By: Matthew Jellick
One of the goals pertaining to my approach to teaching English is to provide as many authentic opportunities as possible to practice the language. Traditional classroom lessons are fine, learning the fundamentals which underscore the importance of grammar, syntax and pronunciation, but for the communicative properties of English, it is important to provide everyday settings for students to utilize their knowledge. To facilitate this, I have begun the Staff English Coffee Social, meeting once a month for not only language practice but to do so while enjoying delicious Ethiopian coffee.
Using the beautifully designed Social Science and Humanities Center on the 2nd flood of the SUSTech Library, I try to provide an arena where colleagues from different departments across the university can meet to network, share ideas, and get to know each other in an informal setting. Lowering the affective filter is an easy tool to promote oral practice, and through our relaxed setting, ideas such as this are endorsed. Staff English students from Physics, EEE, and the Library (to name only a few departments) all come for about an hour to meet and talk, perhaps sharing collaborative ideas or perhaps simply making new friends, both of which are underlying reasons why I thought this is a good idea. Our Coffee Socials foster positive outreach from those who attend, aiming to build cross-departmental relationships for the betterment of the university at large..
The lubricant of the discussions is delicious Ethiopian coffee, from the Oromia region, a remembrance of my past teaching experience on the Horn of Africa. To able to share cultural ties which bind my current set of circumstances in China to those from my time in Ethiopia is something I am grateful for, and which highlights the worldview which has shaped my teaching experiences: Learning is Lifelong and Worldwide!
All are welcomed to join the Staff English Coffee Socials, expending the growing network of English students at SUSTech, working together for our common goals…
