Comments on: Ça plane por moi! Or how to help children who are learning a second language. With help from Plastic Bertrand and The Boss Hoss! /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/ Supporting children's language, communication and learning Thu, 09 Oct 2014 08:51:40 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3 By: Michael Jones /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/#comment-8003 Thu, 09 Oct 2014 08:51:40 +0000 /?p=1241#comment-8003 Hi John
here is an interesting article about how people from different cultures use language in groups and meetings. What do you think?
Michael
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20141006-talk-shock-youre-doing-it-wrong

]]> By: Michael Jones /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/#comment-8002 Wed, 08 Oct 2014 10:15:45 +0000 /?p=1241#comment-8002 That’s very funny!
I love the expression ‘Tongue in cheek’ (which is essentially my approach to talking about most serious things in life). Try talking with your tongue in your cheek and you will realise what a bizarre saying it is!

Of course I obviously find it difficult to listen to anyone who repeatedly says ‘Of course’ and ‘obviously’!
Was it Nigel Tufnell from Spinal Tap who made the comment about things not needing to be correct but right?
Other classics of his include: “I’m writing a piece that is between Mahler and Bach. I refer to this style as ‘Mach’
You can find out what he calls the piece by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX3ssZIMF9E
Michael.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZtSQCbAQxU for more Spinal Tap nonsense!

]]> By: Tim Dunkerley /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/#comment-8001 Wed, 08 Oct 2014 08:46:53 +0000 /?p=1241#comment-8001 Indeed it just is, it just is.
I wish i could remember who said about music “it ain’t got to be correct, just right”
Best Dylan reply to idiotic question. “How many protest singers are there?”
“232” (or something).
For brilliant use of language in interviews see any Bob Marley interviews.
John, I heard of someone in an NHS meeting who actually claimed to be offended by a request to join in a brainstorming session. Unbelievable.
Favourite over used word? Mine is “devastated” followed closely by “nightmare”. What can you say if something happens to you that has truly nightmarish qualities or is actually devastating? Where do you go linguistically…. A Howl I suppose.
TDX

]]> By: Michael Jones /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/#comment-8000 Sat, 04 Oct 2014 14:38:04 +0000 /?p=1241#comment-8000 Wow Tim, there’s lots in there!
An ill-advised journalist once asked Dylan what ‘They’re selling portraits of the hanging/they’ve painted thd passports brown’ means. Dylan was furious and shouted ‘No one asks Bertrand what ‘Ca plane pour moi means. It just is man, it just is!’
Michael

]]> By: John Rice /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/#comment-7999 Fri, 03 Oct 2014 14:04:06 +0000 /?p=1241#comment-7999 I quite agree about the power of language. Conversely, the more subtle its use often the more influential it can become: your passive/active analysis is an excellent example.

Thought showers vs brainstorming? This was all due to ridiculous over-pc-ing back in the day when some individuals thought that sufferers of epilepsy might be in some manner affronted by the term. Of course, they weren’t and it would take quite an un-pc leap of imagination to imagine that they could have been!

]]> By: Tim Dunkerley /2014/09/ca-plane-por-moi-or-how-to-help-children-who-are-learning-a-second-language-with-help-from-plastic-bertrand-and-the-boss-hoss/#comment-7998 Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:30:55 +0000 /?p=1241#comment-7998 We are working on reducing over prompting at school at the moment. Trying to turn out young people who are not highly prompt dependent. Encouraging independent doers and talkers. Try explaining to OFSTED how waiting (counting in your head)and ostensibly doing nothing, are well-thought out ways of actually doing something extremely valuable. We are planning to try.

Have I ever banged on to you about pithy song lyrics before. IE forms of words that sum up a whole story in one line. If I have then I will have quoted my all time favourite from Every Day is like Sunday by Steven Patrick Morrissey.

“Trudging back over wet sand to the bench where my clothes were stolen”

Can’t possibly be beaten as an opening line for a song can it?

I have a new contender at the moment though. Not so much a story as how to pick two things that describe how much you love someone that say it all, without sounding like a schmaltzy birthday card, T shirt print or motivational poster that someone might tweet.

From, Thats Us/Wild Combination, by the mighty, multi faceted and sadly no longer with us, Arthur Russell.

“He’s a talk in the dark. He’s a walk in the morning”

We do think a lot about language here. I think that the language we use about the things we do with children, or what they do, is a good starting point for honing the language you use to interact with children and young people. Me and my lovely deputy head(my line manager) are planning a training session where we unpick phrases and words that get bandied about (special) schools a lot. “feeding” “toiletting” “kicking off” etc etc. My colleagues are all lovely and child centred but my point is that if you are telling yourself that you are “toiletting” someone then they are passive and you are active from the outset.Theres an inherent loss of dignity straight off the bat in my mind. The counter argument would be that “it’s just words, it doesn’t make any difference as long as you are being sensitive, kind and professional” I would disagree strongly. No one thought they were being any less kind, sensitive or professional when I first started in this work, when some of the pupils we were teaching were referred to as “mongols” An extreme comparison I’ll admit. But we were all smoking in the staff room then as well and that seems unthinkable now.
My point isn’t that we all move on in terms of the language we use, rather that the words we use to describe what we do affect what we do consciously and unconsciously IMHO (actually anybody who uses H for humble probably isn’t being humble at all). Also that it’s us that should think about and change the language and consequently the practice:Not wait for it to change and then catch up.

Pip Pip, yours thought showering, rather than brainstorming (have you encountered that debate????)
TDX
PS what does “Ca plane pour moi” actually mean? I’ve never known. “That’ll do for me” ??I really don’t know

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