Why are these words so difficult for us? 

 

Clearly sex, sexual organs, etc are very personal and private topics, but it
is important for there to be a safe place for this vocabulary. How else can
a learner figure out how to talk about these topics with their spouse or
doctor? It is amazing to me to hear about people who are uneducated about
their own bodies, unsure of how their biology works, and not really
comfortable learning about it because there is so much intimacy involved in
those areas. If for no other reason than health, words that describe the
sexual organs are important to have as part of ones adult vocabulary. 

 

Not teaching the vocabulary makes it seem like something you shouldn't talk
about. 

 

This also makes me think of a Russian man who stayed with our family. He had
the common Russian name of Vova. He couldn't understand why everyone giggled
and blushed when he said his name. Finally, my mom pulled him aside and
explained to him that his name was very close in sound to the English word,
vulva. After that, he was very careful to pronounce the o sound in his name
clearly so that people wouldn't think he was saying vulva. Another family
that we know adopted a boy (10 years old) from Russia with the same name.
They changed his name to Aden. I thought really that it was a shame that his
parents felt he had to change his name just because it would make kids at
school (perhaps teachers even) laugh. 

 

Thank you,

 

Molly Elkins
Literacy Specialist
Douglas County Libraries
Phillip S. Miller Library
  100 S. Wilcox Street
  Castle Rock CO 80104
  Map
<http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&addtohistory=&formtype=addr
ess&searchtype=address&cat=&address=100%20S%20Wilcox%20St&city=Castle%20Rock
&state=CO&zipcode=80104%2d1911&search=Get%2bMap> 
Direct Phone: (303)688-7646

Alt Phone: (303) 791-READ

Fax: (303) 688-7655
Email: melkins at dclibraries.org
Web: www.DouglasCountyLibraries.org <http://www.douglascountylibraries.org/>


  _____  

From: diversity-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:diversity-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 8:05 PM
To: The Diversity and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Diversity 94] Re: teaching difficult subjects and words

 

Daphne, was there much giggling?  : )

 

Seriously, what a brave thing to do!  Good for you.

On Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 9:26 PM, Daphne Greenberg <alcdgg at langate.gsu.edu>
wrote:

A number of people have emailed me off line about my previous posting
regarding the importance of teaching words such as vulva, labia, clitoris,
testicles, etc. in a health literacy classroom. They thanked me for posting
these words so publicly, and told me that they found it difficult to read
those words. Some add that it was too uncomfortable for them to even think
about writing about them in a public arena such as an electronic list. I
wrote back stating that I understood. Even though the above words are parts
of our body, like our pupils, our nostrils, our toe nails, we are taught to
feel uncomfortable labeling certain parts of our body.

What is the solution? Do we ignore teaching our learners these words? Aren't
they entitled to learn these words, just like the other parts of the body?

However, what do we do about the lack of comfort that many feel-both
teachers and learners?

I think that one way to do it is not to call attention to it, but to infuse
the words into other lists of words. So for example, instead of planning to
devote a unit to female sex organs, instead have a list of a few words that
are taught on different days. So for example, on Monday teach "v" words:
vagina, vulva, vein, vagus nerve, valve in the heart, etc. Have pencil
drawings of each, and run through them as you would teach any word. At first
this will be difficult, but if it becomes a routine, people will start
noticing it less intensely.

Many years ago, when I worked with the developmentally disabled, I insisted
that a group of adults with mental retardation could learn how to use a
condom to prevent AIDS when they were having sex. People didn't believe that
they could learn this. So after I taught them (using a model penis), we
decided to show the staff what they had learned. I was concerned that once
the skit began, and the clients pulled out the model penis from the shelf to
put on the condom, people would be shocked by the model and not focus on
what the clients wanted to show them. So I decided to have it in the middle
of the table so that it was the first thing that everyone noticed when they
first walked into the room. Yes, there were many loud reactions of shock
when people walked in. But, most importantly, by the time it was appropriate
for the clients to show the staff how to put the condom on the model,
everyone was used to it. I think that this type of approach could be helpful
for our adult learn
 ers who deserve to know how read, spell, pronounce, and understand the
names of the male and female sex organs.
Daphne
----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
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-- 
Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
www.LuxuriousChoices.net

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