Thank you for participating and happy holidays to all!

Hi Everyone,
The semester is over here at Kennesaw State, so I just wanted to thank you all for participating in the blog conversations. I hope that both the Slovaks and the Americans have learned something about English studies in another context and about the lives and prospects of English (Education) majors in the other country. If you have any feedback, ideas, or suggestions related to this type of collaboration, please post here or email me at kgephard@kennesaw.edu
The blog will remain open for conversations, though.
I have seen a lot of enthusiasm for reading on both sides of the Atlantic, so I just wanted to share this little article:
http://nonamerah.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/869/
Happy holidays to all of you!
Katarina Gephardt

Taking this elsewhere.

i would love to keep the communication open between these two classes.

my presence on the blog was minimal at best. that does not mean that i didn't read anyone's posts or comments. we have a rare chance to make new friends with people that we probably would never have met anywhere else so i am inviting all of you to join the group that i started. this is the message that i sent to my classmates:

i created a facebook group [the rough writers (Gephardt's Fall 2145)] so anyone interested is welcome to join, talk, share job information, or random things. you're already on facebook so its really only a click away.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/139942359448367/

All of the conversations our class has had led me to starting this. i liked the blog but i found it utterly unnavigable and since time is such a factor in my life (and probably is for all of you) i'm trying this. currently the only members are my wife and i because you can't start a group by yourself.

with the technology of today there is no reason to lose contact with anyone anymore. i hope to see you there.

-tim ford

Hello everyone! How's your weekend??? x)

pyjamas&bathrobe+music+bed=my saturday (=

and YOURS???

Hello, everybody!

My name is Jane and I'm from Bratislava, the Slovak capitol. I study my two favorite subjects, English and History at Comenius University in Bratislava. Before that I attended University of Economics for three years, but I realized that I really hated it and that I never want to work a day of my life in the field.
I have been tutoring kids of various ages since about 2005 and from that it was only a small step to the decision that I want to become a teacher. I even spent a semester teaching a bilingual class at the high school I had attended. I really enjoyed it, so applying at the Faculty of Education was a no-brainer.
This is only my first semester here, but I can already tell that I like it here very much so far:-)

Hello everyone! :)

My name is Lucia and I am student at Comenius University in Bratislava. I study English language and literature together with Biology and this is my first year of master´s degree. I cannot say that I have always wanted to become a teacher, I made that decision at secondary school. Ever since secondary school English and Biology have become my passion. During classes I would just picture myself in the position of teacher and wonder how exciting it would be. So, when the time came for me to choose a university teaching English language and Biology was my only option. To be honest, my parents as well as my friends were not very happy with my choice due to the fact that teachers in Slovakia are underpaid and not properly appreciated. However, I did not let that to stop me from pursuing my goal.

After completing the master´s degree I would like to take up a doctorate in Biology. I am considering Zoology, Biological Anthropology or Virology. The idea of becoming a scientist and doing my own research in one of the above mentioned fields in combination with teaching at Uni is fascinating to me. To get there requires a lot of hard work but I know what I want and I am going to do my best to achieve it.

In my spare time I love reading, especially English books. Like other young people I enjoy going out with friends, listening to music, watching movies as well as spending time with my family. Apart from that I have always been very interested in make-up artistry. So in order to chase my dream of becoming a make-up artist I took a professional make-up artistry course. I am glad whenever I can help women with their make-up for special occasions like wedding or prom. I just love the surprised look on women faces when I finish their make-up, it is like asking me "is it really me?"

That is probably all for now. I am looking forward to hearing from all of you, so feel free to comment or ask a question :)

Have a nice day!

Lucia F.

:-)

Dear all,

My name is Jana. When I got my degrees in management and international relations, I found out that working in business isn't satisfying for me. I always wanted to be a teacher, but the status of teachers in my country is really low, therefore I wanted to get some “better” education than a “poor” teacher training when graduating high school.

When I say the position of Slovak teachers is bad, I don’t only mean the salaries (they earn significantly bellow the average wage). Much more serious problem is that they do not get any recognition in our society. If you declare that you study education, people usually ask you “Uhmmm, and what did you want to study before you got a place at the Faculty of Education?”.

It’s true that most of the students take education as their second, third, or fourth choice, and they apply only in case that they wouldn’t get the place at Faculties of medicine, philosophy or economics. The fact that people study education just for getting a degree makes it really difficult for our uni teachers to create a good learning environment, as the majority of their students are not motivated at all. But there are some of us who really want to do this job and are keen on gaining new experience and knowledge. This usually means that we have to look for “western” sources of information on English language education, as our Slovak knowledge base is very restricted (and influenced by 40 years of autocratic approaches).

My parents did not support me when I decided to become a teacher. The reason might be that my mom, after 30 years of teaching, feels unappreciated and tired of living of few hundreds euros per month. I understand her concerns and feelings. However, I think you can always get a whole lot of appreciation and energy from your students when you know how to do the job and when you do it with love.

Future after graduation? I feel I need much more knowledge and experience. I had an opportunity to observe some lessons in Finland and to spend couple of months at a village school in India. Especially Scandinavian educational systems are very inspirative, therefore I’m about to go for an internship in Iceland (starting in January). Then I’ll probably start teaching here in Slovakia. And my long-term aim is to help to change the system of language education in Slovakia, as I think such change is inevitable.

Hello everyone!

My name is Anna. I come from small town Michalovce. I study languages at Comenius University - English and Slovak language and literature. I’m in my second (and I hope in my last) year of master's degree. I study pedagogy because I always wanted to be a teacher and English a Slovak was my favourite subjects at my secondary grammar school. I chose these subjects because I like literature. I like reading and also I like to learn new things. My family was not very happy about my decision because my mother is a teacher and she knows how it is difficult. She always says: teaching is not only occupation but it is a mission. But unfortunately, as it was mentioned, the position of a teacher is rather low-ranking in our country. In spite of this fact my parents support me. In the future I would like to teach but also I would like to try something different. I have not decided yet and I am still thinking about it.

