I’ve read two books recently dealing with learning foreign language, one by the noted Dr. Pimsleur.  I found both to be enlightening about learning, and instructive for teaching.  Dr. Pimsleur said that it’s a good idea to learn the dozen or so most used verb concepts in any language, and gave his list.  Accordingly, I had a class on the verb “to want.”  I gave three structures: I want to do something  (want + infinitive verb)  I want  something  (want + noun) and I want someone to do something (want + clause).  I “explained” all these before we did the practices, and my example was “I want all my students to speak English.”    I asked the students if they could think of such a sentence in English.  One student said, “I want my mother to cook better.”  And another said, “I want my English teacher to be well.”

These days, I’ve been going to classes, but most of the rest of the time, I’ve been in bed.  I’ve had a respiratory infection, but have resisted going to a doctor, since with my allergies I’m wary of what might be given.  I have no energy.  I’ve been reading a lot but haven’t had energy to write.

Years ago, as I was president of library board in my small village, we often discussed the future of the library in the face of the electronic age.  One thing I said was, “No one is going to take a computer to bed to read.”  Alas, or Hurrah, depending on your feelings, here we are with the electronic reader in bed, not to mention the laptop to write this post.  I find the e-reader to be wonderful since I can receive books over the internet, almost magically it seems to me.

In case you’re wondering the exercises for “I want” here they are.  Groups of 6 stood in a circle facing each other.  I gave them a tennis ball to toss around.  When you got the ball, you had to speak the whole sentence “I want to—-” choosing a word from the chalkboard, or another that you knew, and you had to act it out, such as run in place.  After this had gone on for a while, I went to each group with a bag of candy (very Rousseau) and asked “Do you want a piece of candy?”  They had to answer “Yes, I want a piece of candy.” And then they got the candy.  Some said, “I want two pieces,” and I said, “Go to the supermarket.”

Onward, to the verb To KNOW.  How to give active exercises for that?   Stay tuned.