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This singular word captures a certain longing or homesickness, or a nostalgia that google dictionary claims is characteristic of the Portuguese temperament. \n\nYes, language can be a tricky tool to use, and while we use it on a day to day basis with great success, I have come to find that on some occasions we fall short. On some occasions we exploit its limitations and its nuances to 'get what we want' out of someone or something. \n\nThe topic of abortion came up a while ago, and the whole class seemed to be in agreement. Everyone was in favour of it. For a teacher that's pretty annoying, because the purpose of having discussions in class is for there to be different opinions and everyone talks and discusses. When everyone agrees, the conversation stops dead in its tracks and I am left with 20 minutes of lesson time to fill at the drop of a hat. \n\nThe thing is, I am personally against abortion, so instead of trying to mix things up I simply asked questions seemingly to push students to use certain phrases and structures. My ulterior motive, however, was to listen to what they had to say in order to either confirm or refute my own view on the matter. Here is what I changed, and what I have not. \n\nFrom what I understood, abortion is that last and final moment for a woman to decide whether or not she wants to have a child. Getting pregnant is not something one can easily predict, and can often be difficult for some couples. While you can prevent pregnancy, you can never really know when you're going to find out you're expecting. So abortion seems to give women the chance to grab the unpredictable by the horns and have that ultimate control over their lives. This is a clear and fair desire, and something I never considered until now. \n\nWhy would a woman want to have this type of control? Because getting pregnant in some countries is very problematic. Doctors fees can cost a lot, and having a child is too expensive, for example. University is also expensive in some countries, and so throwing that opportunity out the window because you won't be able to support yourself in the long run only serves to make you poorer in the future and even less able to afford to raise a child. This can be a heartbreaking situation to be in, especially if you don't have affluent relatives to fall back on. This doesn't mean that children in poor families are definitely going to have a worthless life, but it does involve a great deal of suffering on behalf of the parents.  Abortion seeks to solve this problem and give women a way of taking control of their life and their body. \n\nSo far so good. \n\nHowever, my problem starts when we start to discuss when an abortion can take place. We end up with a 'grey area' argument, where people perceive 'personhood' to start at different shades of grey.  And here we end up with a language problem. \n\nWhen is a mound no longer a mound? If you had a mound of seeds and removed one seed at a time, when will it stop being a mound? This is a popular question to ask someone to see if they clock the ambiguity​ of language and its limitations. The conversation is perhaps a wonderful exercise in debating skills and discussion, but, personally, I find it lacks any real solid conclusion.  A mound of seeds isn't defined by the amount seeds there are, but by how people see it. Change it suddenly by removing nine-tenths​ of the seeds and it is very obviously not a mound. Remove things bit by bit and really all you have is a long and boring point to make that has nothing to do with the seeds or the mound, but all to do with how language isn't that empirical all of the time. \n\nAlso, in terms of the pro-choice argument, we tend to stumble into the area of 'undeveloped' and 'inferior' as words that justify exercising power over life. These words are part of a discourse of power, and it is my belief that such discourses are unethical. Why are you trying to decide when something doesn't matter enough? \n\nScience uses these words to merely highlight the stages of growth of a living organism. It does not use these words to exersize power to destroy, but to comprehend. Taking these words out of the context of science and medicine is, in my opinion, a nasty strategy. \n\nAs a gay man, I too have been referred to as ' undeveloped'. I remember one religion teacher telling me that homosexuals are stuck in an early stage of development and haven't fully developed like everyone else. Black people have also been subjected to such classifications of \"not fully developed\", as shown in that mindblowing scene in 'Django Unchained', with Leonardo DiCaprio's character explaining that a black person's brain is not developed enough. Women have also been subjected to such ideas of under-development. \n\nOur view of other countries is also tainted by these words, even if they are to some extent considered 'true'. The 'Undeveloped World\" or \"Third World Countries' get treated very differently, and that is one of the reasons why I dislike such labels in general anyway. \n\nAnimals, who are all wonderful, have also been subjected to such arguments and as a result been treated terribly. Thankfully, today one cannot say \" It's just a dog\" and get away with animal cruelty. Yes, a dog is not a human being and you would never put a human being on a leash, but that does not mean it doesn't deserve respect. Even the animals we eat require a certain level of care, and the way they are killed must also be humane. \n\nSo we are not ignorant of the power of these words, nor are we unable to change our viewpoint on a matter of cruelty where cruelty was once perfectly acceptable. But in the case of animals, for example, there still is the temptation to give in to the power of those words, and a palpable effort-no matter how small- to overpower the words that once governed our view.