The Potato Diaries

Cutting the Love out of Christmas.

2011-12-14T03:26:00.008+09:00

I know we live in a time of harsh and sweeping cuts but how about this? Isabella, aged 8 gave my son a Christmas card at school this morning, then, realising she had made a mistake (?) took the card back, cut out the ‘Love, Isabella’ (in front of him) and replaced it with ‘From, Isabella’. I asked him how he had felt. He thought it was funny. He said that he didn’t care at all. He laughed. I'm not so sure though. Won't it take him a step closer to being a Frommer rather than a Lover?

At home I sent a Facebook message to a friend in Brazil, crossed out ‘From’ and replaced it with ‘Love’. It felt good. I’m going to try harder next year to replace ‘From’, ‘Warmest Regards’ and ‘Best Wishes’ with ‘Love’. Not always, but just now and again. In those borderline cases. You know the ones. It’s not going to be easy. I’m a man who winces at emoticons. Oh what the hell! I love you all. I really do. With all my heart.

Happy Christmas, Everybody. Nollaig Shona Duit.

Lots and lots of love from,

Patrick

History in the May Queen

2011-05-19T14:25:00.004+09:00

The British monarchy are a pretty rare sight in Ireland. To mark Queen Elizabeth’s visit, The Potato Diaries looks back to another royal arrival 190 years ago.

On the 21^st of August 1821 the current Queen Elizabeth’s 3^rd great grand-uncle arrived in Ireland. It was 130 years since the previous royal visit and the first peaceful visit of a British monarch to these shores.

The obese, flamboyant character arrived in a state of advanced intoxication at Howth, a harbour north of Dublin. At this stage in George’s ‘career’, despite being known by his favourites as the Gentleman of Europe, he was a figure of ridicule who had brought the monarchy into disrepute in a way that would have made Charlie Sheen look like a Buddhist monk. He suffering delusions including one that he had fought at the Battle of Waterloo. He didn’t. Not a difficult one to disprove I would have thought. Like much in Irish history, complicated, confusing and with drink taken.

George has particular significance for children around the world. These lines penned in his honour ‘Georgie Porgie pudding and pie kissed the girls and made them cry. When the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgie ran away’ neatly celebrate his gluttony, lechery and cowardice. That’s what we call a good slagging.

A local artist traced the shape of George’s feet on a granite block at the place where he landed. These are largely ignored by both locals and tourists. In honour of his 3^rd great grand-niece’s visit, Potato Pals author and fellow gout sufferer, Patrick Jackson has visited the place and placed images of Potato Pals Buddy and Daisy in the surprisingly small footprints.

This gesture should not be interpreted as a reference to either the famine that was to follow or a suggestion that Ireland has been in any way down-trodden. While believing in the importance of healthy diet, the prudent use of people’s tax and the equality of all tubers, we also recognise that it’s time for Ireland to move on. In the words of our President, "It is an acknowledgment that while we cannot change the past, we have chosen to change the future".

The Real IATEFL

2011-05-10T05:30:00.004+09:00

Last year I attended IATEFL Harrogate virtually, from the comfort of my cubby-hole in Dublin. It was great. I saw loads of talks and listened to lots of interviews. This year I had the chance to go in the flesh. I promised I would write about my real visit and how it compared to the pajama version. I arrived in Brighton late on Friday and spent Saturday going to talks. All good. All interesting but to be honest I could have got the content just as well at home. It's nice to get out of the house though sometimes.

On the morning of my own talk, Sunday, I was in a heightened state of excitement. I'd spent a lot of time preparing my presentation on Linked Language Learning. This was my European debut. A lot of the people I had been following on Twitter and whose blogs I'd been reading and commenting on would no doubt be there. The new books I've been working on since I was a lad would be out, freshly displayed to all. There were even publishers gift's, iTools, an interview, a tweet-up. Everything a self-promoting spud could ever dream of.

I got up at the absolute crack of dawn, went for a jog all the way to the Royal Pavilion, took a shower and had a light breakfast with a fellow author, (the now legendary Lewis Lansford of English for Oil and Gas fame). Then I headed upstairs to reflect a little before setting off to join the fray down the road.

On returning to the still of my palatial room, as I sometimes do at these important moments, to add a little additional significance to the occasion, a little frisson, I reached for a random book. As I was in a hotel room this happened to be Gideon's Bible. I closed my eyes and opened the book, gently tapped the page with my forefinger, opened my eyes and started to read. Can you imagine my extreme disappointment to see the following verse from the book of Job (27:12)

You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk?

I mean, really! Clearly some sort of administrative error. A glitch in the matrix.

I pressed on with the day but of course I had no chance really. To be honest my talk was indeed, as predicted by God, very poorly attended numbers-wise. But! But! It's quality that counts, innit? There were some very special people there and you know who you are. Thank you so much both of you.

Why didn't the crowds cram the place to the rafters? Well apart from the Divine veto of the event, I was on straight after lunch. The sun came out for the first time that weekend. The room was too big and rather removed from the main shindig. Most people made the wise decision to stay on the beach or have a leisurely lunch, or go to one of the 25 or so concurrent and clearly less meaningless talks. Excuses excuses! What the hell. We were singing. We were dancing. It was a glorious, special time that anyone who was there will never forget and an important day in the movement that was to become Late Language Lunching.

Don't get me wrong. Despite the unfortunate cosmic misunderstanding regarding my carefully prepared lecture I am very happy to have gone to Brighton. I genuinely consider it to have been an honour and one of the funnest things I've done professionally or even unprofessionally. I breathed the same air as all those people. You know. Those people. They'd been whizzing around the spare Firefox window beside my manuscript for the last two years. These are the people who've been keeping me sane. Well partly sane anyhow.

Trainspotting Highlights of my weekend? As is the mode at the moment allow me a dozen or so name drops:
1. I was in the same room as Shelly Terrell. She actually exists! In real life!
2. I was on the other side of a revolving door to Gavin Dudeney. I thought of jamming it with my foot so I could just hold him there like a kind of high tech goldfish as the entire running of the event ground to a standstill. But I was merciful. I let him swim away.
3. I sat in a talk next to Ken Wilson, whispering conspiratorially and Tweeting fiendishly throughout. Him not me. He must have been a handful at school I reckon.
4. I watched Scott Thornbury being interviewed...in real life! God that man has a fine voice and how he uses his hands. When he's not scaling fish or crushing olives or whatever it is he does for a living.
5. I met Four Horsewomen of the Bosphorous. I want to go to Turkey so.
6. I embraced Karenne like a long-lost friend (was I overfriendly, I wonder?) and thrilled as she choked up describing how important blogging was to her.
7. I met Sue Lyons-Lyons-Lyons for the first time, sitting together by the sea in the early morning dew with...
8. Heike! Who I met again later in the day looking really fed up. I went back and got her handbag which she'd forgotten (and I thought Germans were meant to be organised), tiptoeing into a talk to retrieve it from where she had left it . Amazingly nobody stopped me.
9. I joshed with Jamie Keddie briefly as he rushed off, clearly clean out of his mind with enthusiasm and images.
10. I had a sincere and deep conversation with a very nice gardener called David Warr who seemed to have mistaken the venue. I realised afterwards it hadn't been a conversation as I'd done all the talking. Sorry, David.
11. I even shook hands with my old school chum (well we weren't quite contemporaries) Jeremy Harmer. He rushed off too but who needs the Book of Job when you've done that.
12. I met the surprisingly tall Nik Peachey. Surprisingly tall? Why had I an image of that man as being about the size of a 300ml can of lager? Daft really. We talked about oaks.
13. I offered a seat to Carol Read. I repeat. I offered a seat to Carol Read. If you've spent 15 years in the world of young learners ELT you'll appreciate what that means.
14. There was a publisher's dinner, with real food. I met important people who will hold great sway over my future. They were really nice and clever and fun and good-looking and I will do anything they like for them as long as I live.

These are dizzy heights for a wee lad. Will I go back? Probably one day. But I've learnt my lessons. Don't go rooting around in hotel bedside cabinets. Don't go looking for signs. Don't name drop. Don't think that your talk is the most important reason you're there. It's not. Neither is the Esplanade. It's all about sharing. Reality is quite fun enough. Especially when you're in the IATEFL zone, man. Bring me my dressing gown! Roll on 2012. It's not in Dublin by any chance is it?

A few Remaining Questions we can still answer ‘Yes’ to and a Modest Proposal to save Ireland from penury.

