A friend told me that as a child, she used to draw on a sheet of paper a keyboard with white and black keys. She would then sing while playing her imaginary piano. Today, she is a pianist. I also remember having had a young neighbor whose main activity consisted of pulling pieces of wood with a miniaturized tractor. He would painstakingly spend hours on that toy, where he had chained 10 centimeters long small contacts. Today, he enjoys the ownership of a lumberjack company.

These two stories highlight two different tracks, and each case shows an early interest for a know-how, an activity. That interest has been and remains for them as well as for each human being the required motivation to move forwards in the life. Today, they have more than a job: they practice an activity they have chosen, and which yields a well-being and equilibrium great satisfaction. In fact, early passions are often the best foundation for the future.

Curiosity, this amazement faculty, is characteristic of almost all young children. They bite into the world with their eyes, their hands. A poster in the street, dead leaves, a bird: they carefully observe everything with vested interest. Such a frame of mind should not be exclusive to children, because curiosity, the desire to learn, to do, to undertake, to explore reflects human nature. Yet, keeping or not that frame of mind depends a great deal on people in charge of our education. Those people can be roughly classified into two broad categories: some who enliven the flame and others who, on the contrary, smother it.

Our two characters were lucky to be educated by people who, somehow, enliven their early flame. Their early passion was constantly encouraged through words, appropriate attitude as well as acts. Actually, an uncle had rented a piece of land for a season for tree falling with the lumberjack to-be. In the same vein, a lady in the village had offered our musician to-be her first piano lessons.

Many families would have undermined the boy’s passion. So much more would have preferred a “real job” for their daughter, as they would have considered her passion for the piano as short-lived. The simplest negative attitude can be enough to put off the flame. Therefore, education is about being able to cheer choices which do not necessarily meet ours, however without accepting any children’s whims.

In a certain way we are educated and we educate everywhere and at every moment. A destiny can be definitely influenced even by shortest meetings. This is why every time we are with others in general and with youngsters in particular, we should always enliven that flame…and never, never smother it.

Among the factors that affect second language learning, motivation has been cited as a key contributor to success in language learning. The term is related to the psychological readiness and openness of the learner to learn the language. It also calls for an interaction between both innate and environmental factors (van Lier, 1996). The former implies a willingness to engage in the learning experience for the sake of learning and improving oneself, and is referred to as intrinsic motivation. The latter, in contrast, implies an external factor such as a reward, praise or grade for learners’ involvement in the task, named as extrinsic motivation in the literature. While both types of motivation interrelate and coexist in the language classroom, research maintains that success in learning is closely related to transforming extrinsic motivation into intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985; van Lier, 1996). So, even if you are taking language courses because it is required by your company, you could still see this as an opportunity for your self-development and value the experience for its own sake. The question is, how can we promote this intrinsic motivation in learners?

Research on motivation reveals many social and psychological factors that are influential on learner success. Task value is one of those factors. In general terms, it implies the importance attached to the task by learners, the pleasure in doing the task, and the contribution of the task to learners’ needs and future goals. Thus, students seem to manifest more positive attitudes towards the task, and the target language in general, when it is relevant to their lives, so that they can establish a relationship between what is being done in the classroom and their personal experiences.

Task value also has implications for task challenge. Students’ perceptions of efficacy and expectancy are closely related to the difficulty level of the material. Hence, students’ motivation can be adversely affected if there exists a discrepancy between the difficulty level of tasks and students’ level of proficiency. Activities that address low-achievers could become very frustrating for more advanced learners and there may be the risk of demotivating students who are ready for more challenging work. Similarly, tasks that attend to the needs of more advanced learners could have serious damage on the self-efficacy development of rather poor students. Tasks that students engage in should involve challenge to a reasonable degree without overwhelming learners and it is the teacher’s responsibility to maintain this balance. Encouraging cooperative learning could be helpful (Woolfolk, 1993), especially if students with different levels are matched, so that the interest level of more advanced learners is sustained and the motivation of poorer learners is triggered through peer assistance.

