Another Miscellanious Update

Now that i've gotten the hang of posting pictures with my blog, i've decided to 

make an excuse to add some more by writing another day's worth of ramblings. We just had the independence day holiday and everyone is still in the "holiday" mode of rest and relaxation. My real work hasn't really picked up completely yet, mostly because my college is super laid back, and secondly because the groups that I teach are all away at practicum. Every one of my teachers has only 2 classes all week! Therefore, I am left with ample time these weeks up until just after the new year. This will give me just enough time to feel like i'm not doing anything worthwhile, another cultural perspective i'm working on controlling. I'm not worried though, I've been working hard preparing visuals and games to use more frequently next semester. I am looking forward to meeting the groups that I still haven't taught yet. Next week we're having a Christmas/New Year's Extravaganza style Talent Show. 

This time of year is the busiest for many of the teachers in the Colleges and Schools. There are "grades" to be marked and checked off in signature bureaucratic fashion, and teachers logs to be stamped. So, my teachers, who can sometimes let this kind of menial paperwork slip by, have been scrambling to finish it all. Thus, I have focused on my own classes and miscellanious speaking activities i've prepared. I've seen and notified a preliminary need in the community I am working in. The teachers I work with are very interested in TOEFL. 

Which is an entrance English test for anyone who wants to study or work abroad. There are three components: Reading, Listening and Writing. The last criteria is the biggest weak point for most of the people who take this test. I want a goal of mine to be helping to improve writing skills in interested people who want to take this test. 

I plan to do short term, bi-weekly smaller and shorter seminar at my college for teachers in the area and hopefully a full scale workshop sometime in Spring. This is all tentative but I hope it gives a good idea of the kind of projects I am looking towards doing. I have had a lot of time to start thinking about these kinds of things since I haven't been teaching so much lately. I have also been writing a lot of flashcards, as you can see. I have luckily had many opportunities for relaxation, amusement but just as much I have had many hours free to study my Kazakh flashcards.I am working on learning upwards of 30-50 words a week, as well as getting really good at basic grammar while learning more difficult structures. I really love being able to use this language for getting around as well as just connecting with someone I would never have the ability to otherwise. I look forward to being able to articulate myself even more that just the "information gap" function of language.