2011-05-08T16:18:00.003+09:00

The Questions.

Are the Irish sometimes described as wordsmiths of the English language (the world’s lingua franca currently being learned by between 1 and 2 billion people worldwide)?
Have we also been described as ‘a nation of teachers’?
Do we have a worldwide reputation for warmth and hospitality?
Is Ireland considered an attractive and desirable place to visit?
Do we have a large number of graduates and older people with an increasing amount of spare time on their hands?
Does Ireland have a further flung and better networked diaspora than any other English speaking country?
Do we have well respected language schools all over the country as well as people teaching in language schools all around the world?
Do we have ample space, plenty of spare housing, empty hotels and buildings all over the country that could be turned to a variety of uses?
Do we need a clear message to bring to the table both internally and externally? A Mission Possible that everyone can bend their shoulders to that’ll play to all of our strengths and give us some pride back.
Are we perhaps a wee bit stuck? Do we need change?

The Proposal

Ireland makes it its clear and known intention to become the world leader in English language teaching, putting ELT at the forefront of our economy. Yes, really. The forefront. Ireland becomes the English language teaching classroom of the world. There are currently between 1 and 2 billion people learning English worldwide. That’s a class of say 300 people for every man, woman and child of us.

This will require that Ireland becomes world leader in the training of English language teachers. We will step up our welcome to teachers and trainee teachers from around the world. We will also properly train and make it possible for tens of thousands of our own young people to teach English abroad for as long as they want, simultaneously acting as ambassadors for Ireland. These teachers will become identified with the best language teaching practice. When governments are looking for well-trained teachers for their schemes they will come directly to Ireland. Every child in the world will have had an Irish teacher or a teacher trained in Ireland at some stage in their education. Like the old days but different.

We use all these skills and links to make the experience of coming to learn English in Ireland the best in the world. We welcome the people of the world to Ireland. Properly and everybody. We do what it takes to get them here and give them the time of their lives. We make Ireland a place where people come to enjoy learning both from us and from each other. It becomes the world's meeting place. We take a close look at what it really means to welcome people and a closer look at the service, quality and value of what we offer. We make people want to come back.

This leads to us educating ourselves further in cross-cultural communication and taking a good look at our attitudes to people, to service and to immigration. We build equitable bridges, welcoming people from all over not just because of how much we think we can fleece them for on one visit. We make it affordable for people to come here and we make it clear that we want to build life-long friendships with them. We become the stepping stone to the world. Wherever you’re from.

We use our spare rooms and spare time, perfecting the Irish homestay. We offer visitors affordable, free or subsidised if necessary accommodation in our hotels and hostels. We could even offer free housing in our empty estates. Why not?

We lead the world in the increasingly technological aspects of language learning. Short sentence but a big deal.

We embrace the opportunity to learn from past mistakes, harness our wit, our resourcefulness, our intelligence and our desire to find an honourable way out of this mess. We have a huge resource, largely untapped. Talk about free software. Natural gas, even. Language! It's in the mouths of babes and sucklings. And we're very good at it. Where else can you actually pay good money to hang off a battlement backwards to kiss a rock that'll give you the gift of the gab?

Joking apart, this would be a mission in which every single Irish person can play a part in some way or other and know what part they’re playing. It’s also a message we can broadcast far and wide. Let’s make our intention clear and give it everything we’ve got. ‘We’d like to teach the world to speak’.

Cherry calling Cake. Do you read me?

2011-04-08T16:04:00.006+09:00

This blog has always had a very scanty blogroll. It's been something I've been meaning to get round to. All the ELT blogs I read and comment on have this covered pretty thoroughly and they all seem to have remarkably similar blogrolls. I'm certainly not complaining about that but I plan to try something a little different. Rather than list all the usual suspects. i.e. ELT people blogging about ELT in English (the cherry) I will only list people blogging in their native language about English teaching (the cake). The only problem is...and this is where I need everybody's help...who are these people and where are their blogs? If you know of a good blog or website about teaching English that's not in English, please add it below as a comment. While you're at it, please forgive my ignorance.

Where I'll be in 2 Weeks Time

2011-04-04T08:27:00.001+09:00

Some New Friends in Taiwan

2011-03-27T12:00:00.002+09:00

A Nasty Shock leads to New Resolve.

2010-11-25T06:01:00.006+09:00

It was with a flutter in the heart that I heard via Twitter about a list posted on Alex Case's excellent TEFL blog, (a terrific labour of love and a great service to the ELT community) of 100 publications that most changed TEFL. I rushed over there as fast as my broadband would carry me and there it was. Rubbing my hands together with delicious anticipation, I scanned from the top. So where had he placed Potato Pals? Had he decided to put one or two serious methodological tomes above them? Had he decided by tossing a coin that Penny Ur's '5 Minute Activities' should occupy the tip-top spot ahead of Buddy and his subterranean chums?

Pulling up the blondes to let in the pale November dawn and sipping on my morning Nespresso, down the list I went. Ho Hum! Not in the top twenty? Thirty? Fifty? All the way down I went. The list even went to 113 but not so much as a Pringle let alone a set of cute stories that teach pre-primary to primary students simple sentences, basic vocabulary, and useful patterns through a unique system of picture cues using 16-page readers that feature appealing potato characters.

Some mistake surely, I thought, so I had a quick scroll back up to the top of the list. But I hadn't just missed them. The popular and innovative materials just weren't there. Absent. My eye was drawn to two more lists below the 'Major League'. The first was Not sure if they changed anything or not. Pleased not to have been on that one. The second was Could have/ should have changed TEFL but didn’t. 'Yes!' I thought. That's where you'll find Chip and his Cheeky Chums, the books that have yet to be recognised by a trip to the Lindsay Clandfield Hall at Buckingham Palace but no doubt soon will when OUP get round to bringing out the third series.

Again though, nothing.

Always the optimist, the rather exciting thought crossed my mind that Alex might be contacting me later in the day with news of some sort of a special section. An all-time winner. A lifetime award of some sort. Maybe I could even put a badge on my blog. Best Young Learners Material of the Century.

But stop. Can you imagine the horror, the absolute horror, the utter and absolute horror when my mouse sniffed out a lower section of the posting and another list. "Were meant to change the world but rightfully had little effect" and there, positioned next to a book described as 'a nice idea but crap content' was 'Potato Pals' (because you can never beat Spot the Dog and Eric Carle)written clearly, in black and white. Alex! Alex! How could you have done this? How could you?

Rightfully...had...little...effect. Rightfully!

I stumbling, dry-retching to the clifftops near my home swearing to end it all amongst the cormorants and spume below. How could Potato Pals have fallen from favour in the eyes of this industry guru who wrote so pleasantly and positively of the books in his review "Potato Pals: A Book I have Used" published in a leading journal only a couple of years ago. Why had he even taken that review DOWN from his blog as if to kick sand over the evidence of his previous flirtation with the tubers?

And then I thought. 'No, Patrick. It's Teachers' Day in Turkey. Remember Ataturk who said "As they have come, so they will go".

More so than the words of the founder of modern Turkey though I recalled the kind words of a Turkish teacher Ms. Esra who said "Teaching everyday language and daily routines are a part of our kindergarten curriculum in my school and I used to teach things we do in a day by using flashcards and TPR. Then, we started to use "Potato Pals" and everything is easier now. There are two sets of the books and each set contains six stories. The characters are very cute potatoes and are all colorful. There is a cue system which helps to repeat the language and my kids feel very comfortable with it because they cannot read but can read the pictures! At the first two or three lessons, we listen to the stories from the CD. The kids pay a lot of attention because there are some sound effects used before you hear the sentences and kids love these effects! The following lessons, we read the story, sing the songs and dance.(I have my own choreography for each song:)Then we play games out of the sentences/patterns we have learnt. My kids really enjoy "Potato Pals" and learn a lot from these cute friends!".

I turned from the precipice and walked slowly homeward. Resolute. Calm even. I knew what I must do and do it I shall. While there is breath in my lungs, blood in my veins and marrow in my bones I will continue to spread the word. I will live with the burden of having created a series of characters that OUP marketing legend, Oli Bayley referred to as 'Nobody really knows what they are". I will never rest until I have clearly explained to teachers the world over that these books can be used as supplementary materials or even the very heart of a young learners curriculum. I will walk the dusty roads singing the 'Good Friends' song until the shoes decay and fall from my feet.

I am Potato! Look me not in the eyes!