Another important factor that is considered to be positively correlated with motivation is allowing students some choice and control over the activities. Assor, Kaplan and Roth (2002) have proposed that providing students with choice, allows them to have freedom over choosing tasks that they believe are “consistent with their goals and interests.” This freedom also contributes to the development of autonomy in students’ learning experiences. While in most educational settings, goals are imposed on students by authority structures, teachers should be responsible for creating opportunities that emphasize “the availability of options” (van Lier, 1996) if intrinsic motivation is aimed at.

Choice includes not only some control over content, but also having the flexibility to decide on the manipulation of the content. For example, if students are taking a reading course, they could be given the opportunity to choose some of the readings that will be dealt in class. If they are encouraged to make selections for the materials, they will choose texts that are relevant to their needs and interests and that pertain their personal goals. This would most probably have positive influences on the development of their intrinsic motivation. Similarly, in such a case, students could be provided with the options to work on the task individually or in collaboration with peers. Introverted learners, for instance, feel more comfortable when they work on their own, whereas extroverts work better when they engage in group activities. If teachers allow students the freedom to work in the way they want, the needs of students with different learning styles could be met at the same time.

Considering the critical role of motivation in second language classrooms, teachers should be fully aware of the motivational factors that support a learning environment and be willing to employ any strategies that might contribute to the emergence of motivation in language learners. Learners, on the other hand, should be aware of such factors so that they could also contribute to the creation of a desirable learning environment for themselves in collaboration with their teachers. Learning a new language is a challenging task, but motivation can contribute a lot to the learning process and make the language classroom more fun and productive.

References

Assor, A., Kaplan, H., & Roth, G. (2002). Choice is good but relevance is excellent: Autonomy-enhancing and suppressing teacher behaviours predicting students’ engagement in schoolwork. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 72, 261-278.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. London: Plenum Press.

van Lier, L. (1996). Interaction in the language curriculum: Awareness, autonomy and authenticity. London: Longman.

Woolfolk, A. E. (1993). Educational Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Since last summer, the whole world is facing a financial crisis that shakes off capitalism. Some governments want to be reassuring, but the reality proves the opposite. All financial centers are in red and confronted to huge difficulties. In spite of enormous amount injected these last weeks, markets are still not stabilized and the threat of a world recession seems to be probable. This will have serious consequences on the international market as the world will slip from a financial to an economical crisis.

If we have to face an economical crisis, the situation of developing countries will be more serious as they are dependent of the world economy and especially on the help of rich countries through different development program. These helps might be reduced or even cancelled.

If we take education and although overall access to basic education has risen substantially over the last decade in many developing countries, the poor are still less likely ever to attend school, less likely to be currently attending school, and more likely to repeat grades than those who are wealthier. Education patterns among the poor differ distinctly by region. In South Asia and in West and Central Africa, a large minority of children from poor households never enrol in school. In Latin America, in contrast, virtually all children complete the first grade, but subsequent dropout rates are high. For example, 92 per cent of 15 to 19 year olds from poor households in Brazil complete first grade, but only half complete grade five. In other developing regions the pattern among the poor is characterized by higher proportions ever enrolling and later dropout.

Cost reduction or cost cut to development help will penalize the future of young people in these countries. This is why it is important to be aware that the resolution of the crisis must be multidimensional and take into account not only the financial sector, but the system as a whole. Only set up of new rules will be able to help put in place roots to a better world.

All types of works treating the issue of dossier of the candidate give, without exception, very precious counsels to the concerned public. Nevertheless, experience has shown me that the concerned person having read and re-read the said works, at the time of beginning to compose his motivation letter and his CV, he appears to suffer from the syndrome of tabula rasa (blank page syndrome), a situation which characterizes all writers who lack inspiration.

It is at this very moment that I can intervene with regard to the question of the persons concerned.

First of all, I should be remarked that the essence of motivation letter and CV of he/ she who is presenting himself/herself is that of making the person who will receive it forget all the other dossiers of candidature. It is for this reason that the candidate should:

A clear presentation, proper and without error, combined with convincing sentences and solid facts, will encourage the reader to consult the attached CV and to contact you for an interview.