Have a nice day. J

Greetings everyone

My name's Katarina and as many of my colleagues I'm studying English and Slovak language and literature. Somehow I have always known I wanted to study English because it was one of the few subjects I truly enjoyed during my high school studies. When the time came to choose a university I applied for interpreting and translating of English and Arabic language, and as a backup plan teaching Slovak and English language and literature. Fortunately, (but in fact at that time it was kind of a tragedy for me:) my backup plan worked out and I am here today. My parents were not enthusiastic about my decision. They didn't like the idea of me becoming a teacher because as many of my friends have already mentioned - the position of a teacher in our country is rather low-ranking. But during those 5 years at university I realized I didn't enjoy translating at all, and I have found myself in the role of a teacher. I have been teaching mainly adults for 3 years now and I love how creative and rewarding this job is I would probably do it even after graduating.

Besides that I enjoy many creative activities. I love making "jewellery" from beads, fine wires, different metal components etc. but recently I haven't had enough time to do it. I also enjoy scrapbooking - I make different kinds of postcards, notebooks, photo albums... Many of my friends and family members get these as presents, so I guess they wish I would stop already and buy them proper gifts ;) but it ain't gonna happen my friends :D I also enjoy reading, cooking, baking and decorating our flat. I am newly married so I still enjoy spending time with my beloved hubby ;)

So take care and have a nice day.

HAND :)

Good evening to everyone! Pekný večer všetkým!

My name is Janka. I come from a small village Staškov. However for last 3 years I have been studying and living in Bratislava. To be more specific I study the combination English language and civics (not sure if I have the right word, in Slovak we call it občianska náuka :)

1. Why English? Because it is an international language :) Moreover I like English very much. When I was a child I remember watching TV channel CARTOON NETWORK all day long. Even though I have no idea what they are talking about. I like English songs as well as later learning about English at school. The only thing what bothers me about English is (like for most students) grammar -tenses and articles.

2. My family have supported me.

3. Difficult to answer. I love reading book. Mostly psychological books about relationship between men and women but also writers like Heller -Catch 22, Ch.Bronte, Hemingway,...

4.What would I like to in the future? Well I would love to teach, but according to my opinion in our country teachers are underpaid. Money are important but for me not the most important. I have not decided yet. I am still thinking about it.

Shattering The Skies Above...

Hello everyone!

My name is Filip and I study English language and literature in combination with biology. During my high school studies I decided that I want to become a teacher and I still want to be (= . Alright, I have introduced myself a bit and you can find many information about me in my profile so go ahead and check it out! It is great to see all the new people here. I have read some of the posts and comments, pretty ineteresting, fascinating! Feel free to leave me a comment or ask a question. I am looking forward to our "exclusive" discussion (=

Have a nice day, Filip aka TheDagger

Hi everybody!

My name is Vanda and I study languages at Comenius University - to be specific - English and Slovak. Inspite of the fact, that I am in the last year of my study, I am still getting used to on the fact that I study teaching, because I have never been interested and never planned to work in this sphere. I am desperately in love with art, predominantly with literature, kinematography and fine arts. To be honest, the study of literature at my school is the only thing which keeps me alive, because I hate drill and memorizing of the rules and definitions which sometimes don´t make a sense to me. The grammar itself is a nightmare for me, doesn´t matter if Slovak or English, they perfectly bother me both!:D I´m also a great chaotic who loves to analyse and perceives all around intuitivelly and emotionally. On the other hand, it is not so much surprising that I have decided for this combination, because I did love English since my childhood. I was always curious what my favourite cartoon heroes said and tried to imitate them. I was fascinated by the smooth elegance of its fluency and sound. Yes, I can say that it was a love on the first sound!:D Do you know what I mean? Have you ever been to enchanted by some language like this?

Teachers in our country are very underestimated and miserably paid. They are not so respected as it was many years ago in the times of our parents and grandparents. The respect and appreciation of their work is not so much in fashion nowadays. These are the factors which are strongly irritating and demotivating for me for doing this job. It requires a lot of giving but the feedback is not guaranteed. Eventually, as everything in life... Personally, I am very emotional and impatient type of person, so this job would be pretty destructive for me!:D These are the reasons why I so admire all the teachers who do their work with enthusiasm and eager will to educate and tutor young people. Here are many negatives for me, but I have to say that I am surprised how teaching amusing and creative can be. That creative aspect is what I so appreciate about it and that´s the reason why I will not quit my private lessons of English. It is an opportunity to work on myself, make a progress and get into a contact with new lovely people. It is true, that it is a great satisfaction when you can help with your knowledges to other people. Even though they pay you, that feeling of great satisfaction cannot be replaced with any money in the world. :)

To say truth, I have a quite clear vision of my future. I can´t say that I will never teach but it is not what i really want to do in my life and what would make me happy. I passionately love writing, being a writer is a dream since my childhood. To work in some journal, travel and use my knowledge of language in reality also tempts me because beside of that I could find a time for my own writing. I have many people who inspires me - my family, friends, people who also create somethnig or write. I am pretty obsessed by Stephen King since my 13 and I have probably something around 50 books from him. I think that he is the one of the greatest narrators of our era. I also love and admire american playwrights as T.Williams, E. Albee, E. O´Neill, D. Mamet... I also love british J.Osborne. Shakespeare, beat poets, french writers, philosophers, musicians... There are many artists who I love and are my eternal source of inspiration. S. Dali, F.Kahlo, V. van Gogh are also my great idols. I also love rock music ( frantically GNR, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Queen, Van Halen, The Doors, The Darkness, Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Green Day, Depeche mode, etc...), photography, travelling and partying with friends.

What about you? What are your passions and idols?

Write if you want, I´ll be glad.

Take care and carpe diem! :)

I’m Lydia.

I study English language and literature and pedagogy, because I want to be a teacher of English language. I have already been teaching adults and kindergarten children. But after university I would like to teach at a regular secondary school.

I’m in my first year of master's degree. I wrote my BC thesis on the topic of Northanger Abbey a Parody of Gothic Novel and I plan to write my MA thesis pn 20th century American literature.