As a footnote, it would never have been possible to have pulled myself away from the cliff's edge had it not been for Sarah "Potato Pals changed my World" of The Daily English Show and Jason Renshaw of English Raven who immediately wrote in the comments section of his regard for the spuds. Further thanks to Devon Thagard of Super Simple Songs for bolstering Dean, Nina and Joy's confidence over an ale when he turned to me and said, "Patrick. We really enjoy the Potato Pals Series...I think it's very well thought out; distinctive characters, great illustrations, situations kids can identify with, and it's easy to use with kids of varying levels of English ability...readers and emerging-readers alike. The CD also makes it easy for children and parents to use at home, which I think distinguishes it from a lot of young children's English learning materials."

The Potato Pals can be contacted directly on their Facebook page and would love to meet new friends at this difficult time.

Why Nagoya?

2010-11-20T05:13:00.009+09:00

It’s time for the JALT 2010 conference, Japan’s biggest ELT jamboree. This year it’s being held in Nagoya, famed for flat kishimen noodles, miso pork cutlets and a giant junior high school girl called Nana-chan. It is also the birthplace of the Potato Pals and was my happy home for 12 years. Its wealth depends on it’s proximity to Toyota but more importantly, the incredible number of ELT giants who have chosen it as their abode. It could really be argued that Nagoya is the world center of ELT excellence. It must be something in the water. Anyway, If you’re at JALT 2010, look out for some of these faces. Their time has come and rightly so, we say.

The Kelly Bros.

Few people know this but the internet was actually made with beard hair, wool and banjo strings by two Nagoyan brothers, Charles and his brother Kelly Kelly. They were out in their field when the brother Kelly said ‘Down tools, Kelly! We’re onto something here’. Having built this powerful tool ‘The Kelly’s’ as they soon became known, populated it with Many Things for students of English. ‘Many Things’ being an understatement of biblical proportions. These are very, very clever people. Be warned.

Paul Lewis

You might think Paul spends his entire life on matters JALT related. In fact JALT 2010 coming to Nagoya could be somehow thanks to his efforts. I have no direct evidence for this just suspicions. Not only does Paul run JALT but he also runs Nagoya’s largest speciality tea importing enterprise, M&P Teas. Paul and I got off to a bad start when he suggested that I ‘get out of the potato game as soon as possible’ but we went on to become friends. He is co-founder of the rapidly growing Perceptia Press about which more later. Paul is also an extremely proficient Hammond organ player.

Brian Cullen

Brian came to Japan as an engineer but soon realized that was a waste of time and moved into a series of lucrative ELT gigs. He became the face of Ireland in Japan thus resulting in the collapse of Japan-Ireland trade and Ireland’s becoming the basket case of Europe. Having said that, the popularity of the Nagoya St. Patrick’s Day parade has steadily grown as have the sales of Guinness in the Aichi region. Brian has authored a number of ELT books some of which were finished pre-launch. The Potato Diaries sends warm congratulations to Brian on his recent nuptials and qualification as an NLP master practitioner. This means he can damage your brain as well as your liver. Avoid eye contact.

Darren Elliott

A relatively new arrival in Nagoya, and clearly far too nice to survive long in Babylon, Elliott has impressed everyone with his blog, livesofteachers which contains detailed instructions on how teachers can get a life. He is liable to try and interview you with a flip camera. Remain at arm's length.

Sarah Mulvey

Sarah is the co-author of the world’s finest textbook not published by OUP. It’s called SCRAPS and made a major breakthrough in the field because it, like, wants students to talk about themselves, like, while getting rid of all the garbage lying around their house. They do this by sticking it into the book, like, and bringing it into class. At the end of the year they have a treasure to last, like, a lifetime (or an easily recycled and compact bunch of waste paper). SCRAPS has been described as, like, a Dogme course. Dog-eared we say.

Lesley Burda Ito

Lesley is the heart and soul of the Nagoya ELT scene. She runs a fabulous school in the posh part of the city where the children of top Nagoyans, (Grampus players, Toyota execs and so on) send their children to develop a Florida accent. Lesley is mad into JALT and ETJ and has developed some sort of a relationship with Longman whereby she presents their books in exchange for free train travel around the country.

Barbara Sakamoto

Co-author of Let’s Go, (the best-selling primary course in the universe), Barbara lived in Nagoya for seven years but was far too productive to remain there and was exiled to some far-flung part of Japan. She is a fabulous blogger and a fanatical tweeter. Barbara apparently has a Second Life as well. As if her first one wasn’t hectic enough, we say!

Chuck Sandy

Chuck is an ELT author who is literally changing the world. I think this is taking place Saturday night in Shooters. The big question is will this change Shooters? Let’s hope not. Any pub that offers English teachers the chance to drink as much as they can for about 10 Euros should be a World Heritage Site. Chuck has a wonderful Facebook page with Curtis (you guessed it) Kelly. This has become the gathering place for ELT people all over the world. Anyone who hasn’t been there is missing out on the chance to finish sentences like ‘Teaching is…’ Clearly a few question marks about Chuck and Curtis if they’re asking at this stage but hey.

Peter Warner

Peter is the lynchpin of linguini phonics in Japan. In fact it is well known that without his efforts, pasta would have died out in this part of the world years ago. Peter also believes there is some sort of connection between sound and language, a view that The Potato Diaries endorses but doesn’t really understand. Certainly not in the way Peter does anyway. Less well known is that Peter is an amazing billiards player. He is also the world’s undisputed master of flashcard manufacture. Check this out for more.

John Ahern

Not what you’d call a shrinking violet, John is the man you want coming to your presentation. Whereas many people shave and cut their hair in order to look better, John did it to sink wells in East Asia. This charitable deed was one of many John has performed in his life. In fact it would be true to say that he lives for others. One negative thing about John’s is his car. Quite frankly it’s a disgrace to this automobile producing region. If you find yourself in John’s car late at night you are definitely going to feel very ill the next morning, either from the hangover (your fault) or the anthrax you picked up off the pile of stuff in the trunk (his). He may have cleaned it up for JALT 2010 but don’t let that deceive you.

Nagoya Players

They put the ‘dram’ in amateur dramatics.

Tom Kenny

Another chap with Irish roots and author of ‘Nice Trying to Talk to You’ recently published by CUP. The Potato Diaries once tried to talk to Tom but it was a bad time so we can’t really tell you much more about this ELT legend. We have heard that the book’s good though. Could it give SCRAPS a run for it’s money? We’ll see.

Mark McBennett

Another Irishman and head honcho at Japanzone, Mark was one of the earliest people to run ELT News. He made the wise decision to move his large family from Tokyo to Nagoya a number of years ago and they have flourished here. It’s a testament to the city that a man who makes all his money off the internet and could have chosen anywhere in the world to live, chose this jewel of the midlands. Mark is a very good person to talk to if you need toed socks, a good Christmas present for the folks back home. He is also one of the good people who repeatedly cycle across Japan proving it’s possible and raising large sums for Hope International. I think they’re the people John Ahern shaved his hair and beard off for.

English Teachers

If you haven’t seen this hit internet show about the trials and tribulations of English Conversation School, BeYes, you’re missing something. It stars a number of Nagoyans including Michael Kruse, the world's funnest man. Michael’s mother was from the Dingle peninsula in County Kerry and presumably consumed considerable quantities of potatoes. Despite this we raise a glass to Michael and his friends and wish English Teachers great success.

Kim Horne

It is a great sources of regret that we never got to see Kim Horne present. She has been described as a teacher trainer extraordinaire and an all-star. The Potato Diaries is not entirely familiar with her work and therefore can’t really be rude about her but she comes with the highest recommendations.

Tim Murphey

One of the plenaries,Tim ‘Spud’ Murphey used to live in Nagoya and could often be seen outside a cafe in Yagoto looking intelligent. He was clearly thinking up new words like 'agencing'. In fact, as soon as he left Nagoya the café closed down as there was nobody to fill the huge gap left by a man who can, apparently, teach a class of several hundred students while skiing and juggling simultaneously. Pick up a copy of his latest book that is hopefully going to change the University Entrance exam system which cripples English teaching in Japan. Good riddance, we say!

The Potato Diaries wishes everyone at JALT 2010 the warmest greetings. We would also like to know of any other connections we may have missed (such as Steven Herder and David Kluge) or any other cities that could come close in claiming to be the world's most ELTy place.

Be safe…Be ‘Yes’ but don’t get in John’s car. It just ain’t worth it. Wishing we could be there. Love to all.