COMPETENCES OF EMPLOYABILITY AND MOTIVATION LETTER

4 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE WRITING
1. To whom are you writing (name of the receiver and his/her function in the enterprise)
2. What does the employer to whom you are writing need? What aptitudes, knowledge and experiences would constitute useful tools for the work envisaged?
3. What are your QUALITIES useful to the employer or for a precise post. If you are responding to job offer, these QUALITIES should be the same as those mentioned in the announcement. If you are not presenting yourself for an announced post, then think of your APTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES, which are susceptible of gaining the interest of the employer
4. You should be able to make a parallel between your experience and the post. Cite your achievements as a support for the required qualities for the job.

Motivation letter and Curriculum Vitae well prepared, should give to the potential recruiter the desire to meet you for a work interview.

This is how Prof. Sabino Palumbieri defines education. The absence of education, therefore, would lead to barbarous acts. This approach to education, sheds light on the etymological significance of the word e-ducere, which means “to lead outside”. This is the liberation that Plato’s Myth of the Cave illustrates perfectly. In fact, education brings to light that which is hidden. In the optics of Plato and Socrates, education proceeds forth through the maieutic, that is, through a dialogue which helps to “deliver” the truth. In this sense, education distinguishes itself from instruction. What can we retain of this manner of conceiving education?

First of all, that the teacher if he is really an educator, will not be content only of transmitting a certain number of data, but will through instruction seek to lead his pupil to profound comprehension, by imbibing the truths taught. There is always the subjective aspect with regard to the acceptation of transmitted notions. This acceptation depends, therefore, on biological, cultural, psychological, spiritual conditionings. A good educator knows how to take this into account. It is true that concerning the transmission of notions in mathematical sciences, one could be inclined to think that this subjective aspect could be overlooked. And yet, even in mathematics, the pedagogy of the teacher is a non-negligible element. The objective aspect of any science whatsoever is always to be considered within the cadre of rational epistemology.

On the other hand, the educator should not forget the objective aspect of his teaching. It is true that we are used to speaking of objectivity in mathematical sciences, with the tendency to making relative the objectivity, for example, of values to be transmitted in the class of ethics or again, in the education that parents transmit to their children. And yet, even in this case, the good educator, of course taking into account his interlocutor, should transmit the values which are not mere possible opinions, but which are – in the measure of actual knowledge- truths.

Education cannot take departure from approximation. Reason teaches us of the existence of truth. The question concerning truth is as old as man. Does it exist? Can one know it? Should one be sceptic? Can one really doubt everything? The post-modern epoch, speaks of plurality of truths, due to a conception of reason which most often does not even believe any more in its proper capacities to know the truth, the good and the beautiful. And yet we think that one cannot deny the existence of universal values like love, justice, pardon, the gift of oneself. It is absurd to say that all is relative or cultural, and to behave while teaching as if truth does not exist. Human being cannot live on the shifting sands of scepticism and relativism. He has need for truth just as he has need for food. The educator himself should be a seeker of truth, capable of transmitting the thirst for knowledge of that which is true. Intellectual honesty requires that! It is a question of justice towards the pupil.

To educate on the platform of truth, does not signify excluding the possibility of an interior growth in knowledge, or again, shutting oneself out of all dialogue. A good educator knows how to open the spirit of his interlocutor to dialogue with the position of the other. It is so necessary in the contemporary multicultural world. The famous dogma of tolerance does not signify abdicating before the truth or the search after the truth, but accepting to listen to the other, to try to understand him, but also it is very necessary to seek to enlighten him. Tolerance, as the respect of the conscience of the other, is a value. But tolerance does not exclude the right to share “one’s” truths. The same with dialogue. It should be done on a rational basis. Human being, insofar as he is human is endowed with reason. It is in the name of this reason that he can communicate with the other. To exclude reason, is to condemn oneself to living in the world of a “mad person” who has lost “reason”.

