Language Lessons

Yesterday we introduced Putubiw's Primary 4 students to bears, the Berenstain variety. Although all the kids know farming, the red barn and silo pictured on Farmer Ben's farm reflect none of the small plots of plaintain trees and cassava plants of the fields surrounding the village. At least the hens looked familiar. I had them each draw an animal on the chalkboard: the goat, sheep, and dog alluded to skillfully simple rhinos. Today, 10 more Primary 5 boys and girls are leaning over their exercise books as Ben gives them and impromptu spelling test. The idea is to reinformce grammar and improve spoken english with a different Primary grade each weeknight. We played games and reviewed colors and adjectives most of this week.

Rebecca and I are discovering the need to review basices at the JSS too. Our Form 2 review of pronounts, subject, and object was quite similar to last week's 5:00 classes on nouns. Both forms have now completed, though not mastered, paragraph writing. Some errors like subject-verb agreement are to be expected in a new language while others like the exclusion of all periods (full stops) result from the lack of reading/writing practice in any language. With time, we've begun to understand how to divide lessons between reading, notes, and written exercises to keep the classes in a semblance of order. It's difficult when the JSS is staffed by 3 teachers who appear for seemingly ad hoc lessons without regard to their timing; we greatly confused 2 of them when we asked to look at the master class schedule.

New topic, new line, indent new paragraph. The weeks are starting to flow together, a sure sign that I'm settling into a Putubiw routine. We still remark about the abundance of goats, leave a trail of children calling "obruni, how are you, i am fine, thank you" in our wake, and rely on Kelvin to translate what the mothers call from their stoops once they exceed our knowledge of mfantse (fante) phrases:

welcome akwaaba
good morning mema wo ache
how are you? otee den?
(or "apume", accompanied by wild hand gestures, according to the woman who greets Rebecca and I on our way to school with the deep exclamation)
I am fine me who ye
My name is Sarah Wofre me Sarah
goodbye (Putubiw kid style) Obruni-bye-bye