Meat and Two Veg?

2010-11-16T19:15:00.007+09:00

There is a little flurry in ELT circles at the moment. Gavin Dudeneye has put a cat amongst the pigeons by suggesting that it’s quite alright for people to plagiarize his blog as long as they keep their hands off his roll-neck sweaters. This is an attitude shared by the Potato Diaries who are happy and flattered that anyone might even come here at all let alone take anything with them on the way out.

Leaving no stone unturned, and for the benefit of the ELT community as a whole, our top reporter has scoured the past and is now able to throw some light on this important matter which threatens to tear apart the blogosphere and perhaps even the entire universe.

Enter stage right lawyer, statesman, essayist, historian, intellectual reformer, philosopher and scientist, Sir Francis Bacon. Son of Anne Cooke-Bacon (I jest ye not) and father of modern science, Sir Francis “Thank God it’s Friday” Bacon was a great man for the thinking and the doing. This led him to places high and low from exalted positions of power (Lord Chancellor and such) to the Tower of London where he was imprisoned for debt. Think Elizabethan Jeffrey Archer without the obnoxiousness.

Apart from the obvious physical similarity to Dudeneye, do these two Renaissance men have anything else in common or is this just a wild goose chase. A ‘Hunting of the Snark’ if you will. “Where am you be going is?” I hear you cry. Did you read that twice? What has this to do with plagiarism? Bear with me a while and all will be revealed.

Enter stage left, His Bardiness, William Shakespeare. The bearded genius, thin on top, addicted to high-necked garments and the English language’s greatest source of trauma to school children. Shakespeer? Bacon? Where’s the link? Well, it has long been argued that in fact Sir Francis Bacon was the author of Shaksper’s plays. The cornerstone of this argument lies in the choice of name of that most tragic of heroes. Hamlet. I mean talk about doing someone else’s homework for them. Blimey!

Personally, given how many other things Bacon had on his plate (and I'm not talking about cabbage or spuds here), I think it’s highly unlikely he got round to writing ‘The Complete Works of Shaxper' as well but that's what people are saying. This only goes to confirm our belief that history is merely replaying itself in never-ending cycles.

Bacon himself always enjoyed a bit of an old plagiarize too. Compare the following quotes:

The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them“ Diogenes

The sun, which passeth through pollutions itself remains as pure as before.” Bacon

Snared 400 years after the event by quotesforsaddos.com. Really. How are the mighty fallen.

It was (typically) a Frenchman, Rene Descartes who trumped Bacon for all time, thereby cheating him out of a place in the Philosophers' World Cup. He did this by simply removing one letter of Bacon’s widely admired remark “I think therefore I ham”. Through this slight of hand Descartes became the Father of Modern Philosophy, a title Bacon desperately wanted. There was little left for him to do but die of pneumonia while experimenting on the refrigeration of raw chickens.

Bit of an anti-climax, really.

A Bunch of Cynics.

2010-11-14T16:01:00.009+09:00

As some of you may be aware, there has been a great deal of discussion in the blogosphere about Dogme ELT. Is it an attitude or a methodology? An approach or a philosophy? Or perhaps merely a Snark? A load of old codswallop or a lantern that will lead the ELT world out of darkness?

[For those who have missed all this, Dogme is a way of teaching English using fewer pre-prepared materials and a more open and flexible attitude to students' input and 'authentic' emergent language. Rooted in Danish film-making, this (insert from above) has spread like wildfire around the ELT world until now a reference to Dogme is de rigeur in any blogpost or conversation ELT-related.]

Desiring to keep you abreast with all the latest issues in ELT, reporters from the Potato Diaries have travelled deep into antiquity and made a stunning discovery. Far from having its roots in a bottle of Aalborg aakvavit, Dogme can be traced all the way to ancient Greece, which incidentally is still home to some very fine ELT people.

Behold Diogenes! Like present day Dogmeists, Diogenes was known for his materials-light approach, often wandering the market place without a stitch on. He was a controversial figure and one of the founders of Cynicism which, like some other words, apparently meant something different back then. Cynics believed in a simpler, more honest and natural way of living without the clutter of coursebooks and the clatter of laptops getting between student and teacher.

According to Wikipedius writing 2500 years after his death, Diogenes was the only person ever to get away with insulting Alexander the Great. Clearly this resonates with Dogme ELT's awkward relationship with the publishing industry who on one had want to be hip and cool but on the other hand have become nervous of a bunch of high profile teachers trying to lead the world away from their wares. When Alexander the Great asked Diogenes if there was anything he could do for him, Diogenes said " Get out of the sun, matey. I'm trying to catch some rays."

Diogenes is also important to the modern world as a source of pithy quotes to use as a Facebook status. It was he who said “We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less”. This is clearly aimed at language teachers and directly refers to Dogmeists' insistence that the voice of the student be given due priority. It has even been taken as a criticism of the world of blogging as a whole.

The most stunning connection with Dogme though is a simple one, with fur. Diogenes was and is forever associated with...dogs. The reason for this seems to be a dog's honesty, versatility and ability to teach without having to bring a load of photocopies to class. The word 'cynic' derives from the Greek word kynikos, the adjective form of kyon (κύων), meaning dog. The statue below is in Diogenes' hometown of Sinop, in modern Turkey (also home to some very fine ELT bloggers). Note the lantern, the beard, the off-the-shoulder look and the dog.

I leave you with some final words from Diogenes said shortly before his death (possibly caused by a dog bite). These are words we should keep in mind as we become more Dogmeesque in our teaching.

“He has the most who is most content with the least”

[This put him at odds with Plato who apparently said "Shut up. Cover your arse and go get a decent coursebook. You're upsetting the children."]

Learning by learning. The cold water method.

2010-11-11T06:59:00.006+09:00

For the first time in my life, I have a proper hobby. When I moved back to Ireland there was one thing I simply had to try. This video says it better than any words. This is what I look like in my dreams these days.

It’s Laser sailing and it’s the most fun I’ve had since I took up English teaching. Well nearly. I’m on a little learning journey which has led me to the bizarre situation where I find myself competing against 30 or so veritable marine gods every Sunday morning in races up and down a stretch of choppy, cold water best left to cormorants and shags.

The good thing about this is I have learned a few things about sailing. The learning curve is steep. In fact it’s so steep that I frequently end up traveling through the air next to the boat, limbs flailing before I plunge into the water, in Dublin Bay, in November. The thing I’ve learned most about though is learning itself.

Most of the following thoughts apply to language learning as much as laser sailing. As a disclaimer I would caution anyone planning to take up Laser sailing to ignore this whole post and go and get some proper lessons. Same would apply to language learners.

1. You’re going to look really bad a lot of the time and you’d better get over that right away. Spend 25 years eating too much and doing no exercise and you’re not going to impress anyone in a wetsuit. Fortunately there’s nobody you have to impress. This is a voyage of self-discovery and if you don’t like what you see then you might have thought twice about some of those hundreds of, nay thousands of (tens of thousands of???) pints of Guinness you guzzled in a misguided attempt to check that it was all Guinness to the bottom of every keg.

2. Console yourself in the thought that your efforts will be entertaining to others. Especially to tourists who have come out to feed the seals. Actually, a middle-aged man in a wetsuit looks remarkably like some of the plumper seals on the East Coast of Ireland. You may feel in two minds about being recorded on iPhones as you flounder about, repeatedly capsizing in the mouth of the harbour.. The happy truth of the matter however is that nobody really cares and neither should you. Life’s short. Get on with it

3. The help and support of friends is, well, helpful and supportive. I’d have done none of this if it wasn’t for Robin. Thanks for lending me the boat, showing me how to rig it and taking me out the first time. Thanks for sitting with me endless evenings as I asked the same questions about windward-leeward courses and still went round the wrong way Thanks for encouraging me to do something that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do by myself and thanks for saying nice things about my pathetic efforts. And thanks to Yuko for minding the kids every Sunday morning while Daddy's off in his seal outfit.

4. You might have to be rescued sometimes and that’s fine. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. Particular thanks here to the guy who stopped his car, (yes I did say car) and asked if I needed help as I was being washed up against the railings at Strand Road. Further thanks for him for dropping in at the Dinghy Club on his way home and suggesting the manager come and get me in the rescue boat (for which, thanks).

