<b>EFL Students Visit Mass MoCA</b>
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a class designed to support non-native users of English in their adjustment to the academic and social uses of American English. Taught by Ms. Joan Binzen, co-head of the Flagler Library , the course requires students to complete regular short reading and writing assignments with the goal of improving their grammar, formal writing, speech, and active listening.
The following account of the recent EFL class trip to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) was written by the students and expresses their true appreciation of art and the learning experience gained on this excursion while acting as an excercise in clear communication in written English.
Back
The following account of the recent EFL class trip to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) was written by the students and expresses their true appreciation of art and the learning experience gained on this excursion while acting as an excercise in clear communication in written English.
Photographs are the courtesy of Mrs. Waters who accompanied the group.
On April 11th, undaunted by the threat of rain or Ms. Binzen's "extreme driving", Min Su Kim, Ga Hyun Kim, Young Uk Kim, Ga Young Roo, Won Gi You, Nick Nam, and Mrs. Waters set out on the First Ever EFL Field Trip! At Mass MoCA (the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, Massachusetts, they were met by former Millbrook French teacher, Mr. George Philip Lebourdais, who is completing work toward an M.A. in art history at Williams College.
He "helped us to know how to look at and understand art works... After [that] it was much easier to evaluate them," said Won Gi. Young and several others agreed that Mr. Lebourdais is "a very good guide."
At MoCA, Ga Hyun and Young were excited by Spencer Finch's installation art, in particular including pieces such as the array of electric fans which "reproduced measured wind" at Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond. Ga Hyun explained, "When I closed my eyes in the middle of the fans, I could feel and imagine the lake through the realistic winds. I perceived both the beauty of nature and the desire of people to own nature." Young loved all of Finch's works. And she drew a sketch of one: "What time is is on the sun?"
On April 11th, undaunted by the threat of rain or Ms. Binzen's "extreme driving", Min Su Kim, Ga Hyun Kim, Young Uk Kim, Ga Young Roo, Won Gi You, Nick Nam, and Mrs. Waters set out on the First Ever EFL Field Trip! At Mass MoCA (the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, Massachusetts, they were met by former Millbrook French teacher, Mr. George Philip Lebourdais, who is completing work toward an M.A. in art history at Williams College.
He "helped us to know how to look at and understand art works... After [that] it was much easier to evaluate them," said Won Gi. Young and several others agreed that Mr. Lebourdais is "a very good guide."
At MoCA, Ga Hyun and Young were excited by Spencer Finch's installation art, in particular including pieces such as the array of electric fans which "reproduced measured wind" at Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond. Ga Hyun explained, "When I closed my eyes in the middle of the fans, I could feel and imagine the lake through the realistic winds. I perceived both the beauty of nature and the desire of people to own nature." Young loved all of Finch's works. And she drew a sketch of one: "What time is is on the sun?"
There were installations and paintings by the German artist Anselm Kiefer, including three-dimensional paintings that reminded Min Su of the last scene in part III of Lord of the Rings!
After lunch, the group said goodbye to Mr. Lebrourdais and drove to the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown. Three huge outdoor metal eyes created by French/American sculptor Louise Bourgeois which guarded the entrance immediately captured everyone's attention. Inside, Ga Hyun liked the calmer atmosphere that let her "concentrate on every detail of some of the paintings so she could practice her sketching. Young Uk also was attracted to the many paintings from the many different time periods.
Later, Won Gi said that he "thought he had experienced a kind of New World and had learned how to understand and read artists' works." Ga Hyun found the trip "a really impressive experience" and said, "beyond school work, I could see and feel how people think differently about different objects... the artists' creativity stimulated my mind, and I could refresh myself and focus more on school work."
