on the job: Emi & Mada

The blog’s been quiet on the work updates, I know.  It’s not that we haven’t been working; we’ve just been in the groove which I guess is to be expected in year 2 of service.

Tonight we met with Emi and Mada — we’re doing adjective opposites.  Emi’s a studier and an aural learner.  Mada’s a creative spirit and a visual learner.  And both, being young and active, enjoy kinesthetic learning. So we blend these learning styles by making vocabulary notecards that we then draw cues on to help with associations.  And then we do things like act vocabulary out, play charades to add that body learning.  It’s great fun, learning, and silliness all rolled into one. Here’s Madalina with an example.

Recently, David’s resolved to try some new vegetables.  So tonight when the Botez family served us ciorba cu perisoare (a Romanian soup with meatballs) that was absolutely deliciously packed with meatballs and all sorts of veggies and David cleaned his bowl, Emi and Mada broke into applause. Then there was an impromptu song about how David ate his vegetables (David a mancat legumele), stealthily caught on video.

[flickr video=5737174535]

Post-song and lesson, we all headed out for a walk together. A great end to an English lesson.