5. It gets easier. Having said that, in my first competitive outing after practicing for the whole summer, I failed to complete either race due to being, shall we say, horizontally challenged. The second day was better but I could hardly see the 25 boats they were so far in front of me. So much for learning from the other guys. Specs on the horizon, they were

6. Study up! I have enjoyed reading the advice of an Olympic champion in his illustrated guide to Laser sailing and marvel at the photos of his taut, poised form, perfectly balanced as his boat skims over the waves. Books do help...

7. …but you improve most but just getting out there and doing it. I would qualify this by saying that this is particularly true in the case of language studies.

8. Boats work better the right way up. It’s a design thing.

9. Pride actually does come before a fall.

10. Participation IS winning. Or as close as you’re likely to get, mate.

11. Be brave. When you fall off your pony, just get back on. If your pony is made of fiber-glass, turn it the right way up and get back on. If you’re in a fruit shop and they give you grapefruits instead of oranges, try again. If they give you a pony, or a small fiber-glass dinghy get the book out again. Or draw a picture. But then you’ll probably still get grapefruits. Whatever. Go to another shop. Get a life. Or some grapefruits.

12. You are special. Believe that and you’ll believe anything. You’re not. At least the Irish Sea doesn’t think so.

Dodgson, Dogme and an impossible quest. Macmillan ELT publishes definitive guide to the ELT blogosphere.

2010-11-10T20:24:00.005+09:00

Firstly, apologies to David Dodgson, whose excellent ELT blog Reflections of a Teacher and Learner is recommended reading. I guess your heart stopped when you saw the title of this post, David. But fear not, the Dodgson I am referring to is perhaps your ancestor, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known as Lewis Carroll. The guide I refer to is my favourite of his works, The Hunting of The Snark published 125 years ago in Oxford by the good people at Macmillan.

Previously proposed to be an allegory of anything from society to Carroll’s own life, it has now become apparent to me that Carroll was in fact writing over a century ahead of his time of the world of ELT. That it has taken this long for reality to catch up with his vision only confirms my opinion of his greatness.

I won’t spoil the tale but suggest that anyone remotely interested in matters ELT get over to the University of Adelaide’s free version of the poem here and enjoy the read.

Finished? Well even a superficial reading of the Snark will no doubt have made everything clear. I mean, who could fail to recognise Scott Thornbury (the Bellman) and Luke Meddings (the Banker) striding masterfully through the surf (itself a metaphor for the internet) in the first of Henry Holliday’s wonderful illustrations?

The Bellman himself they all praised to the skies Such a carriage, such ease and such grace! Such solemnity, too! One could see he was wise, The moment one looked in his face!

Who could not but recognize Dogme ELT in the following:

He had bought a large map representing the sea Without the least vestige of land: And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be A map they could all understand.

“What’s the good of Mercator’s North Poles and Equators, Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?” So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply “They are merely conventional signs!

“Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes! But we’ve got our brave Captain to thank: (So the crew would protest) “that he’s bought us the best — A perfect and absolute blank!”

And who could fail to see the uncanny physical resemblance between our favourite blogger down under and the Butcher literally with an axe to grind, whose uneasy relationship with a Beaver must make the people at Longman (your place, your space, your lace) really nervous.

But it goes deeper than that. How could we have all missed this obvious reference to the quest for the perfect language teaching methodology?

They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care, They pursued it with forks and hope; They threatened its life with a railway-share; They charmed it with smiles and soap.

And is there a course book author out there at the beck and call of a publisher who doesn’t feel like the Baker sometimes. Oh, tragic figure!

He would answer to “Hi!” or to any loud cry, Such as “Fry me!” or “Fritter my wig!” To “What-you-may-call-um!” or “What-was-his-name!” But especially “Thing-um-a-jig!”

I rest my case with an image that many of you will find chilling. Behold a nightmare vision of the ELT blogosphere! As some of you reading this are probably ELT bloggers I invite you to try and identify yourselves and your friends. I am sure you can have fun however I do strongly suggest that anyone who has any smart ideas about “the JubJub, that desperate bird”, keep them firmly under their hats.

I have probably offended enough people for one morning by now and will go and do something useful like write a decent textbook . “Sure, that’s a Boojum!” I hear you cry.

[Apologies to any of my friends or relatives not involved in ELT who may stumble on this and surmise that I have finally lost the plot completely. Further apologies for the lay-out of the stanzas in this posting. I really can't spend any more time trying to get them right.]

Dogme and me. Or me and my dog.

2010-11-09T16:49:00.004+09:00

Unfortunately, language teaching usually takes place in a classroom environment involving large numbers of students. It’s often an experience similar to group sightseeing with a tour guide at the front waving a little flag and hoping that students will follow. For those of you who have been elsewhere there is an exciting and admirable movement afoot in ELT called ‘Dogme’. The pillars of dogme being materials-light, conversation-driven learning with the teacher and students alert to emergent language; all worthy and to many teachers somewhat obvious aims. I suggest this attitude is an ideal we should aim for and should be inspired by.

Let’s go back to the sightseeing analogy though. Imagine taking forty 7-year-old kids on a full-day tour of, say, London.

Before you got to London, would you prefer the students had some idea what they were going to see and do? Probably.

Would you like their parents to be informed about how they were going to spend the day? I guess so.

Would you take them to Picadilly Circus and say ‘OK, everyone! Listen up! We’ll meet you back here in 2 hours.’? Umm. No.

Might you consider giving them a map and some important contact details? I would.

I agree that in some ways the 40 kids might learn a great deal by being given a freer rein. You’ll not end up with forty of them though and it’ll be fun explaining to their parents why sixteen of them spent the whole day on the London Eye, ten of them sat in an amusement arcade all afternoon and only one of them stumbled on the British Museum by chance, spent two hours in the souvenir shop and then left without realizing where they had been. There were also the three that got on the train to Birmingham and the chap who sat in McDonald's all day eating chicken nuggets. I’m sure you can have fun thinking of other students in this scenario.

I have done a great deal of Dogme-like teaching. Actually it led me to become involved in creating materials. It works better the less students you have, the more responsible and individually motivated they are, the greater your understanding of the target language, the greater the students' language ability, the more time the teacher has to devote to preparation of attractive lessons and the less control the system requires.

Most young learner environments are heavily weighted towards the wrong end of these scales. That's not to say we should give up.

A well known ELT editor once uttered the immortal line in a karaoke booth. 'Sing something more Springsteenesque!'. I would say that all teachers should aim to be more Dogmeesque but you might find a decent coursebook comes in very handy on the journey. What a decent coursebook is is material for another day.

Nuggets for Breakfast.

2010-11-09T02:45:00.003+09:00

A conversation with my 7-year-old son at breakfast has made my mind up about the grammar ‘McNuggets’ debate. An epiphany over a potato farl.

Kai: There aren't really lines in space, are there?

Me: No.

Kai: Then why do they put them there in books?

The lines allow us to understand the orbit of the planets, the forces of gravity or the spin of electrons in an atom. Personally, I appreciate them. Explicit grammar presentation in language textbooks plays the same role. It's a big old cosmos out there.

[Profound apologies to anyone coming to this blog used to a diet of light-hearted and trivial nonsense. Normal service should resume shortly.]

To P or not to P?

2010-11-03T16:23:00.005+09:00

Involving parents? Should we? Shouldn't we? With young learners I think it's worth a try although certainly there's no guarantee of success in every case. What do you think? Are parents your valued teaching assistants, the engine room behind your students' rapid progress or are they a source of arghs and yikes?

Parents, especially those who enroll their kids in private language schools want their children transformed into confident English speakers. They usually want this to happen in about a week. They also usually lack the confidence to get involved. I have found most parents are happy to get on board if they are shown simple things they can do at home but don't want their lives taken over. I think some schools see sharing goals as a sign of weakness; a sign that they may not be able to do it all in 50 minutes a week with a Halloween and a Christmas Party thrown in for good measure. How do we start? By communication perhaps. Here are a few ways that schools can communicate with parents. I'd love to hear more ideas on this.

10 ways to communicate with parents

1. The Newsletter

Keeping in touch with your customers is not just good business. A fun, attractive newsletter is a great way for a school to motivate students and parents. Does your school have a newsletter? What sort of stuff does it include? Does it end up under the car seat or lovingly kept in a folder and treasured?

2. The Transparent Curriculum

Clearly stating the school’s goals gives everyone something to aim for. The curriculum should not be a closely guarded secret formula but should be available for everyone to refer to. How much do your students and their parents know what you have in store for them?

3. The Homepage

Nearly all students now have access to a home computer and this is a great way to reach them and their parents. Good school homepages have all sorts of information, news, games, activities and links to other learning sites.