\n\nSo when I hear people refer to an unborn human as \" Just a bunch of cells\", even when very early on in a pregnancy it is most certainly not a 'bunch of cells', I can't help but question the use of words. Suddenly people go about locating signs of inferiority with the spine, the brain, the heart,  or even the shape of the hands being their saving grace. This just feels wrong. Playing with language like that may be a fun passtime when it comes to a 'mound', but when we enter the domain of life it tends to sour for me. \n\nI prefer to stick to empirical definitions which don't allow for much flexibilty. I have never heard of a woman pregnant with an elephant. Humans are pregnant with humans, and all humans have their Human Rights. I believe Human Rights are universal, and apply to all humans born or not. \n\nHowever, what about the problems abortion seeks to solve? Well, I'll just round off by pointing out that I am pro- free healthcare, free education, fair support from the welfare state, and also that all fathers are actively pitching in to support their children. All women who get pregnant due to violent crimes should be given a red carpet to any medical or psychological assistance, and more support for children who have been put up for adoption should be shown. \n\nIt's not that I think women should be punished, it's that I don't think a baby should be killed.",
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      "body": "Hey guys, I've been dealing with a few issues lately which have dragged me away from here over the past few weeks. With those issues dealt with, I am back to writing. \n\n\nI recently had a chat with my students about where they would most like to live. This was another typical lesson about 'describing places' and talking about preferences. The whole lesson should have gone on to focus on certain grammar structures, but we got stuck on talking about everyone's wishes and desires to live somewhere else. \n\nThe German language, known for its specificity and habit of joining many words together to form one single word, has a special word called 'zugunruhe'. In general terms, it is a word that refers to the restlessness migratory brids feel when it is time to migrate. This invisible pull to a far off land, a place that they know they need to get to but might not know why.\n\nThis was something that came to my mind during the class discussion. Have you ever felt that need to just go and live somewhere else, but not be able to understand why? That itchy feet syndrome people often get at many different points in their life, when you can't stay put but don't really know why you want to go to a specific place?\n\nThis was the general feel of many of my students. It seems such a natural desire, and such a common one, that I see no point in ignoring it. Some said they wanted to move to the Bahamas, or some other exotic place. I remember when I first felt it, I wanted to head off to New York- and I did. It was one of the most amazing times I have ever had. I spent three months there, and absolutely loved every second of it. If I were to pick a specific time in my life when I can honestly say I was the happiest I have ever been, it would be that time. I felt like I grew so much, and had the biggest adventure of my life. \n\nOther people I know have gone to India, or Australia, or maybe even South Africa. It seems a common denominator in all this is the need to travel very far. Not so much for economic benefits, but more to be in an environment that one feels they need to be in so as to expand. \n\nHowever, I never realised how lucky I was to be able to do this. Most of my students come from Colombia, Brazil or Thailand. These students spoke about how difficult it is to get a visa and be allowed to travel freely. Here in Europe we really are spoilt. We barely even need an ID card to cross the boarder which in most cases isn't even visible or marked with a check point of any kind. We can literally walk from Lisbon to Talin and never be asked a single question. \n\nListening to the difficulties my students face made my heart sink and re-affirmed my dislike for visas. Don' t get me wrong, I understand the need to have down on paper where one country starts and another ends, and of course one would always want an easy way to catch any criminal that wants to cross the boarder to escape their punishment. However, most people aren't criminals, and most people aren't parasites either. \n\nMost people just want to be able to live. They just want to be able to go about their life and live where they feel happiest. Wouldn't that be amazing? \n\nStudents from many South and Central American countries still suffer the horrible discrimination from countries like the USA and places in Europe, which insist that they jump through numerous hoops just to be allowed in. Why the world needs to be so Western-Centric is beyond me. \n\nSo the question is: Are visas really a necesity? I don't think so. Europe has done away with them, and while some might argue that there are certain challenges, all in all it has been a great thing to know that my country treats people with real respect rather than suspicion. \n\nI want a world that has a different system. One where no one is made to feel like a criminal just because they want to spend their life somewhere else.",