Hello:)

My name is Andrea and I study English language and literature and Pedagogy at Comenius University. It was difficult for me to choose the second subject because I wanted to study only English language, what is my favourite subject since the kinderkarten, where I started to learn English.

My family and friends always support me, no matter what I study. But my parents are really glad that I have choosen English, because they know how important is to be fluent in the language of global media.

As I have already mentioned, English language is my passion and I am definitely going to work with it in my future, but I have not decided yet, in what field. After school, I would like to travel a lot, to try variety of jobs(e.g. advertisment, translating, teaching,...) and then I will decide what is my dream job.:) I have great plans so I hope to graduate what will be the first step to start make my plans come true.:)

Have a nice day

Andrea

Dear ALL,

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Kristina and I am a student at Comenius University in Bratislava as well. I study the combination of two languages, English language and literature and Slovak language and literature. Since my early childhoon I wanted to become a teacher, I used to play with my dolls or cuddly toys every single day as a teacher. I loved it so much!

Firstly, I tried to study Psychology, but I changed my mind and decided rather to study Pedagogy, studying languages, my favourite one- English. Even though my future occupation is not being paid very well (I think it is so stupid- pardon my language, but TEACHING children is the most important thing in everybody´s life. Every person in every contry has to attend the school.) I am still considering becoming a teacher. On the other hand I don´t have much experience in teaching, but my will is really strong and I believe I will learn everything important to become such a good and favourite teacher.:-)

My vision of study is recently quite complicated because I am on maternity leave. My daughter was born 21st October, 2011, so I am at home taking care of my sweet angel, who is sleeping at the moment, so I may write few words here.:-) You can imagine how time management is crucial in this situation. I try to do my best to be perfect mum and also not to neglect my school tasks. Is anybody who has a child as well and studies at the same time? If so, it would be great to have a talk about managing the time between school and the child.

I wish you a nice day and see you soon :-)

Kristina

Hi everybody!

My name is Adriana and I study English and Psychology at Comenius University. I had a rough time choosing what to study after finishing the secondary school, but English was (and still is) my favourite subject and I wanted to continue developing in it. I love reading so I try to work on my English this way and my other passion is watching American TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory, Vampire Diaries and Glee. For me it is a good way to practice the language and at the same time have a lot of fun :).

As for the reactions of my family..well, my parents would be happy even if I didn't choose to study at the Faculty of Education. The main goal was to get accepted to the University regardless the field of study. Now I just hope to graduate and who knows what will happen in the future..I'm still not quite sure about my plans.

Have a nice day,

Adriana Takacova

Hello everybody!

My name is Michaela and I study Teaching English and literature and Pedagogy at the Comenius University.

My decision to be a teacher came very soon. On my primary school I was decided to become a teacher. I was strongly influenced by my grandmother (who was a teacher in the primary school and was brilliant and everybody loved her) and other great teachers who crossed my way. They did their job passionately, with love to us. Even though they were strict and demanding to us, they showed us love too. I wanted to be similar to them.

On my secondary school my desire stayed unchanged. Here I started to learn English and I fell in love with it. I decided to study English. After studying one year on another Slovak university I entered the religious order The School sisters of Saint Francis and after 3 years of formation I came to Comenius University. So, to the question about family and friends’ support I think I have the largest group of supportersJ. Except my family and friends, there are my 160 sisters who deal with me my studying! I really like teaching and I hope after finishing this school I will be useful as a teacher on some school in Slovakia (or somewhere else, who knows!).

Have a nice day!

Michaela

Hi :)

I am Halina from the Faculty of Education in Bratislava as well, but everyone calls me Lina, so you can if you like to :) I study in combination English/German for both are my hobbies and in the deep past absolutely interconnected which I find pretty fascinating.
In my free time I teach and I really try to do my best although there is a lot to work on.
My job concerns teaching as well but the subject matter defines a great deal for I am a dancing teacher and I earn my living myself by dancing.
I went through several exchange programs during my grammar school studies so I really enjoy meeting people from other countries or meeting new people generally.
Looking forward for further discussion :)

Dear All

Dear All,

I would like to contribute with my experience to the discussion. My name is Renata and I study English and Slovak languge at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. My choice of university studies was not simple. My secondary school was concerned with sciencies such as Mathematics and Physics. So I was expected to follow this way at the Uni. There were some positive influences which drove me the other way. I have a part-time job in a law firm. I am frequently in touch with legal English. It is very specific sphere of language with its own structure, vocabulary, syntax and stylistics. Definitely, I would like to deal with this issue in the future.

Best regards,

Renata

Hello everyone,

my name is Petra Mórová and I am studying Teaching English language and literature in a combination with Teaching German lang. and lit. at Comenius University.

Out of the two languages, English is definitely my stronger. I've had English since I was 7 which makes it... 17 years now (wow, I feel old now). Anyway, the major breakthrough came after quite a few years of learning - at high school. Although I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do with my life at that time (and I'm still quite undecided about it), I knew I really liked English and could imagine working with it professionally.

I love the sound of it (Slovak is too monotonous) and I'm especially enthusiastic about all kinds of "weird" accents and area specific words, such as in Scottish or Irish English. If you can think of any such words from where you come, go ahead and let me know some ;-)

To answer another question, English is very welcome and even demanded in all sorts of occupations in Slovakia. Lately, I've been thinking about my future employment. It's becoming a pressing issue now and I find myself in a bit of an existential crisis at the moment. If I could, I would probably join a research studying English language, because I find it so fascinating! However, that isn't too feasible. So I am toying with the idea of trying translation, since I love literature and working with language.

In addition, I'm still considering becoming a teacher, but I haven't had much practice so far and my other problem is that I don't think of myself as the right kind of person for that. I was told that I speak too quietly and don't seem very self-conscious, but that, on the other hand, I am very nice (some say perhaps too nice). With these personal traits, I'm simply not sure students would respect me. So my question to you is: Do you agree that there is a set of qualities a teacher should have like I repeatedly read in education books? Or is it irrelevant in case he/she can establish a functioning relationship with his/her students and teach them well? Don't be afraid to express your honest opinions, I won't get upset :)

To very concisely mention yet another point, my family and friends have luckily always supported me in my decisions and had faith in me, even when I myself sometimes don't.