4. The Starter Pack

Getting students and parents off to the right start is really important. Informing parents about the benefits of home study will help everyone. The starter pack should include all sorts of tips for home study as well as explaining the school’s goals and expectations.

5. The Open Class Day

Having one or more open classes a year is really motivating for students and, although pretty hard work for teachers, it gives parents an idea of what their children are doing every week. Open Class Days are a chance to perform something that students have been practicing. They give everyone a chance to show off. They are also the single best way to generate pressure and misery in teachers! What about your experiences? I think most of us have done 3 Billy Goats Tongue-Tied.

6. The Parent Workshop

Holding a parent workshop where the school shares ideas with parents about home study can be really fun. This can take many forms and is a great way for a school to network in the community.

7. The Report

Feedback is important for everyone. Without being too judgmental, it is always possible to give some useful feedback and tips for further progress. Even if it is just a short comment written on the students’ attendance cards, it’s a good idea to show students and parents that the school cares about them as individuals.

8. The Ceremonies and Certificates

Every kid likes to be told that they are great and most parents love to see their kids getting a certificate. Sniff, sniff! Pass the hankies!

9. The Advice

When parents feel that the school is approachable, they will be much better able to help their kids. Schools should make it clear that they are happy to give advice on the telephone, by fax, email or even in person.

10. The Homework

The easiest way to encourage your students to work on their English at home is to give them homework. Do you or don't you?

10 pieces of advice schools we might give parents. I'm sure you have more to add to this list.

1. Be positive (but don’t push too hard)

Parents have to be a bit clever here. Although nobody can help as much as supportive parents, nothing puts kids off quicker than pushy ones.

2. Do just a little… every day

There is a Japanese expression chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru which translates as “If you pile up the dust, you’ll have a mountain”. Make English-time a part of the day’s routine.

3. Create an English environment

Have English-language books, videos and other such stuff around the house. Some parents put up posters and some even label the things in the house with their English names. This is very helpful when you can’t find the refrigerator.

4. Think globally

Bringing up globally aware kids will prepare them for international communication. I mean, that's the point, isn't it? If you can interest your children in people and places around the world you are laying the foundations for using English to communicate in the future.

5. Learn together

Children follow role models and a parent who becomes interested in language learning will likely be a help and inspiration to their kids.

6. Share your ideas with other parents

Learning English is not a competition (or at least it shouldn’t be!). When you find some good methods or materials, share them with other parents. Remember, what goes around, comes around!

7. Visit English bookshops and libraries

A great place to get ideas. The staff will be happy to help and for those far from a big city, there’s always Amazon.

8. Watch, listen and surf

Turn your TV, CD player and computer into your teaching assistants. There are no shortage of great materials out there waiting for you.

9. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Fear of making mistakes prevents more people from learning English than anything else. Unfortunately, some language schools capitalize on this fear. Don’t worry! There is no ‘standard’, ‘correct’ English. Just dive in! Or not?

10. Ask a teacher for advice.

Or not? How approachable are you?

Conclusion

Students, teachers and parents should support each other to reach shared goals, shouldn't they? When everyone knows what these goals are, everyone can work together. Too often, only teachers and students are involved. The home support is not there. Implementing all of these ideas will not be possible for most teachers or parents but given the time, the energy and the financial resources, these are some of the things we could hope for in an ideal world. Involving parents is a surprisingly contentious issue for a number of reasons, not least that it involves an initial investment of hard work to put such ‘systems’ in place.

There are also arguments that students should take responsibility for their own learning. Your experience may have lead you to consider that parents should be kept firmly at arms length and do way more harm than good. We've all had good and bad experiences with parents. What do you think? Is it worth getting them involved or not? I'd love to hear people's ideas and stories on this one.

Happy Birthday to a Truly Magnificent Co-author

2010-09-28T13:17:00.005+09:00

This is Sue my co-author who some of you will have heard me raving on about. I'm so lucky to have been working on a writing project with her for the last couple of years. I'd say we're a pretty good team by now. Funnily enough we were a pretty good team from the moment we met. She makes it all a lot of fun even when the going gets tough (not that it ever really does). Apart from being a genius author and a seriously dab hand with an excel spreadsheet Sue does the most amazing quilts and beadwork you ever saw in your life. You wouldn't believe the stuff she makes! She must be the best beader on the ELT circuit by far, even beading her way through high-level editorial meetings. Says it helps her concentrate. Sue also does amazing work rescuing dogs and engaging in various other charitable activities in Sao Paolo where she lives. When we Skype she is usually more interested to find out how Frosty is than anything else and he sometimes has to be complainingly held up to the webcam so that she can see him. This picture was taken when Sue came to Howth last year for a wonderful week of writing and fun. This weekend Sue just celebrated quite a significant birthday. Happy Birthday, Sue! Thank you for being such a great co-author, teacher and friend.

A Magnificent Beast.

2010-09-14T19:52:00.004+09:00

We climbed the Sugarloaf on Sunday. You could see all the way to Wales. Clear as clear. That's Howth in the far distance looking small. Took pictures of everyone but I think you'll agree this one turned out the best. I suppose he is a West Highland Terrier after all. Way to go, Frosty! Och aye!

Good Couples

2010-06-23T20:50:00.004+09:00

Apologies to the many of you who have been waiting for months for news from the Potato Diaries. I've been waiting for something really special to come along and here it is! This video comes from Japan where someone has created a new version of the Good Friends song for their wedding video. What Sweet Potatoes!

Happy Easter All!

2010-04-04T20:29:00.001+09:00

Richard's Boots

2010-03-16T23:26:00.000+09:00

Pals in Thailand

2010-02-21T00:34:00.001+09:00

Thanks to Paul and Pun and all the students of the Good Child Foundation in Chanthaburi, Thailand. Looking forward to more!

A new member of the family!

2010-02-02T17:07:00.003+09:00

Meet Frosty!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T19:41:00.003+09:00

We had a nice surprise last night. Ami and Kai had their last meal of the noughties outside in the snow.

My Best Christmas Present

2010-01-01T19:33:00.003+09:00

Potato Mechakucha

2009-11-12T17:14:00.002+09:00

Pals in Turkey

2009-11-06T03:10:00.005+09:00

Potato Pals have quite a following in Turkey. Two years ago we got a great picture of a teacher who had made Potato Pals that grew grassy hair. In the past week we have been in touch with two other teachers from Turkey via Twitter, Ms. Esra (@ekamin) who has a blog as well as some great artists in her class.
Another teacher who is using Potato Pals is Ms. Ozge, (@ozge)who has a huge amount of really creative stuff online including this wonderful version of In the Morning made with photos of her students. Thanks to both of you for your support. I pinched this cute picture off Ozge's blog because I think that's one big red Potato Pal in the middle row.

Buddy Wayne Rooney

2009-11-05T02:32:00.003+09:00

Congratulations to Manchester United's Wayne and Coleen Rooney on the birth of their son, Kai Wayne Rooney. I knew there was something familiar about Buddy. Waddyathink? Some relation SURELY!

Friends or relations?

2009-10-14T01:24:00.007+09:00

Ami had a great time making these on the beach. Thanks to Mark for sending the pictures. Which one do you like best? Do you think they rock?

What a find!

2009-09-17T18:28:00.003+09:00

While walking on the beach yesterday, I found this stone. Could it be a fossilized Potato Pal? The remains of a spudosaurus? Any ideas appreciated.

Good friends in Thailand

2009-08-18T02:04:00.003+09:00

Many thanks to Paul and Pun from Thailand for their wonderful work with Potato Pals. I will be posting some of the videos they made of their students singing Potato Pals songs soon but in the meantime, here is something to be going on with.

Thanks Yvan!

2009-08-14T23:35:00.004+09:00

Many thanks to my friend Yvan from Nantes in France who sent me five things in an exciting package today. A DVD, a small potato from his garden, a beautiful picture of a potato, two packets of biscuits and a nice letter. Here is the picture. Which Potato Pal do you think it could be?

Kai took this one.

2009-07-17T02:22:00.003+09:00

The Real Thing.

2009-07-08T01:26:00.004+09:00

We applaud Lebanese artist Ginou Choueiri for her Potato Portraits and award her the Potato Diaries Artist of the Year Award 2009. She will receive a set of Potato Pals stickers.

Congratulations!

Thanks, Yeojin!

