family that nests in towers and steals mainly shiny objects for its nest.

b. A guy, fellow, buddy (informal way of addressing a stranger.)

c. A portable device for raising heavy objects.

5. We learnt that there are some on-calls working for them. These people:

a. make their reports on phone by calling their interviewees, as there aren’t enough offices for them.

b. are telephone geeks; who use their smart phones in their work.

c. are waiting to be called in.

6. In one of our input sessions we heard a story of a grouchy man. That means that he is:a. shy and modestb. grumpy and bad temperedc. impolite and rude

9. We learnt that in Devon in just one day we can experience four seasons. It rained every day. To cheer us up our trainer mark told us. “You can’t have a rainbow without. ________________.”

a. colours b. skyc. rain

key: 1b, 2b, 3a, 4c, 5c, 6b, 7a, 8b, 9c, 10a


Traditional British-made socks and yarns

from the heart of North DevonJohn Arbon Textiles & Fibre Harvest British makers of yarn and fibres

We were visiting the beautiful city of Lynton when we saw this interesting place called Fibre Harvest. The sister company of John Arbon Textiles uses traditional wosted machinery to process tops and spin fine quality British yarns. After having a nice talk with the shopkeeper we found out about the latest Fibre Harvest yarns. They are: Excelana’- a 100% British wool made from our local North Devon sheep the Exmoor, Blueface. Made by John Arbon of Fibre Harvest, this is a vintage inspired yarn supported by exclusive patterns in knitwear designer Susan Crawford’s new book A Stitch In Time Volume 2 and Knit By Numbers’ – a 100% Merino yarn designed and made by John Arbon. A double knit in a beautiful range of complimentary colours, a gradual tonal palette Fibre Harvest, based in North Devon, also produces the very yarns that are used to knit our John Arbon Textile range of luxury British made socks. John Arbon Textiles shop relocated to Lynton on Exmoor.


Methodology bits @ SOL

c. It is a teaching movement that evolved from Danish filmmaking. Filmmakers challenged the cinema’s dependency on special effects technical wizardry and fantasy. In teaching the emphasis is on the here-and-now, the learners and the content.

3. In connection with successful teaching Breen said. “Never do anything that ________________. a. hasn’t been tested before. b. you can get the students to do. c. you can get the other teachers to do.

1. What is SOL? Where does its name come from? a. It stands for Sharing One Language. (English)

among its teachers and students.b. It means sun and it symbolizes bringing light into

the heart and soul of its students and teachers from Central and Eastern Europe.

c. It stands for Summer-courses On Language-learning.

2. What is DOGME?a. It’s a brand new approach backed by the

humanists involving taking dogs and puppies into the classes of young learners as it fosters learning and thus makes language acquisition enjoyable.

b. It’s an acronym that stands for: Deal with Only Grammar Materials in English classrooms. It’s an approach based on the early Grammar-translation method claiming that the classroom should be place where grammar is presented and practised, as accuracy is more important than fluency in the early stages of language learning. Fluency comes later.


Methodology bits @ SOL

5. Scott Thornbury claims that DOGME is good for you as a teacher. Why?

a. It gives teachers a great deal of freedom and flexibility as no planning is involved.

b. It is cheap as it refuses the use of any printed materials in the classroom.

c. It challenges both teachers and learners by offering a new approach to language learning.

“The teacher must be himself and give himself talking to ________________ people about ________________ things and then training his pupils to talk to one another about ____________ things.”

4. Unplugged teaching ________________ :

a. uses guitars (unplugged) in every lesson regardless age or level.

b. avoids using audio-visual materials such as CDs DVDs in classrooms claiming that the teacher must be the source of oral texts as a model in the form of live listening. CDs and DVDs must be left for homework.

c. frees teachers from the dependency on materials, aids and technology, and to work with nothing more than the ‘raw materials’ provided by the people in the room. Or, in other words, to ‘unplug’ their teaching.

6. What is the missing

word? Find one that fits

each gap, according to

Billows:

7. What is the missing word?

According to Earl Stevick (humanist English language teacher and thinker) “Success depends less on materials, techniques and linguistic analyses, and more on what goes on ________________ and ________________ the people in the classroom.”

For the correct answers and also for your scoring,check the next page


9-11 correct answers:Not too bad, but there is place for improvement though. Why don’t you apply for one of next year’s SOL courses.8 or under SOL is a MUST for you!!! Call now not to miss their early bird offer.

