Inspirational English, Issue 39, July/Aug 2017 Inspirational English, Issue 39 July Aug 2017 | Page 29

Continued from previous page
I remember the time when I used to be a teacher in mainstream schools, I would not miss
an opportunity to tell my students about the British or American culture and celebrate their
customs. I will never forget the first Halloween party we organised with a volunteer from
the Peace Corps. Both teachers and students were excited to participate and dress up.... In
hindsight I don't think that my costume of a ladybird was scary enough..., however, I learnt
that my students were eager to experience something new.
But since those times...
things have changed... I have changed ... my outlook on life has changed and now I firmly
believe that teachers should introduce multicultural topics into classroom.
Now I live in the beautiful town of Folkestone, Kent where one can meet people from all over
the world. That's why last weekend the local council organised the eleventh Multicultural fes-
tival, which brought together performances from Nepal, Japan, Brazil, Scotland, the Carib-
bean and Africa. We were able to learn Kendo and Tai Kwan Do, watch the art of Tai Chi and
Belly Dancing, jive and rock. What I found particularly interesting was the group of Japanese
students who taught me how to write my name in their language, showed a traditional fish-
ing dance and how to make origami.
While attending this event, I realised the importance of our work as ESL teachers. We strive
to bring people from all walks of life together and celebrate cultural diversity.
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