On the 7th of November 2017 the methodological section, the Department of English and American Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra welcomed a dear guest. It was our successful graduated student Mgr. Silvia Seigne (Bednárová). In spite of the fact that she has been staying for a couple of years in France teaching a business English, she became satisfied after founding a non-profit organisation in Paris which allowed her to found non fully organised private school Makovičky in her native village Ladice, nowadays in Nitra. The main aim of the school is the development of cognition, creativity, humanity, collaboration, respecting child´s individuality, and joy from learning. The above-stated aims are achieved by means of various learning activities which very often interconnect the content of other subjects, mainly education and artistic ones and they are taught in English language. The main priorities are child, its discovery of world and joy from learning new things. Mgr. Seigne emphasized it when she said: „Kids need space and they need time. They need your attention and love.“ Children and teachers support their enthusiasm from learning by the own hymn which is the everyday starting point at school: Sme úžasné makovičky, múdre máme my hlavičky. Keď sa ráno stretneme, všetko hravo zvládneme.

The main topic of inspiring and challenging presentation as well as eye-catching and didactic workshop Learning as an adventure from early school age led in English language were alternative approaches to teaching English language in a mixed group of children whose age oscillating between 6-10 years (the first grade at primary school). Mrs. Seigne brought a lot of samples of picture books (storybooks) which she used and uses with respect to that particular season of the year. Future teachers, students at the department had a possibility to take a look at them, they identified their potential on the level of content and visualization and they proposed possible ways of how to work with them in a teaching process. Consequently, the participants watched a series of three interactive videos depicting concrete lessons in this school. The task of future teachers was to make written records in pre-prepared worksheets regarding the activities, their names, content and purpose. At the end Mgr. Seigne showed and commented some interesting and funny authentic photos during school activities. She gave students a lot of useful information, contacts on methodological manual with a special focus on storybooks and a number of internet pages where the teachers exchange their pedagogical experiences.

However, the most stimulating was the optimistic and enthusiastic attitude of Mgr. Seigne who can be the inspiration and model not only for our students but also for teachers in practice as she said at the beginning of her workshop: “One teaches, two learn.”

Mgr. Ivana Horváthová, full-time PhD. student KAA
doc. PhDr. Jana Harťanská, PhD., methodologist KAA