Christian educator, inasmuch as he is really Christian should not abdicate before the question of transmission of his values. The Christian is convinced that reason is a gift of God, and that he should use it. The Christian yet does not put in opposition his conception of reason to God, whom he considers the Logos of the world. In his dialogue with other religions, or with the contemporary secularised world, Christian educator will try to show the “foundedness” of a certain number of fundamental values which belong to the very nature of man. To the non-believer, he will recall the absolute value of human life, the relational dimension of his being, and will invite him to consider the world as a carrier of a message to be deciphered. To the believer of another religion, the opening to God could be the point of departure for service to humanity. In no case, therefore, should religion lead to violence. Be it whatever religion it may, if it leads to fanaticism, it becomes a counter-witnessing. Examples in the past and also in the contemporary times, show us the devastating effects. To those who would like to establish an equation between religion and violence, it is necessary to respond that Nazism and Communism are products of “lay” fanaticism which conceived man without God and against God. Laicality when it becomes laicism, should also be considered a violence against human beings….

In our humble opinion, it is necessary to promote, in education, the value of “loving” reason. Only “loving” reason will be able to lead humanity out of the devastating foolishness of egoism… A reason uniquely calculating will lead humanity to a new totalitarianism where human beings will be sacrificed on the altar of productivity and eugenism . Education can, in this optics, be considered as the passport for the survival of future civilization.

We often hear that we live in a “two-speed” world. There are countries that we call rich and developing countries that we can consider having a satisfying living standard, then we find poor countries among which, the majority, if not all African countries.

They benefit from lots of different international assistance and while their might be some other incentives in the back of their minds, big amounts of money are given to them every year for development help. We can also find many private organizations working locally trying to raise some funds, whether used for children scholarships, trainings or the implementation of small businesses to help people take care of their families
Western countries are by those actions buying themselves a good conscience, but can we really help poor countries by accelerating their development?

It has taken the western world centuries of war, famines and epidemics to build itself and become what it is today. I am not saying that the western world is the example to follow, this is a totally different subject, but what I mean to say is that we should maybe let the poor countries develop at their own rhythm and in the way they decide to. This may mean that they will keep living according to their traditions, that may look anachronistic to us, for another hundreds of years and evolve towards a model of society totally different from ours.

By implementing our way of life in a society which does not necessarily have the means to live up to it, we end up creating a society, which still observes traditions that have no more meaning, and a modern western way of living, which exists only seemingly with its bad sides without its advantages.

It is certainly true that education is important, but education alone is not enough to change mentalities. We can find a large number of young people in poor countries with university degrees; still it does not fundamentally change their mentalities. They continue to work with tribal rules that do not allow a change which would help their society evolve.

The change will not happen from one day to another, but if instead of treating these countries like small children and giving them millions of dollars to be able to take advantage of them with a good conscience, we should invest in “Men development” by giving a value and a responsibility to each. It could become the lead for change. And when the majority understands that corruption, profit for themselves or for their families and friends, always ends up turning against them, only then can we hope that one day everyone will feel responsible of its own future and the future of the society as a whole. Who knows? It might then be the beginning of a new era for poor countries.

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” (Paulo Freire)

We exist in a ‘Global Village’ and that village is getting smaller and smaller each and everyday as technology, politics and economy reduce the space between us and increase the interconnectedness of divergent lands all across the globe. Does the teaching of the Three R’s (reading, ’riting (writing), and ’rithmetic (arithmetic)), long the basic elements of school curriculums; adequately prepare students for active and productive participation in this ‘Global Village’? While I don’t want to belittle or minimize the importance of these basic skills in education, perhaps an alternative set of another 3 R’s such as respect, reason, and critical thinking are just as important, and need to be at the forefront of skills to be prized and fostered in today’s modern classroom. Today’s classroom should be one where students are encouraged to share opinions and others are encouraged to critique or expand upon those views. Where knowledge is not something concrete to be ingested but is fluid something to be tossed around and molded in a democratic environment that prizes reason, respect, and the pursuit of justice.