2009-06-03T18:50:00.005+09:00

How cool is that? Good Friends in Korea. 좋은 친구들 means 'Good Friends'.

좋은 친구들은 서로 이야기한다

좋은 친구들은 서로 듣는다

좋은 친구들은 같이 논다

좋은 친구들은 물건을 빌린다

좋은 친구들은 물건을 공유한다.

좋은 친구들은 서로 돕는다.

좋은 친구들은 선물을 준다.

좋은 친구들은 보살핀다

Ka tiaki nga hoa pai!

2009-06-03T18:13:00.008+09:00

Potato Pals are going to be featured tomorrow on The Daily English Show.
That's an online show made by Sarah, from New Zealand. How exciting! Here's a funny breaking story from NZ. We applaud this man's attitude to adversity.

Not a Potato Pal, I hope!

2009-06-02T20:44:00.002+09:00

Kindred spirits???

2009-05-30T15:31:00.004+09:00

A Google search has revealed that 'we are not alone'. The Pure Luck restaurant in Los Angeles serves what they call ...
Potato Pals!!!
These they describe as 'Small potato dumplings (gnocchi), lightly fried in peanut oil.'
Despite our reservations about this sort of thing, the people at Pure Luck seem to be good folk and describe themselves as vegan...mmm not so sure of the ethics here. I have of course contacted the restaurant directly and will let you know of their response), we are happy to note that this is a popular dish getting rave reviews.

Good Friends in Spain

2009-05-28T17:21:00.002+09:00

Many thanks to Luz for this translation of Good Friends.

This one also goes out to Nina, (the human version), a teacher and writer working in Andalucia. Check out her blog here.

Good friends talk to each other
- Los buenos amigos hablan entre ellos
Good friends listen to each other
- Los buenos amigos se escuchan el uno al otro
Good friends play together
- Los buenos amigos juegan juntos
Good friends lend things
- Los buenos amigos se prestan cosas
Good friends share things
- Los buenos amigos comparten cosas
Good friends help each other
- Los buenos amigos se ayudan entre ellos
Good friends give presents
- Los buenos amigos se regalan cosas
Good friends care
LOS BUENOS AMIGOS SE CUIDAN ENTRE ELLOS

Beary Mary

2009-05-26T01:02:00.002+09:00

Had the great pleasure of meeting Mary Slattery who gave an inspiring presentation on activities to do with primary school students using a teddy bear. It's all in the book which I am looking forward to getting. I have admired Mary from afar and used one of her other books, English for Primary Teachers so it was great to meet her (and her bears).

A wet bum

2009-05-25T15:57:00.001+09:00

French Billy Goats

2009-05-15T21:14:00.002+09:00

Thanks to these wonderful teachers from Nantes for making the last two weeks at DCU so fun. Here they are enjoying a bit of a drama.

Any Relation?

2009-05-04T18:23:00.003+09:00

Could these be cousins of the Potato Pals, I wonder? Thanks Syazzy!

Chile Potatoes

2009-04-26T18:45:00.001+09:00

A fabulous slide show of children at the Colegio del Sagrado Corazon in Las Condes, Chile using the Potato Pals. That made my day for sure! Thanks everyone!

Spring is in the air!

2009-04-09T06:00:00.002+09:00

News from Cyprus

2009-04-09T04:57:00.001+09:00

I would have loved to have been at this event in Cyprus.

One Week to Go!

2009-03-17T17:30:00.003+09:00

?

2009-03-17T17:28:00.003+09:00

SHOCKING! NOOOO!

2009-02-12T20:42:00.003+09:00

Click here for what is possibly the most disturbing story of the whole Potato Diaries. Avert your eyes.Av

The Needles

2009-01-19T02:18:00.000+09:00

The Windiest!

2009-01-19T01:57:00.003+09:00

Yesterday we went to the top of the hill and...Boy, was it windy!

Berkongsi-kongsi

2008-09-04T19:04:00.004+09:00

Thanks to Kim who translated Good Friends into his mother language which is....(any guesses?). We met on a train in Wales last month and shared a cheese sandwich. He was on his way to see Madonna in Cardiff. Cheers Kim!

Good friends,
Kawan baik,

Talk to each other,
Berbual bersama,

Listen to each other,
Mendengar bersama,

Play together,
Main bersama,

Lend things,
Pinjam-meminjam,

Share things,
Berkongsi-kongsi,

Help each other,
Tolong-menolong sesama,

Give presents,
Memberi hadiah,

Care,
Sayang menyayangi...

Back Home

2008-09-03T05:29:00.003+09:00

Wheee! We are now living in Dublin and enjoying the grey skies and low temperatures, cooling drizzle and chill breezes. We will miss Japan but this is the real place for a spud. We have moved in with my mum which is very nice and the kids seem to have taken to life here well. They started at school last week and are now learning Irish. Here are a few words for you to be going on with...
cot=cat, ellifint=elephant, panda=panda, cangaru=kangaroo
Hey...what an easy language!

Yes we can!

2008-06-03T12:00:00.004+09:00

There are moments when you just have to step aside and allow greatness to pass. So come on Barack...get out of the way (or go and buy a set of Potato Pals).

This is from Amazon Japan's non-fiction rankings this week. Dizzy heights for wee spuds.

May the Fourth Be With You!

2008-05-04T12:47:00.002+09:00

Worried

2008-05-04T12:41:00.002+09:00

Slightly worried about this. It's a picture Ami has just done of her family. The short fat man to the left, unshaven and in a Guinness T-shirt is me. Psychologists, please observe the way the weather clears as one moves to the right of the image.

Potato Pals Changed My Life

2008-04-03T11:54:00.005+09:00

Pretty sure that's what it says. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Knock Knock. Who's There?

2008-03-25T15:41:00.002+09:00

That's the great Devon Thagard of Knock Knock English
He sent us this picture of him standing next to a pile of all the Potato Pals books his school is using this year. Look! They reach all the way up through the clouds! That's a lot of spuds. Knock Knock English have used Potato Pals every year since they were first published three years ago so it's a nice vote of confidence and Devon is certainly a honorary Potato Pal. Maybe we should change Dean's name. What do you think?

MANY THANKS and by the way, delighted your Super Simple Songs are taking off.

Devon and I were thinking of participating in a 100km sponsored walk together but I notice, as the date draws nearer, the wires have gone rather cold on that idea. Mmmm.

And the Lucky Winner Is.....

2008-03-22T08:39:00.005+09:00

Congratulations to Lang Doust who will be getting a set of Potato Pals 2 readers. Here is the proof that the draw was conducted in a fair manner. (sideways). Thanks to my brother Peter for supplying the hat, pictured recently in Times Square. Thanks to the huge number of people who entered the competition.

Congratulations!

2008-03-22T08:34:00.005+09:00

Congratulations to Spuddy Sean and everyone at Happy English Club on the new classroom. Congratulations to Ami for getting an ice cream for all the reading she has been doing recently.

That Loving Feeling

2008-02-27T06:54:00.005+09:00

Recent polling suggests that 5 out of 6 potatoes now support Barack Obama's campaign. Nina is still a Clinton fan but McCain has zero popularity due to feared links between his campaign and McCain Foods, the world's largest producer of french fries.

100 Grade 6 Spuds

2008-02-25T17:42:00.007+09:00

Just back from a great day out at Osato Higashi Elementary School. Yoko (r) is the co-founder, with her sister Naomi of Potato Club. This is a very progressive school whose headmaster, Mr Kobayashi believes that it is a good thing for children to meet large foreigners and get used to communicating in English. As for pretending to be potatoes...well it can't do too much harm can it?

Homegrown Potatoes

2008-02-24T16:32:00.006+09:00

Thanks to the crowd in Nagoya today for making it such fun. Looking forward to your entries to the quiz. Thanks also to Cliodhna, the brains behind the tour. She makes sure everything and everyone is in the right place at the right time and does a fab job. And she's from Dublin!

Immigration Problems

2008-02-22T06:30:00.002+09:00

Very concerned coming back from the US that as a foreigner I now have to have my fingerprints taken (and will have to every time I come to Japan from now on). We were also exposed to a very unpleasant poster in the airport.

Spuds and the City

2008-02-22T06:21:00.004+09:00

Just back from an amazing week in NYC. We had a room with this view of what Kai preferred to call the Empire Steak Building. Given the amount we ate while we were there, might have been a more appropriate name. Looking forward to three more Kid's Club Presentations and hopefully getting lots more entries to the quiz.

At last...I've found the place!

