Mary Immaculate College International Office have been delighted to play a small part in a pen pal project borne out of the visit of 25 teachers from Brazil to MIC. The teachers were selected by Brazilian Secretaria Municipal de Educação through their project ‘Fortaleza without Borders’ to partake in a short term programme hosted by MIC International Department in December 2023.
The pen-pal project was borne out of an idea by four of the teachers on this programme who arranged to have their students in Fortaleza write to the 5th class pupils in Limerick’s Scoil Iosagain CBS The 5th Class teachers in Scoil Iosagain, Roisin Slattery and Tracey Lawlor, worked with the students in learning about Brazil, allocating the pen-pals and developing the skill of letter writing.
Central to this project was Brazilian teacher Mariangela Viola (better known to the pupils as Mary). Mariangela is an English Language Assistant who has been working in Limerick since 2019 when she qualified from MIC with an M Ed in Middle Leadership and Mentoring in Primary and Post-Primary Settings. Mariangela prepared the class with sharing her knowledge of Brazil, showing her passport, even arranging a Brazilian food tasting session, and was on hand to answer their many questions about Brazil. The 5th class students showed huge enthusiasm for the project and were excited to see who their new pen pal would be. Letters were written and perfected before they were finally posted to their pen-pals in Fortaleza. The Brazilian students will use this opportunity to practice their English Language skills and learn about Ireland while having fun corresponding with students of similar age.
Mr Denis Barry, Principal of Scoil Iosagain CBS commented "This initiative is a fantastic opportunity for our students to broaden their cultural horizons, improve their communication skills, and foster global friendships. Engaging in this exchange allows our students to learn about life in Brazil, appreciate diverse perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of the world. This program will not only enhance their writing and language skills but also cultivate empathy and global awareness."
Roisin Sweeney (5th Class teacher) found the boys "completely engaged the entire way through and eagerly awaited their replies", while Tracey Lawlor, the other 5th Class teacher stated, "These children are growing up in a very technical era and most of them would never have experienced writing and sending or receiving a letter before. They were very excited on the day we gave out the pen-pals as they wanted to know their names and if they were boys or girls. The boys fully engaged with the task".
When asked, Brazilian teacher Sherida commented; "Thinking about the importance of the English language for global communication and the Brazilian reality that only 1% of the population is fluent in this language bringing great challenges to Brazilian students, four of us, Fortaleza teachers (Sherida Mesquita, Ana Maria de Lima, Ana Stela dos Santos and Magno Gomes), decided to contact teachers working in the Irish education system, through teacher Mariangela, to promote pen pals. Mariangela was excited with the idea and was willing to help us with this work.
"Pen pals is an educational tool established in many countries and is very effective for developing skills in meaningful communication with colleagues from different countries, providing a rich cultural experience. We hope the pen pals are a hit with Brazilians and Irish students, that they broaden their worldview and develop happy friendships with persons who are an ocean away."
