Answers to lesson 299: uniform, decade, century, quadrangle, monocle, tricycle, bicycle, bipeds, quadrupeds, binoculars, tripod, octopus, monorail, sextet, quintet, quartet, trio, bigamy, bilingual, pentathlon, septuagenarian, duologue, monologs, nonagenarian, centenarian, octogenarian, triplets.
Lesson 300: Learning From Children Today we will deviate from the trodden path that we have been following.
English is not just the learning up of some grammatical terms and idioms. English is a many faceted language that everything under the sky comes under its realm. Let's take a break and take a few lessons from children and childhood.
We can learn so much from children. And most of us have the good fortune to get to be closely reacquainted with the magic of childhood twenty or thirty years after we were children. If our children then have children, we get another lesson some years further down the track.
It would seem that many parents see the teaching process as a one-way street. I believe that they would do well to spend more time learning from their children and less time teaching.
Children know a lot more about having a good time than most adults.
Children know how to laugh. They don't need much to laugh at.
Sometimes they don't need anything at all. They laugh because it feels good. Did you get your quota of laughs today? They are delightfully spontaneous. Children don't analyze and work everything out.
They just are, busy "being". Whenever we meet grown ups who are so spontaneous, we tend to treasure them also. Let's do less thinking and more responding. Children are eternally fascinated.
They are curious. A rock or a beetle or puddle or a mouse is a source of wonderment to a child. Everything is a new and exciting experience, to be absorbed. Adults switch off. They don't really know any more about rocks and beetles, puddles and mice. There are still lots for all of us to know about these things, but the trouble is that by the time we have reached adulthood, many of us have forgot what a magic place this planet is.
Children are also very accepting. They are without prejudice.
Rich or poor or black or white, you are OK. A child is not fussed by your religion or your politics. Children don't even care much whether you bathe or not. They accept you. They accept circumstances until they learn not to. How often do you hear young children complain about the weather? They don't. They intuitively know that in order to maintain mental health, you have to go with the flow.
Haven't we all been stunned and delighted by children's honesty? "How come you look so old?" "Are you going to die soon?" "Why are you thumping the table?" "Johnny's father smiles.
Why don't you?" Kids have enormous resilience and determination. If they want something, they don't quit. So we hear, "Can I have an ice cream?" "I want an ice cream.' "Johnny gets ice creams." Their persistence is really something to be admired, as well as endured. If insurance salesmen did their training in a kindergarten, maybe ninety eight percent of them wouldn't quit in the first twelve months! Children just keep on going for it. When you learned to walk, you kept at it and kept at it.
You fell over and got up. You fell on your face and got up again.
Finally you learned to walk! Do you still exhibit that kind of determination? As I said earlier, children have an enormous imagination. It enables them to learn and to retain and develop so quickly. Spend time with children. Learn more about laughter, spontaneity, curiosity, acceptance, resilience, trust, determination, and your imagination.
They are here to teach us! Lets learn from them!