In the traditional classroom students were seen as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge by the teacher. The students were not active participants in the creation of knowledge, yet were expected to passively accept the information passed down to them by their teachers. While this method may be useful in giving students a vast amount of information that they are able to regurgitate when asked such as names, dates, and formulas, the question to ask is; how will this knowledge benefit the individual and society at large? It won’t unless critical thinking is fostered alongside the acquisition of knowledge. In the fostering of reason and critical thought the traditional student teacher relationship where the teacher imparts knowledge on the student does not work, what we need instead is an environment where the teacher works with the students in the mutual creation of knowledge. In such a classroom knowledge is something to be played with, questioned, individualized, and applied to initiate positive change. The teacher is not above the student but is as much a learner as the student and the student as much a teacher as the teacher.

Teaching adult ESL classes has allowed me to see how valuable a democratic classroom model is. Students from various countries bring into the educational environment unique perspectives, experiences, and beliefs. When asked to share an opinion or experience some students who were educated in a more traditional environment are a bit reticent they are surprised and confused that their individualized point of view is of importance, they expect the teacher to tell them what their view is. Yet usually after some students model the process of espousing their own opinion, the more reticent give it a try and one sees a sense of empowerment arise as the student understands that their beliefs are prized and of great use to the collective effort of building greater understanding. From here what we see is a mixture of respect and intrigue as students encounter views and experiences which divert or conflict with their own experience, individual stances are challenged and shifted as we all proceed as equal partners on the journey of knowledge. And as a teacher in such a learning environment I feel I have come out of many a class having learned more than my students.

Some may argue, ‘this may works for adults, but children must be told what to think.’ In teaching at an international Kindergarten for two years I saw some wonderful examples of children involved in the democratic construction of knowledge. I would watch my students of 5 and 6 years old create rules to the games they made up by exchanging view points and working together to discover those which would allow the game to function properly while ensuring the fairest treatment to all participants. These observations, which happened almost daily, gave me the understanding that democratic creation of knowledge, social justice and reason are innate aspects of our being and that it is the structures of society (education/schools) that can operate to oppress these innate dispositions. A child’s play is able to teach us so much of what we have lost through our years and of what remains of the utmost importance today.

In dealing with the complex interconnectedness of today’s modern world, developing global citizens who are able to manipulate and apply knowledge for the greater good and positive change is of the utmost importance. This cannot be done by a teacher filling students with a set of knowledge. Instead our classrooms need to concentrate on encouraging our natural dispositions toward individualized thought, the critical processing of knowledge, and application of knowledge with humanitarian aims, to flourish. Students should be provided with environments where their understandings and experiences are valued and used as the meat of our classroom experiences.

All types of works treating the issue of dossier of the candidate give, without exception, very precious counsels to the concerned public. Nevertheless, experience has shown me that the concerned person having read and re-read the said works, at the time of beginning to compose his motivation letter and his CV, he appears to suffer from the syndrome of tabula rasa (blank page syndrome), a situation which characterizes all writers who lack inspiration.

It is at this very moment that I can intervene with regard to the question of the persons concerned

First of all, I should be remarked that the essence of motivation letter and CV of he/ she who is presenting himself/herself is that of making the person who will receive it forget all the other dossiers of candidature. It is for this reason that the candidate should:

A clear presentation, proper and without error, combined with convincing sentences and solid facts, will encourage the reader to consult the attached CV and to contact you for an interview.

COMPETENCES OF EMPLOYABILITY AND MOTIVATION LETTER

4 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE WRITING
1. To whom are you writing (name of the receiver and his/her function in the enterprise)
2. What does the employer to whom you are writing need? What aptitudes, knowledge and experiences would constitute useful tools for the work envisaged?
3. What are your QUALITIES useful to the employer or for a precise post. If you are responding to job offer, these QUALITIES should be the same as those mentioned in the announcement. If you are not presenting yourself for an announced post, then think of your APTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES, which are susceptible of gaining the interest of the employer
4. You should be able to make a parallel between your experience and the post. Cite your achievements as a support for the required qualities for the job.