The key for the methodology quiz:a, c, b, c, a, real, inside-between.Your scoring:15-17 correct answers: Well done! Ask Grenville Yeo (the director) to consider you as a possible teacher trainer.12-14 correct answers:Good job. You would make a good unplugged teacher. For more information look for the book on Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddings our trainer and Scott Thurnbury and ask for a well-deserved 10 % discount.


After you finish with these quizes, you deserve something very sweet, like the Clotted Cream Tea! Come to North Devon and try not to miss it

Different Styles of The Clotted Cream Tea

The Bright Side of North Devon – Thursday – August 23, 2012Unplugging Unplugging This This SummerSummer

Being the lucky winner of one of the courses for teachers organised by SOL, I felt very positive about DEVON UNPLUGGED from the very beginning. As a teacher trainee I expected the event to broaden my horizons, teach me new approaches and different skills and show me distinctively British way of life. And the course has done so much more than only this! It enabled me to meet new people, share the experience and see the role of a teacher in a classroom from a different point of view.

I must say that the days spent in Barnstaple are definitely one of the best that I have ever had. Trips to Appledore, Croyde, Lynton and Lynmouth or Ilfracombe were just amazingly adventorous. The sights we have seen were simply breathtaking! I will never forget the feeling I had after walking up on a hill in Ilfracombe. The wind simply blew away all my fears. There is one more thing that I will surely remember forever and that is the surfing lesson we had the chance to experience in Croyde. The instructors made the event very special. They helped us – beginners in surfing - a lot. The waves were huge, really one of the best that anybody has seen this summer! I can still feel their power. The way they bounced my body was great. To put it in a nutshell, I have just fallen in love with the Atlantic.

The Bright Side of North Devon – Thursday – August 23, 2012Unplugging Unplugging This This SummerSummer Another thing that made my stay so special was the food. In Lynmouth we took the chance to try the cream tea. I just loved it! It was fabulous to sit in a beautiful café, chilling out with the others, enjoying the sun and the gorgeous view. While visiting Ilfracombe, I tried Cornish Pasty. It was so delicious that I succumbed to temptation and bought two pieces.

I will never forget the way I felt during the classes too – the atmosphere we shared with Mark and Luke, our experienced tutors was so relaxed and loose! Plus staying at a host family with 3 other teachers has given me the chance to use and improve my language skills. Not to mention the friends I have made here. I hope we will stay in touch forever. Thank you so much for everything, it was great.


What to take and what not to take on a trip to North Devon YES

NO

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NO

YES

NO

Most of the people in our group are in North Devon for the first time. It is very hard to imagine how it would be before coming here. Maybe you can check the weather forecasts, but you maynever know what to take or not to takeuntil you arrive here. Need a Check List? When you decide to take part in one of the SOL courses several questions arise. One of them is what to take. The teacher courses are mainly in summer when in our home countries is scorching hot and you can hardly imagine that in Devon you do need to wrap up warm as it can be very windy and rainy. So take those jumpers and raincoat out of your wardrobe. Here is a list to help you decide what to take and what to leave at home. We gave you some pictures of different objects and you should put a circle over the right answer : Should I take this with me or should I leave it at home in a trip to North Devon?


What to take and what not to take on a trip to North Devon

YES

NO

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NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO



YES

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YES

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YES

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YES

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YES

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YES

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NOYES

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The Story Behind the Song!

Lynmouth sits at the edge of Exmoor where rolling moorland changes dramatically to rugged wooded valleys which drop to the East and West Lyn rivers. A true story and real experience of what happened in Lyn mouth 1952. Even though there passed 60 years of these tragic storm people still can feel as it happened yesterday. It was a usual day for the Lynmouth habitants, when the storm started. In fact, it was an experiment how clouds come together. This ‘simple’ experiment caused a tragedy where many people lost their lives.

The small coastal town of Lynmouth became known throughout the world for the disaster that struck in August 1952. On the night of the 15th, after continuous rain throughout the day, the East and West Lyn Rivers rose suddenly and filled with the waters from their Exmoor catchment. Large boulders and rocks were carried in the flow towards the village, destroying houses, roads and bridges. Many lost their lives during that dark and terrifying night. In all, 34 people in Lynmouth and surrounding hamlets were killed, and 39 buildings collapsed. The army was drafted in to help with the clear-up. Survivors told how the air smelled of sulphur on the afternoon of the floods, and that the rain was so hard, it hurt people's faces.

You can easily find the

song here: http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=OFO_uMkU0wY

&feature=related


Education

The bright side of north devon