That's all for now. Feel free to comment if you like and have a great day.

Hi, everybody!

Hi, everybody,

My name is Jana and I also study at Faculty of education, Comenius University in Bratislava. To be specific, my program is English language/literature and Slovak language/literature. I chose to study English because I have always been interested in it, from my early childhood I was fascinated by various ways how to express the same idea in English. I liked the idea of being able to communicate with foreigners in an international language as well. My family supported me in this decision because they told me I could be a good teacher because I was enough emphatic and able to explain things properly and directly. Therefore, I dreamt about being a great teacher but as his status is very low in our country, I decided to teach only in private schools. I am in the last year of my studies and I believe that I will continue in teaching also later because it is a great feeling if somebody makes a progress in his language performance thanks to me. It is something which cannot be paid.

Have a nice day:)

Hi everybody,
please to join and meet you. My name is Mirka, and I am from Slovakia :)I study English and French at the same university as my collegues. I study these two languauges because I like speaking to other people in their own languages. As a teacher to become I should say that I really want to go and teach after the studies, but I do not know yet. Till I had my practical teaching in school, I was refuning to go and teach as a bread living job. Now, after the practical part, I really sarted to like it. So we will see what the life brings ;)
Concerning my hobbies, I really like to meet new people, whether Slovak or international ones. I like listening to music and dancing, mainly latino music. This is for mee the most beloved hobby. When I listen to or only hear this music I feel like at home, but I can not explain why :) strange.. does anybody of you have some kind of the same experience with something that makes you feel at home, but you simply do not know why?
have a nice day all of you ;)
Mirka

A Late Introduction

Hello everyone,
My name is Juraj and this is my first year at Commenius University(also my first blog). I enjoy literature(passively), listening to all sorts of music (unless it is boring, disharmonical or just too damn popular) and occasionally drawing or sketching(especially during long classes). I never thought I would study to become a teacher until my father pointed it out during some random conversation. He said he could always see that talent in me. It might be true since I really enjoy providing knowledge to other people. It is almost like a ritual or some kind of magic. Being a teacher is possibly the hardest and also most important job in the world since children always have a lot more questions than an adult can truthfully answer. Still, I can see myself in a couple of years surrounded by a bunch of crazy kids teaching them about life. I study Teaching English and Biology so that last statement is basically true. I have no idea how to finish this thing. I hope to hear from anybody soon.

Hello everyone

My name is Jan. Student of "Faculty of education" Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
I am studying E.L. and literature and Slovak language and literature. I started it 'cause I was interested in both languages and mainly literature as such.
I love many American writers, especially Brautigan, Bukowski, Vonnegut etc.
I came across the English since I was a little child and my father used to play old smuggled Yugoslavian LP's with Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and other stuff of that kind. I really loved that music and I still do. So after some basics of E.L. at school, and with help of my dictionary I started looking up for what is it all about... for the meaning of those words and that brought me to English language as such...
I started to teach English three years ago. I am giving some private lessons for children. Last year I got a part time job as a substitute teacher at the local primary school (from 1st. graders to 4th. graders- beginners in therms of English learning) It was a great experience, because there you can clearly see the progress of your learners and you get that feeling that you are doing "something". Something meaningful, relevant.
Profession of teacher in our country is not very lucrative. And recent events are showing that it is going to be even worse. So I do not know what is it going to be after I finish my studies. But I am going to find, or to do "SOMETHING" as I always does.

Hi everyone!

I am also a student from Slovakia and my major is English language and literature and our Slovak language and literature. To be completely honest I decided to study both languages mainly because of literature, not because of the language (no, not a fan of grammar).

My first interest in English came with music. I love all kinds of art, but music and literature the most. I translated lyrics of my favorite bands (such as Nightwish, which was pretty difficult at that time when I had basically no proficiency level). The very core of my vocabulary was built on this material.

Now something about me and literature... I am not able to identify when precisely my love for written word has started. I read tons of books for children and among my favorites were The Three Investigators series. Then there was the serious classical literature at secondary high school and my brilliant teacher who supported my passion for reading and writing as well. My most favorite author now is Junot Díaz and I am writing my MA thesis about his books Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Díaz in Prague and it was purely awesome. Another favourites of mine are Toni Morrison, G.G. Márquez, J.R.R. Tolkien, F.M. Dostojevskij, W. Shakespeare and many many more. I also love some of our Slovak writers, mainly those from the more “contemporary” era. Lately I am very into postmodern writings and I want to study the electronic literature more.

I`m looking forward to your comments and it would be great if you wrote who are your favorite authors and literary works. Thanks,

Petra

Hello!
My name is Andrea Ignaták,and I am a student from Slovakia,too. I study at Faculty of pedagogy, I chose the combination of English language and literture and Psychology. I think I chose an appropriate combination. I really enjoy it and I am interested in English language and psychology as well.
In my view learning languages is very important,and everybody should speak at least one more language not only their mother language. I like travelling,meeting people from different countries,different cultures and for this I need languages too,and I am very happy when I can have conversation at the other part of the world with people of different nationalities.It feels so good and they are happy,too.
The reason why I decided to take part in the discussions here is the fact that for summer holidays I use to work as an entertainer in hotels where the guest are mostly from UK and I want to learn more expression,maybe slang ones as well.And I believe here I can. And on the other hand as I mentioned it before I like to get to know new people and have nice conversation with them,to learn something new from them etc.



Best regards,


Andrea

Introduction

Hi everyone,

My name is Matúš Zimovčák and I study at Faculty of education, Comenius University in Bratislava.

I have always wanted to become a teacher, so I have decided to study at this faculty. My major study program combination is English and History.