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      "body": "I appreciate your perspective on this. I work for an LGBT network and this subject is often brought up. I respect you for your wanting to maintain your values but also the way you obviously care about these students. Kudos to you for being a proactive thinker and one of the clearly exceptional teachers out there. #LoveIsLove",
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      "body": "Dont just blurt it out but if it comes out let it or if they ask about it tell them. It is important to see positive examples of different types of people especially if there is a closeted kid in your class. Even though i am bi i dont think most people could correctly guess my opinion of marriage equality",
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      "body": "When training to become a teacher, there are a few rules of being a teacher that are drummed into you from quite an early stage. They mainly revolve around not sharing your own political views when students are having a discussion, and also not getting too close to students. \n\nThere is such a thing as 'over-sharing', telling students information that is perhaps not really their business to know. This could be personal things like, perhaps, a court case you are dealing with, or maybe a relationship problem you are having. The list is quite extensive, and in many ways pretty obvious. I can't imagine why a teacher would want to tell their students about their boyfriend/girlfriend and how they cheated on them, for example. \n\nAlso, if the students are having a conversation about certain human rights, or maybe a political issue in their country or in another country, it is very tempting to think that, as a teacher, you have the answer when in fact all you have is your opinion. Most of the time students pretty much agree on certain issues. However, take abortion for example. Someone from Sweden or Denmark may have a very accepting attitude towards it, while someone from  Colombia or Saudi Arabia may not. As a teacher, my job is to merely facilitate the discussion and interject with corrections and vocabulary. The maxim is simple \"Teach. Don't preach\". \n\nHowever, there is one thing I constantly struggle with: being honest about my sexuality. \n\nI don't really make it a secret, per se. I am not one to be camp in general. Not that I find there is anything wrong with being camp. It's just not how I express my sexuality outwardly. I don't think of censoring myself in such a way at all. But there often comes a point during the lesson where someone may ask something along the lines of, \" Do you have a girlfriend?\". In fact, there is one lesson- a lesson I am sure many EFL teachers are aware of- entitled​ 'Not My Type'.  It's from the rather dated book called \"Taboos and Issues' which has many fun and sensible lessons which are often used by teachers in class. This lesson has a number of activities where students discuss their preferences in terms of a relationship. Things like \"Messy\" or \" Overly Romantic' come up. It's a pretty harmless lesson and always goes down well with students. \n\nIt's during these sort of lessons, or maybe even apropos of nothing, that a student might ask me about what sort of woman I go for, or whether or not I have a girlfriend. It suddenly becomes a choice as to whether​ I should \"Come out\" to my students, even though I am not necessarily trying to hide it.  Sometimes I answer directly, sometimes I give an evasive answer and other times I avoid the question by saying that as a teacher I am not allowed to participate in the conversation. I would like to analyse this situation a little bit, because I would actually like to have some sort of feedback on the whole thing.\n\nAs a teacher and cannot create an alignment with a certain value system that my exclude other students, or make other students feel like they have the 'wrong' opinion. So by telling them I am gay, I am in many ways showing a preference to a more liberal mindset and making it blatantly obvious that I am in favour of marriage equality, something not really spoken about in places like Saudi Arabia or Bahrain- two places I often have students from. \n\nHowever, as a gay man, covering or lying about my sexuality feels like jumping back into the closet. I feel I am betraying myself. On top of it all, I can't really lie to students. When a teacher lies to their students, they usually get found out and often that means they lose all credibility. That is a big risk. \n\nAlso, some would argue that telling my students that I am gay is deemed as 'over-sharing'. It is not their business to know, and telling them would be opening up about something that should be kept to myself. \n\nIt's all very confusing, as I am not sure which choice is actually the correct one: Remaining an objective teacher within the classroom, or being honest with my students and living with dignity. \n\nBut before anyone says anything, consider this: I once had the topic of marriage equality discussed in class. One student from Saudi Arabia said it was ridiculous and that it shouldn't happen, that all gay people are drug addicts and don't have a job and are unable to function as adults. At that point I told her, \"That's not true. I am gay and I don't do drugs and have a job\" She didn't believe me at first, but later realised that I was telling the truth. It was a shock to her. By the end of her course, though, she had ditched her headscarf and was showing up to class wearing tank-tops and skinny jeans which she had gone out to buy with a few other girls from school.\n\n\nWhat do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below. Keep it civil :-)",
