American culture, like the Lord,
works in mysterious ways
In the TOEFL English textbook, there is a grammar problem about Joan of Arc. I was teaching this problem recently to two students, a Lebanese boy and an Emirati girl. The girl was draped in a full-body abbaya, only her eyes visible, but like all the local girls I've taught, she was extremely high-spirited and very charming.
"Who's Joan of Arc?" they asked. I explained – a 14-year-old French peasant girl who led an army to kick the British out of France. She believed she heard the voice of God, I said. The Emirati girl nodded.
But the young man snorted. "A girl? Leading an army? No way."
I didn't really want to discuss it and was ready to move along. But the conversation grew unexpectedly heated when the young woman interjected fiercely from behind her veil.
"I believe it!" she cried, her eyes wide. "Why couldn't she do it? She led the army because she was chosen by God!"
Pause.
"Like Buffy."
"Who's Joan of Arc?" they asked. I explained – a 14-year-old French peasant girl who led an army to kick the British out of France. She believed she heard the voice of God, I said. The Emirati girl nodded.
But the young man snorted. "A girl? Leading an army? No way."
I didn't really want to discuss it and was ready to move along. But the conversation grew unexpectedly heated when the young woman interjected fiercely from behind her veil.
"I believe it!" she cried, her eyes wide. "Why couldn't she do it? She led the army because she was chosen by God!"
Pause.
"Like Buffy."
posted by Eric at 2:23 AM
5 Comments:
How difficult is it to bring up such subjects in terms of "allowable things to teach?" Could you get in trouble for teaching about Joan of Arc? I know it would be impossible to get in trouble for teaching about Buffy. (Joan may have saved France, but Buffy has saved the universe many times.) Maybe you could bracket any offensive material with a thin layer of TV. "Ah yes, Joan of Arc was a TV star in the middle ages who played the unlikely heroine..."
But seriously, are you asked to teach about things that you can't teach about?
Nah, it's not really a problem. You just don't make any risque jokes, and you NEVER touch a Muslim girl. You shouldn't really touch any female students, actually, but I would sometimes tap students on the shoulder, or something like that. Can't do it here. I patted a girl's shoulder once and she flinched like she'd been zapped. Oops.
The boys are just the reverse. They want to shake your hand every time they see you.
"You shouldn't really touch any female students, actually, but I would sometimes tap students"
You sicko!
You're the sicko... Rummell!
hisses and retreats back into the shadows
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