Writing Class

This February I was privileged to teach a writing class at Santisuk. Though it included a slog through grammar and business writing (letters of complaint or appreciation, resumes, application cover letters, etc.), we ended with some creative fun: narrative paragraphs, story structure, memoir, travel writing, and even poetry.  I was surprised and impressed by the depth of thought my students put into their work—and the effort it takes to express complex ideas in a foreign language.

The character in elephant pants and baseball cap is my dear husband,

Phil, who often interrupted my teaching with a welcome joke, comment, or just plain nonsense.

Everyone loved him.

Our class included a university student learning animation, a former teacher and IT expert, a vacuum cleaner salesman, a young woman preparing to spend a year in Australia, and some highly creative people between jobs—and thus able to attend a 10am-12pm class during the week.

I invited the class to hand in as much writing as they wanted to, on a wide range of topics, with the promise that I would correct it that evening and return it the following day. This was more work for me, but also a gift—a glimpse into their lives, their ideas, their emotions. I read their thoughts about friendship, betrayal, world concerns, places to see in Bangkok, problems of daily life, and getting through hard times. They created intriguing fictional characters, hilarious scenes involving a man falling into a canal, and insightful movie reviews.

For their final project, I taught them how to create a blog. Each student was asked to start one and to write at least one post in English. They could choose any topic or area of interest. We ended up with five stunning blogs: on preparing Thai food, sightseeing “musts” in Bangkok, personal milestones, movie reviews, and instructions on how to create animation. They imported pictures, created backgrounds, and invented personal profiles. I was deeply impressed, especially as most had never created a blog before.

Writing changes us. Though it was a very reserved group during the first week, by the end of the month we had opened up to each other. You can’t help it if you’re writing and then sharing your creative ideas and feelings. Our last writing time produced insights into the harmful effects of materialism on society and suggestions on how to combat it. This generated a great discussion on what it means to be human.  

And I hope that’s what they carry with them from this class: not only how to write a resume and when to use a semi-colon, but also the power of writing itself (whether in English or Thai) and an appreciation for the creativity planted deep within us from the Spirit of God who created us. I hope they use their skill in writing to make a difference in this world, to bring some beauty or laughter or justice, to be a light in dark places.