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      "body": "When training to become a teacher, there are a few rules of being a teacher that are drummed into you from quite an early stage. They mainly revolve around not sharing your own political views when students are having a discussion, and also not getting too close to students. \n\nThere is such a thing as 'over-sharing', telling students information that is perhaps not really their business to know. This could be personal things like, perhaps, a court case you are dealing with, or maybe a relationship problem you are having. The list is quite extensive, and in many ways pretty obvious. I can't imagine why a teacher would want to tell their students about their boyfriend/girlfriend and how they cheated on them, for example. \n\nAlso, if the students are having a conversation about certain human rights, or maybe a political issue in their country or in another country, it is very tempting to think that, as a teacher, you have the answer when in fact all you have is your opinion. Most of the time students pretty much agree on certain issues. However, take abortion for example. Someone from Sweden or Denmark may have a very accepting attitude towards it, while someone from  Colombia or Saudi Arabia may not. As a teacher, my job is to merely facilitate the discussion and interject with corrections and vocabulary. The maxim is simple \"Teach. Don't preach\". \n\nHowever, there is one thing I constantly struggle with: being honest about my sexuality. \n\nI don't really make it a secret, per se. I am not one to be camp in general. Not that I find there is anything wrong with being camp. It's just not how I express my sexuality outwardly. I don't think of censoring myself in such a way at all. But there often comes a point during the lesson where someone may ask something along the lines of, \" Do you have a girlfriend?\". In fact, there is one lesson- a lesson I am sure many EFL teachers are aware of- entitled​ 'Not My Type'.  It's from the rather dated book called \"Taboos and Issues' which has many fun and sensible lessons which are often used by teachers in class. This lesson has a number of activities where students discuss their preferences in terms of a relationship. Things like \"Messy\" or \" Overly Romantic' come up. It's a pretty harmless lesson and always goes down well with students. \n\nIt's during these sort of lessons, or maybe even apropos of nothing, that a student might ask me about what sort of woman I go for, or whether or not I have a girlfriend. It suddenly becomes a choice as to whether​ I should \"Come out\" to my students, even though I am not necessarily trying to hide it.  Sometimes I answer directly, sometimes I give an evasive answer and other times I avoid the question by saying that as a teacher I am not allowed to participate in the conversation. I would like to analyse this situation a little bit, because I would actually like to have some sort of feedback on the whole thing.\n\nAs a teacher and cannot create an alignment with a certain value system that my exclude other students, or make other students feel like they have the 'wrong' opinion. So by telling them I am gay, I am in many ways showing a preference to a more liberal mindset and making it blatantly obvious that I am in favour of marriage equality, something not really spoken about in places like Saudi Arabia or Bahrain- two places I often have students from. \n\nHowever, as a gay man, covering or lying about my sexuality feels like jumping back into the closet. I feel I am betraying myself. On top of it all, I can't really lie to students. When a teacher lies to their students, they usually get found out and often that means they lose all credibility. That is a big risk. \n\nAlso, some would argue that telling my students that I am gay is deemed as 'over-sharing'. It is not their business to know, and telling them would be opening up about something that should be kept to myself. \n\nIt's all very confusing, as I am not sure which choice is actually the correct one: Remaining an objective teacher within the classroom, or being honest with my students and living with dignity. \n\nBut before anyone says anything, consider this: I once had the topic of marriage equality discussed in class. One student from Saudi Arabia said it was ridiculous and that it shouldn't happen, that all gay people are drug addicts and don't have a job and are unable to function as adults. At that point I told her, \"That's not true. I am gay and I don't do drugs and have a job\" She didn't believe me at first, but later realised that I was telling the truth. It was a shock to her. By the end of her course, though, she had ditched her headscarf and was showing up to class wearing tank-tops and skinny jeans which she had gone out to buy with a few other girls from school.\n\n\nWhat do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below. Keep it civil :-)",