I think that English studies are crucial for better understanding of our world, because the

 continuing process of globalisation is putting before us two important

aspects to consider. The first is, that mainly British and American cultural

elements are exported into the world, so it is important for everyone

to know where those various elements are rooted. The second aspect is,

that even people of other nationalities are using the English language

as a means to communicate their own culture to the others, therefore we

must study the language if we want to have meaningful relationships

with people living in this world with us. My family and my friends support me in my desicion, mainly my sister, who also wants to study English in greater focus.

Today the young people's interest in literature is gradually decreasing. They don't

see books as a meaningful way to spend their free time - for them, it is something

from the past, which doesn't suit the modern times. However, there still exists

a minority that finds some sort of spiritual fulfillment in literature.

The knowledge of English language is one of the foremost requirements in almost every

 kind of job. You often have to be a speaker of two foreign languages to get the

place you are applying for. My personal ambition is to be a good teacher of English

at secondary school, where I can help my pupils to prepare for their professional

life.

Matúš

Introduction

Hello everyone!

My name is Alexandra Šlapalová and this is my first year at Faculty of Education, Comenius University. I decided to study combination of English language and Psychology. English has been part of my life for 12 years and I think it would be a pitty to throw it away. I want to continue with it and use my knowledge in the future. There is no plan in my head, I have no idea what my job is going to be but I definitely know it has to fulfill me inside. English is going to be useful in any occupation I choose, because I would like to work with people where communication is needed. My family and friends fully support me in my decision. To add something about people´s perspective on literature, it is changing in Slovakia in a way it´s changing in most countries. The literary canon is becoming boring for young and by contrast the popular easy written literature is becoming interesting for them.
Alexandra

Introduction

Hi,

my name is Martin Lauko. I study at Faculty of Education, Comenius University. My major program is Psychology along with English language. I've been studying English for about 13 years and I realized that I will study it more deeply. On previous school I was satisfied with the conversation level (American and British lecturer's) but not as much with Grammar level. The main idea in our family was that I become a lecturer because my mother needs lecturer who will be able to learn English and Psychology is the best combination for me. I really don't have any idea what I will do after I graduate but one thing is clear. I want to get better at reading non-verbal communication in order to understand the personality of man/woman. The last thing I want to add is that I don't know whether people in our country are changing the perspective but I can surely see that Fantasy literature is very popular nowadays, mostly between teenagers.

Intro

Hi,

my name is Roman Humaj, I study at Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava. I have decided to study English language because I have been in touch with this language for a long time and thought that it would be good to study it deeper and more complex. To stick to the “layout” I will just mention that no one from my surroundings had anything against studying English and eventually teaching it. Personally I really don’t know if I will finish at Faculty of Education or I will move to other school and other program as my major, but if I stay I will probably try teaching, my major study program combination is English and History, so teaching either or both would be success, but we as teacher (even future ones) aren’t highly appreciated in Slovakia, not highly enough I think. Only time will show if I will use my English as a teacher or as a employee somewhere else.

Roman

Welcome to Slovak Students

The fall semester started in mid-August at Kennesaw State University (metro Atlanta area), so my students have already posted their introductions, and we hope that you can do the same. I will also be asking everyone to respond to at least 3 students in the other group. You are certainly encouraged do more responses and engage in an online discussion using the blog.

In this first discussion, we would like you to introduce yourself and share your perspective on English studies. You can post by clicking on "new post" on the upper right hand side.  You can use your first name only or your first name and the initial of your last name (there are several Rachels in the Kennesaw State group, so that may help) in the introduction. Please, also say a little bit about your interests or any other interesting facts about you. If you know how, you can also post a picture of yourself. As a contribution to the discussion on English studies, please answer the following questions:
1. What made you decide to pursue the English (English Education) major? (Some of my students are just English majors and some of them are English Education major)
2. How did your friends and family respond to your choice?
3. Do you think people's perspectives on literacy and/or literature are changing in your country? If so, how?
4. What do you plan to do once you graduate? Is expertise in English useful in the workplace in your country and how?


We look forward to hearing from you!

Dr. Katarina Gephardt and her English 2145 (Introduction to English Studies) class

(Please see our introductions below.)

Intro!

Hello everyone! I'm in my 3rd year at Kennesaw State University. I'm a Secondary English Education major and can't wait to get my own classroom and start teaching. I plan on teaching in Belize next spring for a semester and words can not express how excited I am to go abroad and teach students English. My dream job would be to go and teach in Northern Uganda in the displacement camps they have there but my mother is not too fond of the idea. It has been a passion of mine for 5 years now though and I'm hoping that a miracle occurs so that my mother will be okay with my going into a war zone. However my more realistic goal is to teach in an inner city school to help children who really need it. I plan on becoming a foster parent once I get my masters degree and save up some money so that I can help to change people lives.

I currently work full time at a clothing store to pay my way through and though I like my job I wouldn't be heart broken if I never had to fold a table of shirts ever again. I love reading anything and everything especially comic books, the Harry Potter Series, poets such as Poe.

That's pretty much me in a nut shell.

Looking forward to getting to know you all through this blog,

Michele

Welcome to Comenius Students and Introduction

It's great to hear that the Slovak group joining us soon! I thought I'd also introduce myself for their benefit. My name is Katarina Gephardt. I am Associate Professor of English at Kennesaw State University. I am originally from Bratislava, Slovakia and first came to the United States in 1993 while I was an English major at Comenius University. I ended up staying and pursued my graduate education in English at Ohio State University. I return to Slovakia every year or two with my family and do my best to teach my two sons Slovak. We look forward to seeing your posts here soon!

Dear All

Dear All,
I am Maria Kostelnikova, teacher the Departement of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Education at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
I am looking forward to our online discussion once it really starts. Semester started last week here, I met the students only for an introductory class; they are students in their 1. and 2. year of the MA study programme.
I hope to get the discussion going latest in 2 weeks´ time (we have no class next week because the Faculty of Education of Comenius University is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its foundation!)
Best regards from Bratislava,
KM

Late To The Punch, I Know

Hello,

I am Cory J Watkins, an English Major sophomore with a writing minor and plans to get my Masters in Creative Writing upon my graduation. All I want to do is write. I write everything novels, short stories, songs, screenplays, regular plays, poems of every sort, and notes in class to any cute girl that looks like she might fall for my charms. My goal is to craft beautiful works of literature and absorb unfathomable amounts of money for doing so. I know, it's a pretty solid plan.

