Oh Okay...I get It Now

Originally I had written about how bad Linda Brodkey's language was in her section about "changing the subject."  Then reading this next section, I realized a complete 360 change in her message and in her language.  W-o-w.  So she teaches graduate students to talk to other-like ESL adults like a pen-pal.  I have had a similar experience myself on facebook where I've met several Indonesian students from Nias island who are studying English.  They refer to me, like she says in the article, as someone like a teacher.  Whenever I say hello to one of them (her name is Forent Zega) she says "hello Sir, how are you?"  This formality shows the difference her and I have and me as the "pak-guru" as the Indonesians call it or instructor role.  However, I am not her teacher.  It's interesting that Brodkey makes this point because it has recently happened to me.  It's interesting that another male, however, does not call me "Sir" but "bro".  He does not like this differential term because he feels more empowered as an individual to be an equal rather than a subject to the regal teacher.  I think this shows not only a gender dynamic, but also a student dynamic.  This dialogue serves a lot with the other people as well who seemed connected.  Another one of the girls, for example, rather views me as someone like a relative who is teaching her to be a better person.  There is a familial distinction some of them make with me, while others see a professional yet personal relationship.  It's an interesting thought because in America we are usually one and not the other.  However, Forent clearly believes that I am both someone professional and personable, which is something many students in America seem to have a hard time with.  This is all done via facebook messages and statuses so it is really a non-formal way of communication and I noticed that a lot of times they seem to benefit from this conversation because they are being entertained by the language, but also learning to better engage in a topic.  The pen-pal method is one of the best techniques I've ever heard of and works better than a workshop because, as I've told Veronica in another post, my college experience with workshops is never a positive thing ... even in grad school.