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      "body": "I was sitting outside the school having my coffee and early morning smoke one morning when a student of mine came up to me and asked to sit with me. I am quite anti-social in the morning. I like to sit quietly for a good 45 minutes before I spend the whole day talking to people. Teaching is about contact hours more than anything, and I work around 5 hours a day- that's 5 contact hours a day- so I was a bit reluctant to let the student sit with me. However, this particular student was usually quiet in class and seemed shy and a bit sensitive. I had had a good 30 minutes of chilling, so I decided to sit with him and have a short chat before I came up with some random excuse as to why I had to go back in. \n\nThis student, let's call him Victor, was from Venezuela. He was only 17 at the time and was ridden with the usual insecurities a teenager has to deal with. He was always very polite in that special way shy students who have come to a very different country tend to be. After the usual banter a teacher always has with students, he looked at me and said, \" I don't really like my classmates\". \n\nThe other students he was talking about were all from Switzerland and all from the same school. Such an environment is naturally going to make that one or two students who are from different countries feel a little bit left out. So I asked him why he felt that way, expecting the usual reply of \"They only talk in their language.\" \n\nHe paused and said, \"They are rude. They act polite but it feels like it is superficial. They don't really mean it. And they look down on me.\" \n\nVictor comes from a place where people enjoy being animated. He also comes from a country where things aren't all too prosperous. Venezuela is currently facing a difficult economic and political time, so it is natural for him to feel a little bit intimidated by a group of middle-class children from what is a very wealthy and stable country. \n\n\"What makes you say that?\" , I asked.\n\"They sometimes look at me with a funny look. They disapprove of me in some way, and I never understand why. I just don't know what their problem is.\"\n\nThis is not the first time I have heard this from a student. Sometimes, inequality in the world creates perceptions that we have no control over and don't get to really understand unless they are explained to us. So I decided to start off with a little anecdote.\n\n\" At one point\", I explained, \" Tom ( random name for one of the students) put his hand up and asked if he could go to the loo. I don't usually have students put their hand up for that sort of thing. I usually just expect them to indicate to me that they are going to the loo and just give a nod to say that I know. Surprised by this level of politeness I jokingly said no, only to laugh it off straight away and give him permission. What was surprising to me was that Tom took my refusal seriously. He just said 'ok' and sat back in his chair. I explained that I was never going to force a student to hold it in as that is bad for one's health in a way, and also rather unfair. However, all the Swiss students told me that back home that is what happened at school. If the teacher says no, then the student has to wait until the end of the lesson.\"\n\nAfter sharing this with Victor I explained that they come from an environment that perhaps has more rules and a more rigid idea of how to behave which is different from where I come from, and different from where he comes from. This might mean that you 'break' certain codes of conduct which are very subtle and almost imperceptible​ to those who don't know them. Being in a class filled with other Swiss friends tends to heighten​ this sense that everyone should behave the same way. \n\nVictor smiled and thought about it for a moment. All he needed to know was that there was nothing wrong with him. Sometimes, when people disapprove of us in some way without us knowing​ why, we struggle to understand what it is we should change and what it is we did wrong. It can drive us crazy. Likewise, when we think someone has done something wrong, we automatically assume that they must know the rule they have broken, and therefore they have chosen to break it. This, in turn, should be met with disapproval in order to keep that person in line and preserve the 'moral' way of behaving and interacting with others.\n\nOften when we are met with something we don't understand, we assume ill-intent and put up defences in order to protect us from the unknown. The unknown has always been scary. We automatically fill it with our greatest fears. Most of the time, those fears are unfounded and all that is needed is an understanding that there is no one way of behaving, and that different people have different ways of showing friendliness​, understanding, and egalitarianism. \n\nThis short conversation with Victor seemed to work. That day during the lesson he was a lot more open and interactive. He even voiced his view on something being discussed in class and explained things to the other students. The Swiss students expressed their surprise at some things Victor had to say, and by the end of the week, the class was a lot happier.",
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