My parents are very supportive of my choice to pursue my writing, as it is the only thing I like to do that also happens to be a real career choice. Other things I like are dressing wrong for season, rapping, public improv comedy, and flirting. So, yes, they are VERY happy I chose writing. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you all. Wow, that's a lame ending line. THe only thing worse would be ending this post complaining about that lame line.

Intro

Hi my name is Frank Vitale and I am a student at Kennesaw State University. I am currently studying English Education and its awesome. I have not always known that I wanted to become a teacher. Coming into school I thought I wanted to be a music major; but I realized that I wouldn't be able to get a job anytime soon. I'm glad that I decided to become a Education major.

One of the goals I really wanna achieve is to be able to teach over in Japan. I have always been obsessed with the whole culture over there, its just so much different than here. I think it will really make me a better teacher and more culturally aware; which I think is very important for a teacher in today's modern age. I would like to go over there right after I graduate and spend a couple years over there. Kennesaw has a program where you can go over to Japan and teach English at a school. I also want to stay in school and get my Masters degree in Education.

In today's diverse culture its very important for teachers to become more culturally aware because students come from every walk of life. Getting students to become interested in school is a major goal for me, I went through high school just not caring about anything the teachers were telling me; I want to make an impact in even just one students life.

I can't wait to hear everyone's perspectives and I look forward to reading all the posts!

Introduction!

Hello,

My name is Angela White and I’m in my third year at Kennesaw State University. I am currently studying Secondary English Education, with many end goals. Before I was an English Ed. major, I was a psychology major. Psychology is something I am still very interested in but realized it is not something I want to make a career out of. I knew that I wanted to work in the school system, even when I was a psych major, so that’s why I chose English Ed. I love reading and even though writing is not one of my strong points, I still love it. I am very passionate about teaching and look forward to expanding the minds of the generations that follow us.

When I told my dad that I wanted to switch my major, he was completely on board. He let me know that as long as it is something that makes me happy, he will support me. This was a very huge decision for me because I had already taken a good bit of psychology classes. It helped to know that my dad would support me with whatever I decided.

I have very many goals in the teaching field. I’m not sure if every goal is particularly obtainable, but they are all things that I am considering. One option that I am thinking about doing is joining the Peace Corps. (http://www.peacecorps.gov/). This is an idea that I have been juggling for quite a while now, but I haven’t decided if it is the right choice for me. If I were to go into the Peace Corps I would go to a different country and teach for about 2 years. It is a very big commitment, but I know it is something that I will greatly benefit from. Whether or not I join the Peace Corps, I know I want to go to grad school. With this plan, I will teach in a school for about 2 years before going back to school. Another option I am thinking about is, after getting my masters, teaching at a community college. The college atmosphere is something that I truly enjoy and I would like to work with students in this age group. Also, if the option were to present itself, I would like to teach abroad somewhere. This is something that I think I could obtain if I joined the Peace Corps; it’s just a thought though.

I think that right now, it is so hard to get the kids in this country to realize what literature actually is. When teaching, I really want to put an emphasis on modern day literature, to help better relate to them. I am a devoted fan to opening up a fresh book, smelling the pages of that book and diving right into the story that I’m reading but I know that not everyone feels that way. I want to open up people’s mind to all different varieties of literature.

I look forward to blogging with you and getting to know all of the different perspectives of everyone!

English Studies and Me

Hello, my name is Lauren A., and this is my first year at Kennesaw State University, but my fourth year of attending college. I had previously attended Gainesville State College and received my Associate degree in English Education. At Kennesaw I am an English major working towards a Bachelor degree. I believe English studies is very important to the progressive development of different ways of thinking and understand.

Now that I'm in classes, I focus most of my time on reading and doing homework for classes. On the weekends I go out with friends or to the park. I love reading and I love writing. I think I chose English because it's a subject I've always excelled at. When I was younger I would stay up almost all night reading my books. I read all the time. Now I don't have as much time to read anything other than what I am assigned in classes. I'm in 3 English classes and 1 History class. In 13 more English classes, I'll have my degree. I wanted to be a teacher because I felt my understanding of the material was different; I felt that I could easily convey my understanding of literary works to students. Now, after some student teaching, I'm not sure if I want to become a teacher. It's not because I found it difficult or annoying, but there's a background of drama and politics in schools that distract faculty from giving students 100%. I don't know what I'm going to do with my degree now, but I know for sure, no matter what I do with my degree, I will be published.

My immediate family does not have much faith in my career choice because I won't make a lot of money, but my extended family is just excited I'm going to college because many of them did not. I come from a small county where the common family dynamic is a working man who did not go to college, a housewife who did not go to college, and kids. More and more people are beginning to realize the importance of education and the university system of that state has improved tremendously the past 5-6 years. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, and my father just wants me to be successful in something that will last.

I do believe people's perspectives in my country are changing, but not for the better. People are afforded better styles of living and expect a certain amount due to them. It's unfortunate but many people think in a closed-minded fashion because they only know one way of life. I have had a very miserable life and lived in many different places, even overseas, and I have a very different perspective on how things can be seen. I think literature has also become very repetitive because people are not as challenged by life as they used to be.

I only know that I will continue to write after I graduate at this point. I have no idea what job I want anymore or where I want to live. I will become a published author and hopefully help people think in new ways, if only just a few people. If all else fails, I can continue to work in retail/sales, but an English degree won't do me much good there.

Lauren A.

Hello!

My name is Lauren Parsons and I am a senior at Kennesaw studying English. I hope to one day get into publishing. I love reading, it's one of my favorite things to do, and to be able to read new works in their raw, unadulterated form is incredibly exciting to me. I've jumped around majors a lot since I started college, but I've always found that I not only enjoyed my English classes, but actually look forward to reading a new book and taking apart of piece of literature. Right now, I'm just trying to finish my undergraduate degree, and then I'm seriously considering pursuing my Masters in Professional Writing and then perhaps getting my MBA before I start my career in editing.

