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Cultural Migration in Autobiography Grundtvig Partnerships 2009-2011

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

e-mail: kszia@komesnet.com.pl http://cma.internetdsl.pl

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Chance to step in the world Ina Turkina

Rather recently we have had an opportunity to step from our ,,small’’ world within one country, to the ,,big’’ world, personally to see what, probably, only have read or heard about, to meet people of different cultures and traditions. Just having stepped onto a threshold of this world, we have felt more and more growing necessity to become a part of the ,,big’’ world.

The knowledge of foreign languages is one of the main conditions of successful acquaintance and cooperation with this world. Every year more and more people of different age are coming to our Malpils Folk School on English language courses. For me as an English teacher, it is possibility to get a wide experience, to raise the level not only in professional, but also in the vital plan. My students are adult people aged 30-60 with their certain views, principles and experience. And our classes resemble more ,,talks about life at a kitchen table’’ in cosy family atmosphere. The topics of our classes are real life situations, discussing which, we learn more about each other, we adopt experience, we share impressions, news.

Because the most students of my group had been involved in the project “Cultural Migration in Autobiography” the theme of writing biographies was one of the main ones at the classes. In order to better understand what problems the authors could face in the course of writing and to help them, it seemed to be an interesting idea to try writing the biography myself. Besides, it was also possibility to visit other countries, and to cooperate with people from these countries. I didn`t have any problems with gathering the information and documents, as was writing the biography of a close member of my family. Our memories returned us to the past, allowed to experience once again both the happy and sad moments.

The participation in the project has given the chance to look at many things in a new way, to challenge the stereotypes that might be held by different parties and has brought to the most valuable learning that we are not completely different and we share so many common needs and feelings.