Motivation letter and Curriculum Vitae well prepared, should give to the potential recruiter the desire to meet you for a work interview.

March 2008 is the women’s international day. But why celebrate a day for only 51% of the world’s population? The 20th century saw numerous feminist movements created to obtain the right to vote, the right to abort and to get rid of the conservative image that a women is expected to spend most of her time in the kitchen cooking for the whole family. Today there is, for a large part because of these movements, equivalent rights. Can we say that feminism and the celebration of March 8 have no more meaning today?

The context is more difficult today. The word “feminist” is very often used in a pejorative way, describing women against men, women protesting, being aggressive or complaining. Feminism has nevertheless very good reasons to exist as there are still a lots of disparities. The situation in Switzerland is a very good example. If we take the average of all professions, every working women will have a yearly income of about CHF 14’447 lower than men, which makes a 21% difference. If we look at the work hours completed by women, the disparity is even bigger. And if we look at part time work, almost every other working woman works part-time, while only 12 % of the men do. Finally, if we look at part time work for working women with small children, then the percentage rises to about 75 %.

While the feminist fights of the 20th century established laws of equality in numerous countries, these laws are still not enforced properly. As long as we do not reestablish the place that children, family and the roles of every one in our society have, nothing will change. The purpose is not to have everybody work a 100 %, but to give them the freedom to choose: be a mother or a father at home, work part-time, or 100 %, without being considered marginal. We must try to evolve and change society as this is the only way to make equal opportunity a reality.This is why the the celebration of women’s day is still a necessity. So Ladys! Let’s celebrate and participate to the parade!

Unless you are Black or a Film Major, you probably don’t know much about the black cinema. That’s where I come in. Let me tell you about what you are missing and why you should care about black cinema.

I am sure you will be surprised to find out that black cinema played a role in turning points of the history of cinema. Some films that came out of it were pioneers in their fields.

Since it is impossible to cover ever aspect of the black cinema in one sitting, this month we will focus on gangster films. Why? Because after studying them, I have a whole new appreciation for them and would like to share that with you.

We will concentrate on three important films that came out in the early 1990s: New Jack City, Boyz N the Hood, and Menace II Society. All three films are usually mentioned together because they came out around the same time, and all dealt with the same subject matter, gangsters in the hood. What is interesting about each film is that it uses the history of the gangster genre and mixes it with the black culture to create stand-alone gangster films.

New Jack City (1991) – Directed by Mario Van Peebles (son of Melvin Van Peebles, a pioneer in black cinema with his film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song back in 1971), the film focuses on a drug dealer, Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), and his rise to the top.
This is an important film to look at because even though it featured an all black cast, New Jack City was not a “black film” as it was perceived until then, but a gangster film that paved the way for the future of the genre.
Fun Fact: The film features Chris Rock in one of his early roles.

Boyz N the Hood (1991) – Instead of showing the “glamour” of the gangster world, Boyz N the Hood focused on the flipside of that world and how it can all go wrong. It tells the story of Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his two friends, Ricky (Morris Chestnut) and Doughboy (Ice Cube), living in South Central Los Angeles. Nominated for an Oscar for best director and best screenplay – both by John Singleton, Boyz N the Hood, seeks to warn young people of the dangers of the gangster life. In that way it can be paralleled to some early gangster films such as The Public Enemy (1931), in which gangsters eventually fall victims of their lifestyle.

Menace II Society (1993) – The film takes its roots in a much darker place than either New Jack City and Boyz N the Hood had been. It follows the story of Cain (Tyrin Turner) and his crew already part of the gangster world. Filled with violence and exposure of the gangster world, Menace II Society shocks and exposes the everyday workings of its lifestyle. Less focused on warning the public, Menace II Society seeks to give the audience an inside look at a different world, the world of gangsters in the “hood.”

Interestingly, these three films were influenced by older white gangster films and were able to revamp them to create a whole new era of gangster films.

That’s all for now, but make sure to check back soon for more wonderful film recommendation from the black cinema.