My family and friends are incredibly supportive of my career choice. They know that I enjoy literature and think that a career being surrounded by it is exactly what I need.

Literature is constantly changing - we are increasingly becoming a tech society, and most books are offered in a e-reader format. Everything is evolving with technology. The internet, and places such as blogs and news sites, are how people communicate and gain access to information. People are sharing their work online and with many sites providing the ability to comment on posts, it's becoming more of a dialogue than simply the writer giving something for the reader. Everyone is contributing to literature, and everyone is creating it, which I think is fascinating.

I believe I answered the last question in my first paragraph, so I'll leave this post at that.

- Lauren Parsons

Intro

Hi! My name is Meagan, and I am a third-year English Education major here at Kennesaw. I really enjoy school! I know that makes me a nerd or a dork or whatever, but I embrace it :) I love taking notes, learning, reading, discussing, writing, researching, and almost everything that goes along with education. I decided I wanted to be an English teacher in sixth grade. I had the most amazing teacher, Mrs. Hoagland. She made learning enjoyable, and really tried to reach her students on more than an academic level. Her classroom was a safe place for expression and a haven for learning. After seeing the passion with which she taught, I decided I wanted to be just like her. That summer, I moved from Boston, Massachusetts, to Marietta, Georgia. The two cities were polar opposites. The last thing I expected was to be further inspired, but that is exactly what happened. My seventh grade Literature teacher, Mrs. Wiles, was the Southern counterpart to Mrs. Hoagland. Mrs. Wiles turned her classroom into a rainforest, a cafe, an obstacle course, but most importantly, she turned it into a breeding ground of inspiration and learning. Every day was an adventure in her class, and I believe she inspired more students than just me. My desire to be an English teacher was bolstered and fortified--nothing would stop me. My love continued throughout high school and college, and I am so excited to finally be in upper-level classes that will push me even further into my love of English. My friends and family completely support me in my pursuit to be an English teacher. I have always gotten that I was "made to be a teacher," or, when I talk about my aprehensions and fears, my friends and family dismiss them, saying, "Don't worry about it; you'll be great and you know it!" or something like that. My parents are nervous about my job opportunities once I graduate, and honestly I am a little scared, too. However, I know that God will provide the perfect job for me, even if it is somewhere I never expected. Speaking of graduation, I have a lot of plans! I plan to get a job, and while I'm teaching, I want to get my Master's degree. I am debating if I want to minor in Spanish right now, so that maybe 10 years down the line I can teach English in South America. I have also promised myself that after I graduate and get a steady job, I am going to get another dog. :)
I am a little nervous to be a teacher, because (among other things) I think the American idea of literacy has changed. I am not surprised that it is changing; this world is constantly evolving with the help of ever emerging new technology. In fact, I think it is technology that is aiding the change in the meaning of literacy. To be literate used to mean one could read and write. However, nowadays, to be literate means to acknowledge that there are different ways to read than just from a book, and be able to read those different genres. Reading a blog, for instance, would not be considered "real" reading twenty years ago, because there was no such thing as blogs twenty years ago! But now that the majority of reading occurs online, there are different rules and etiquette for reading and writing online. This has definitely influenced American ideas of literacy.
I look forward to learning about everyone else! Happy Blogging!

Butterflies & Shutterflies; A Snapshot of Amy Freeman

Well, I bet that you're sitting in your chair, reading this and thinking, "What in the world is a 'shutterfly?'” It is not a real word, but it is a word that I just created to describe myself. You see, the first that thing that you need to understand about me, Amy Freeman, is that I LOVE butterflies! With this growing butterfly obsession, I have become a shutterfly. A shutterfly is a person who chases butterflies with their camera in order to capture as many still-life images of the magnificent butterfly. Shutterflies are also easily distracted by this winged-wonder. They will, well, I will be fully involved in a deep conversation, capture a glimpse of that colorful, delicate, gossamer butterfly and all of a sudden you see my head turn and trail the fluttering butterfly across the landscape and hear a gleeful "butterfly" escape from my lips. Such is the life of a true shutterfly. ;) 

One of the true beauties of being an English major is that you can create your own words. Anyways, my name is Amy and I'm 29 years old. I just recently returned to Kennesaw State and I also changed my major as well. My original major was for Early Childhood Education but a lot of factors came into play during the Spring Semester and I decided that pursuing a degree in English gave me a broader range of opportunities. I’m kind of on the fence right now between coming back and pursuing a Master’s degree to teach English or pursuing a Master’s degree in Professional Writing.

I’m really blessed to have some amazing friends who are really supportive of my choices regarding my major and the possible careers that I want to pursue with my life. My mom and my step father, on the other hand, are not supportive of my dreams. They believe that I am wasting my time, but I really believe that literature can be a tool that bridges social and cultural gaps within our world. My step father would love for me to pursue a degree with computers and technology because I always have to fix his computer, but he doesn’t understand that although I may grasp a limited understanding of  computers – there is no passion for hard drives, RAMS, or source coding within my bones. Literature has always been a prominent passion in my life.

I understand the purpose of social media, the media and texting, but I fear that they pose a threat to literature and literacy. In today’s society it is becoming the norm for children to spend their time playing video games, watching television, tweeting, texting, or playing on Facebook. Imagination is dwindling. Children no longer need to create their own fantasy worlds; one click of a button and they’re instantly plugged in. The growing disinterest in reading and the substitution of a good old fashion treasure hunt within those sacred, white pages of a book leave a bitter taste burning in the back of my throat. The thought that children will not learn the art of cursive writing in school saddens me, yet they learn all the lingo and jargon for texting and tweeting.

I chose to become an English major because I love to read, I love to write and I want to pass down my passion of literature to the up and coming generations who have been swept away in the tsunami of social media. I want to help children and teenagers reconnect to their imaginations through either writing books or teaching the beauty and simplicity of the classics and mix things up with a diverse selection of great texts that will hopefully ignite a passion for imagination and reading within their hearts and souls. 

