learner tales
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Accepting the sweet song of a foreign language
This new Learner Tale begins with the imagined voice of a character in a photo by Robert Doisneau and wanders into the experience of a migrant learning a foreign language in the wild, far from a language classroom. How do we learn to accept the arrival of the foreign language without giving up the identity drawn from our mother tongue? A testimony based on true events from my own learning of French on moving to France.
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From grammar to graphic design
This is an updated version of Paula Bearzotti’s Learner Tale. Creators’ paths are rarely simple. Here is the testimony from Paula Bearzotti, a graphic designer who speaks with visuals the way others speak with words, and who has accepted to take a new look at the way she has learned, and continues to learn. You can expect something about design of course, but also grammar, algebra and computers. You can expect something about design of course, but also grammar, algebra and computers. The new version of this post includes mentions of encounters with exceptional creative individuals such as Laura Meseguer and Isidro Ferrer, plus a robot known by the name…
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The rocky road to becoming a guitarist 2
This is Part 2 of the Learner Tale told by Chester Kamen, a musician mainly known as a rock guitarist, in which he reflects on how he learnt his craft. He walks us through the experience of being a self-taught musician in a competitive field where he met and worked with Bryan Ferry, David Gilmour and Madonna among others. He also reflects on his new life as a rock musician in a jazz context. A whole new challenge.
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The rocky road to becoming a guitarist 1
The shortest path to becoming yourself is rarely a straight line, and learning to get there can take a lifetime. The Learner Tales series continues in conversation with guitarist Chester Kamen talking about how he learnt his craft and became a professional musician. He reflects on the learning path it takes to get to play with people like Bryan Ferry, David Gilmour and Madonna.
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The usefulness factor
Learning can be a mysterious process. If you like mysteries, try this for size. How does somebody who sets out to be a journalist start by studying political science and law, then finally end up happily working as an urban planner? Only Alice Pfeiffer's Learner Tale can give you the answer.
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Family secrets – learning to live with your own name
I was around the age I am in the photograph illustrating this piece when it slipped out casually in a family conversation that my father had had a elder brother called Gerald and I was named after him. That was just the beginning.
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Football, acting, tango – learning to think on your feet
Laurent de Chanterac's journey from football to tango reflects a life of transformation and adaptation, spanning several disciplines and learning methods. His experience, initially effortless in football but demanding in acting, signifies the evolving nature of personal development. His testimony combines physicality with education, emphasizing the importance of learning through encounters and practical engagement rather than conventional schooling. This narrative culminates in his dedication to teaching tango with partner Christine Caminade, encapsulating a philosophy of continuous personal growth and adaptation across varied life experiences.
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From grammar to graphic design
Creators' paths are rarely simple. Here is the testimony from graphic designer Paula Bearzotti who speaks visuals the way others speak words, and who has accepted to take a new look at the way she learns. You can expect something about design of course, but also grammar, algebra and computers.
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Reading Jane Eyre at 13
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is required reading for Mrs Fullerton's Literature class. We have three weeks. But I have been resisting the prospect of reading real books for a while now. On the Saturday morning of the final weekend of the three-week reading period, push comes to shove.
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Learning to play rugby – tackle and scrum
How do people learn to play rugby? In my case, it was at school in England with John Davies, scrum half with London Welsh, who was also the PE teacher at my school. My learner's tale takes the form of two poems - both also available in audio versions.