2008-02-07T20:51:00.000+09:00

Funky Gibbons in Osaka

2008-02-04T08:59:00.001+09:00

We had a great time in Yokohama and Osaka this weekend at the Kids Club Tour. Excellent turnout for both events. Here they all are in Osaka pretending to be monkeys. Hopefully everyone will be entering the Potato Pals Quiz below.

Potato Pals Quiz

2008-02-03T08:19:00.000+09:00

Hello there! Thank you for coming to the Kids Club Tour. Here is the Potato Pals Quiz. If you can answer all these questions about Series 1 you will go in a draw for a set of Potato Pals 2 Readers. Consolation prizes will be awarded to everyone who enters. Send your answers to me by email at patjack67@hotmail.com marked Potato Pals Quiz Answers. If you haven't got a membership card yet, just send the answers to 1-9.

1. What time does Buddy get out of bed in the morning?
2. Which Potato Pal goes to school in a blue car?
3. What colour is Daisy's eraser?
4. What instrument does Nina play?
5. Where is there a zebra looking the other way?
6. Which Potato Pal likes to skateboard?
7. What is Chip's favourite drink?
8. How old is Joy?
9. In Potato Pals Series 1 where can you see the king and queen of Potatoland?
10. What is your Good Friends membership card number?

He's Home!

2008-01-23T23:58:00.000+09:00

Fantastic news from London. Rob has made it home after his epic bike ride. What a feeling that must be. He has been cycling since September 2004. You can read more here

Good Friends in New Ireland

2008-01-21T16:01:00.000+09:00

Thank you Craig for translating Good Friends into Tok Pisin, one of the languages of Papua New Guinea. Craig lives in New Ireland which looks like a better place to catch some sunshine than Old Ireland. Mind you, it's only 3 degrees from the equator. They have potatoes there (known as 'English Poteto') but apparently sweet potatoes (known as 'kaukau') are more popular.

Good Friends...
Ol gutpela wantok ol i save...

talk to each other
tok wantaim

listen to each other
harim gut

play together
pilai wantaim

lend things
givim na halivim

share things
tilimautim ol samting

help each other
halivim wantok

give presents
givim presen

care
soim marimari

Kids' Club Tour

2008-01-13T09:19:00.000+09:00

Hope to see lots of old friends this year
in Yokohama (Feb 2), Osaka (Feb 3), Nagoya (Feb 24), Tokyo (Mar 2) and Sapporo (Mar 9). Brian will be doing Potato Pals presentations in Okayama (Feb 9), Fukuoka (Feb 10), Nagasaki (Feb 11), Sendai (Feb 16) and Niigata (Feb 17). It's always lots of fun so please come along if you're around.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-01-09T13:25:00.000+09:00

Very surprised to find that 'Multiple-Voter' WH is finding it hard to get back in the swing of things after the break. Too much Christmas pudding perhaps? This was taken in our busy staff room just after lunch today. Don't let go of that mouse, Will!

Kyushu Potatoes!

2008-01-06T21:26:00.000+09:00

Thanks to Tasha from Kumamoto for these great pictures of her Potato Pals class! As Kumamoto is in an area of Japan famous for the upsetting practice of making a strong liquor out of potatoes called shochu it is nice to see that someone has the right idea down there. Thanks also for the kind words about the books...

"I have been using Potato Pals with my class for nearly a year now, and am continuously amazed at how well the children react to the stories, characters and songs. We all have a great time in class and I love hearing the children cheer when they know a new story is coming. Planning lessons for a small group of 3-6 year olds used to be a bit of challenge, but with Potato Pals it's now much easier and much more fun. Thank you very much to all the Potato Pals team!"

Happy Christmas!

2007-12-25T10:30:00.001+09:00

Lots of Love to Everyone. See you all soon!

We Three Kings

2007-12-21T10:33:00.001+09:00

Thanks to Moriyuki san for sending this picture from our Xmas party and thanks to Nick for baking a delicious cake. These gents are students from a free discussion class I teach at Chukyo.

Not long to go now!

2007-12-17T18:26:00.000+09:00

Yikes!

2007-12-04T10:00:00.000+09:00

An undigested bit of beef?
A blot of mustard?
A crumb of cheese?
A fragment of an underdone potato?

Whatever he is, I'd say he's seen better days. The fine nose to the right belongs to ...why, it's old Fezziwig. Bless his heart; it's Fezziwig alive again.

Bravo everyone!

I Spent Hours Here...Thanks Brian

2007-11-28T11:59:00.000+09:00

We Are NOT Amused

2007-11-26T17:58:00.000+09:00

No Comment

2007-11-25T16:57:00.001+09:00

Orange Man?

2007-11-23T23:08:00.000+09:00

We went orange-picking today and when we were leaving to go home were given 6 boxes of oranges by the nice orange farmers. Can you actually overdose on vitamin C? Ami believes that her friend's feet went orange from eating so many. Is this possible? Please let us know.

Thank you SO much!

2007-11-22T23:00:00.000+09:00

Buddy's Boot Camp?

2007-11-20T22:36:00.000+09:00

This is an exercise program for Will to get into shape when he gets back from his daughter's wedding. (Thanks Bun!) Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of
room at each side. With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your
arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you
can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day you'll find
that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of
weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks. Then try 50-lb potato sacks and
then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack
in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the
sacks.

Nagoya Players Christmas Show

2007-11-20T09:08:00.000+09:00

This weekend, we're off to the Nagoya players Christmas show.

Potato Fashion Guru and a Straw Man

2007-11-20T09:00:00.000+09:00

The picture is of Ami with Yoko. She is a wonderful teacher and teacher-trainer and the person who made the now much-traveled potato suits. Thanks Yoko! This man is made out of straw. The fellow on the far right is his friend from Niigata.

PEN Forum 2007

2007-11-20T08:45:00.000+09:00

Many thanks to Setsuko and all the fab PEN people for a great weekend in Niigata.

Teatime!

2007-11-07T09:36:00.000+09:00

Any local music lovers out there should get along to Miki and Paul's teatime concert coming up. This time they have some really big names from the Nagoya Philharmonic playing. Music followed by a really good tea party where you can taste all their different blends. Hope to see you there.

Follow the Caterpillar

2007-11-07T09:08:00.000+09:00

Many congratulations to the Super Simple Songsters. Nice to see them all at the TEL Book Fair in Tokyo. Kai loves the CDs! Very suitable for anyone teaching small children.

New Player from You Tube

2007-11-06T07:13:00.000+09:00

Shame on Them!

2007-11-05T15:33:00.000+09:00

FLORENCEVILLE, N.B. — McCain Foods Limited announced its sponsorship of the United Nations (UN) International Year of the Potato 2008, at the official launch today in New York.

McCain Foods Limited is an international leader in the frozen food industry, employing over 20,000 people and operating 60 production facilities on six continents. A privately owned company headquartered in Canada, McCain has annual sales of more than C$6 billion and is the world’s largest producer of French fries and potato specialties. The company’s products can be found in thousand of restaurants and supermarket freezers in more than 130 countries around the world. “McCain Foods has a 50 year history of understanding potatoes,” says Dale Morrison, President and CEO. “
(understanding potatoes???? Yeah, right...slaughtering them, more like)

Oh Joy!

2007-11-04T22:03:00.000+09:00

The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the 
Potato.

All Dressed Up!

2007-10-18T21:54:00.000+09:00

What do you think Kai is dressed as?
Here's a hint:

S_ _ D _ _ _ _ _

Let's go camping...without all the fuss!

2007-10-18T21:51:00.001+09:00

Sometimes you have to compromise when you live with children!

Samurai in the House!

2007-10-18T21:47:00.000+09:00

AttenSHUN!!!!

2007-10-18T21:46:00.000+09:00

Summer School

2007-10-18T21:34:00.001+09:00

We had a lovely time in Marlborough. Mr. Ito was back on the team again after a year off and he brought the headmaster with him. All went smoothly (largely thanks to Mr. Ito and his magic exercise books).

100 Days Off!

2007-10-18T21:29:00.000+09:00

Almost forgot my password to sign in to Blogger. We've been busy as usual. Here's a picture from our trip to London...huh? What's this?

Woof?

2007-07-09T00:51:00.001+09:00

Older People We Know

2007-07-09T00:39:00.000+09:00

OlderPeople(B)
Uploaded by patjack67

Families

2007-07-08T07:59:00.000+09:00

Family (A)
Uploaded by patjack67