Hello, my name is Tm

I'm glad to be talking to everyone here on this inter-class blog. I am a new student here at Kennesaw State. I first started college in another part of the country ten years ago. I stopped going to school because I had nothing to make me strive for success. Now that I am married and a father I feel that I am ready to complete the journey that I started years ago.

I found my way into this field quite by chance. I always thought that making a living doing what you wanted to do was impossible but fortunately for me I happen to enjoy reading, writing and talking about both of those things.

I love almost all kinds of music. If feel that a song is either pure and genuine or lacking pretension then I can appreciate it. I was angrily tapping away at my typewriter one night - regretting that I had never learned to play an instrument - when it struck me. I am a talented player of the electronic smith corona typesetter, in fact I have mastered the manual coronet typewriter, the pen, and the unsatisfying keys of the computer keyboard as well. Ever since I came to terms with the fact that words are my notes. I have found a lot more peace in my life.

I want to teach english to younger generations, because a passionate teacher can influence lives greatly. A teacher who is dedicated enough to literature and writing can show people that there is nothing wrong with being bookish, literate or obsessed with knowledge.

I think that my country would be better off if we could somehow bring back some sort of formality. People here think that you is spelled "u", and that reading is somehow dumb. They wear sandals and baseball caps into nice restaurants. And they swear in front of children and the elderly. I think that knowing how hard it is to write a sonnet, or understanding some of the brilliant things that were written hundreds of years ago might make at least a few people realize how silly they look when they act this way.

What do you think?

Introduction

My name is Rachel Rogers and I am a junior at KSU. I just transferred to KSU after graduating with an associates degree in Journalism from Darton College. I chose to be an English major because I enjoy studying literature. I also enjoy expressing myself through writing. In high school I simply viewed English as an easy class, not something that I would be pursuing as an undergraduate.

When I began my collegiate studies, I was a business administration major, intending to work in human resources management upon graduation. Fortunately, I was blessed with the opportunity to intern at an insurance company for a summer. While I was at this job I came to the horrible, yet freeing, realization that I was not cut out to work in the business workplace. I was able to change my major to Journalism, take 21 credit hours during my last semester at Darton, and still graduate on time. Needless to say, my family was surprised with my seemingly last minute switch from business administration to journalism, but they chose to support me regardless. My switch from journalism to English was a nearly seamless transition, so no one was really surprised or less supportive.

I recently visited my high school and paid a visit to my senior English teacher in order to let her know that I had finally decided to major in English. "Of course you are," was her simple response. She knew, three years ago, that I would ultimately end up in her field, possibly even in her profession. Upon graduation, I am intending to go to graduate school to pursue a master's degree. Then I may teach at a university level, but it really depends on what God's plan is for my life. Currently I am just progressing with my English degree while waiting to see what the future has in store for me.

I do believe that people's perspectives about literacy and literature are changing in the United States. For instance, the term literate once meant that a person simply had the ability to read. Today being literate requires the ability to not only read books, but technology as well. In today's society everything is wireless and instantaneous. People must be able to comprehend and also function within today's technologically savvy generation in order to be considered literate. I also believe people's perspectives about literature have changed. When my grandmother was in high school, there was great emphasis placed on studying "the Classics" within an English classroom. Today we still study the Classics; However, we do not only study the Classics. We study newer works in addition to the ancient works. Also, the average American reads less now than ever before. I believe this is due, in part, to our society's increased technology. Today people have "better" things to do with their time than to sit down and read a book, like watching videos on youtube and constantly tweeting about their meaningless lives on Twitter.

Hi=)

Hey yall, my name is Rachael B and im an English major at Kennesaw State. This is my second year here and i love it! Im in a sorority here at ksu and i couldnt be happier. Im very involved on this campus and participate in sports here. I play soccer on just a fun team, not the ksu soccer team, i do it just to play and have fun. The reason i choose to be an english major is because i love reading and writing. At first i wanted to be a high school teacher, the that evolved into being a professor. The reason i want to teach is to help students see the true meaning of english, its not all reading old books and writing book reports. I want my students to see how fun reading can really be and how its a different world. At first my parents did not want me to teach because they thought it was an easy way out. Its not that at all to me, its my passion. Eventually my parents came to terms with it and now they are just happy i am doing something that i am going to love for the rest of my life. In America i think that reading books are changing. To me, i really think its because of Harry Potter and Twilight. These series have made girls and boys all around the world start to read more. They really brought books back to life, this, of course, being my own opinion. Once i graduate from Ksu i plan on going to graduate school. I would love to get my masters in English and then finally teach!

Greetings

Hi Everyone,

My name is Michele A (one of the Michele's in our class) and I am an English Education major but I really want to work in a school library / media center. I believe I am the oldest of all our class and working on my degree a little later in life. I've been an Domestic Engineer ('stay at home mom', just a more sophisticated way of putting the most important job in the world ) for 24 yrs, a good portion of that time has been spent in the schools. I've been everything from room mom, field trip mom, president of everything and even a substitute teacher. I've always wanted to teach, even played school growing up and was always the teacher. I have been told that I would make a good teacher by my children, their friends and my children's teachers. I love to read and love to get others to read, and I love teenagers. I am not much of a writer but I am working on that and have a few things written hear and there, and a list of ideas. Just can't always get it all out of the head and onto paper.

My family is very supportive, my husband is hoping that when I start working he can become a ProBass fisherman. I taught my girls church class for eight years and they can't wait to help me decorate my first classroom or library.

I haven't really given to much thought to Literacy in changing in the US, but I do feel we have improved in that area. I think and hope that with everything getting so technical that the illiteracy rate in low. Now a days you almost have to be able to computer for a job and you have to be able to read to do that. (for the most part) I have an iPad, with the Nook Application on it, but I've yet to read a book on it. I don't see books going away any time soon, there's just something about the feel of holding and reading a book.

As I stated I am an English Education major, but life has recently thrown me a curve and I will probably changing my major to just English. I'm not sure what I am going to be doing after I graduate. I just know I want to use my degree in someway be it in a school library, public library or possibly my own private accredited Home School center.