Music is the voice of the heart
The sounds of music are balm to the heart,
Who played it,
To what religion, race, what nation,
Searching, searching is a stranger!
Most heart-poundingly penetrating,
It is the sound of the call to prayer,
the word of the Koran,
Charming as an angel,
Mother is a lullaby, Mother is a word!
The sound of the spring, the thunder,
Rustling leaves, raindrops,
Howling wind, blizzard,
Each is a note, oud!
When a bird wants to fly for joy,
Songs in his tongue like cranes,
When you want to get into the heart of your loved one,
Like waves in the roaring sea!
Let the wishes be garlanded alone,
May there be mercy and freedom in the world,
Let a song be heard from everyone's tongue,
May music be the crown of glory!
Elmaya Jabbarova - was born in Azerbaijan. She is poet, writer, reciter, translator. Her poems were published in the regional newspapers «Shargin sesi», «Ziya», «Hekari», literary collections «Turan», «Karabakh is Azerbaijan!», «Zafar», «Buta», foreign Anthologies «Silk Road Arabian Nights», «Nano poem for
Africa», «Juntos por las Letras 1;2», «Kafiye.net» in Turkey, in the African's CAJ magazine, Bangladesh's Red Times magazine, «Prodigy Published» magazine. She performed her poems live on Bangladesh Uddan TV, at the II Spain Book Fair 1ra Feria Virtual del Libro Panama, Bolivia, Uruguay, France, Portugal, USA.
Tree plantation means planting trees more and more. Trees are important element of our environment. They are our best friends. They give us oxygen and take carbon-dioxide. They prevent the earth from becoming desert and they maintain the balance of nature. They give us food, shade and shelter. We get fuel and wood from trees. They save land from erosion. They are useful in many ways. They prevent natural calamities. But men are destroying them at a random. They are cutting down trees with the increase of population.
So, we should not cut down trees. Rather, we should plant more and more trees. All the year tree plantation is good. From June to August is the proper time for planting trees in Bangladesh. We can plant trees on both of road side, river side, pond, big field, small field, canal side and in the garden. Besides, any open space in and around homestead should also be used for planting trees. We should preserve the planted trees. Public awareness should be raised to make the tree plantation programs successful. If we want to preserve our environment, we should plant more and more trees. So, tree plantation is very important to make our nature safe.
Iftikhar Zaman Ononno is a student of grade 7 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.
Achievements and challenges of online learning in teaching foreign languages
Qurbanova Marjona
Department of Applied Disciplines
Abstract: This article discusses the importance of online learning in foreign language teaching. Nowadays some people in all countries prefer to learn something online in a position of staying at home and on the time they want. Online learning is creating a number of facilities if its drawbacks are not regarded. Now we shall see its advantages and disadvantages together.
Key words: online education, information, university, course, Internet, student, lecture, technology, screen, foreign language.
Education plays the most important role in the life of people. A big piece of new and necessary information appears every minute. Nowadays online study or learning turns out to be more and more practiced. Many universities started to share their courses online. So, what is online education?
Online education is the form of education that takes place over Internet. It is called as ‘e-learning’ or ‘online learning. Students attend online lectures with the help of computer or a smart phone. Although online education has become popular nowadays, it has both advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
Online learning is convenient. These is obviously the greatest benefit of online learning; as long as you own a computer and have an internet connection, it does not matter in which part of the world you are. Learners can access information from anywhere, anytime.
It is flexible. Learning becomes easier when aligned with one’s learning needs and preferences. Online learning allows learners to study at their own pace, whether they are students, busy adults, or employees.
Online learning is cost effective. The cost effectiveness of online learning is quite impressive; no more travel and accommodation expenses, reusable online content. It can be tailored to different needs. Different people learn in different ways, and online learning does everything in its power to ensure that all learning needs are met. Looking for economically viable options online learning for students is the best way;
It is immediate. Not only learners are able to begin their online learning immediately, but they are also able to see immediate results; whether self-paced or instructor-led.
It is unrestricted. With online learning location is no longer a barrier; neither are culture and nationality.
In addition to studying, you can also work. In fact the majority of applicants who choose distance learning drop out they don’t want to give up, but they want to learn. In online learning you can study on weekends, when you return from work, even at night;
It saves your time! Students in online programs can effectively manage their time, learn the materials, and complete assignments on their own schedules to name just a few benefits of online learning. Transportation to and from training centers you can save the time you spend waiting. In online learning if you want you will receive information on the spot;
If you consider yourself aspiring, distance education is the greatest way for you. The advantage is that some classes are held in groups. There are some students in the group the faster some understand slowly. In this regard, distance learning is a method more efficient.
Disadvantages
It may be a “solo” act. It is true that, although online learning might be convenient and flexible, it is also a solo act... Some people absolutely need personal contact with their educators or trainers in order to learn successfully. It is difficult to have group discussions in online education. Student-teacher interaction is also limited. The probability of being distracted is high. In face-to-face communication there are no classmates who are constantly reminded of upcoming assignments. If you want to successfully complete a distance learning course, find yourself you need to be diligent and careful;
It may be impersonal. No matter how we try to fully transfer human communication platforms, no matter how natural it seems to form relationships behind computer screens; a virtual environment is just not human.
Nothing can replace human contact. Too much time spent in front of a computer screen may be harmful. Being constantly online is the new reality, but the truth is that using a computer or a tablet all the time can cause poor vision, strain injuries, and other physical problems.
It requires self–discipline. If your e-learning audience lacks self – discipline, it is unlikely that they will be motivated to self study. Traditional learning and training have the benefit of easily tracking both progress and falling behind, this works for many learners as well, as some people prefer their progress to be closely monitored in order to perform.
Technology Issues – Many students face technical issues like slow internet connectivity. This hampers the learning experience. The biggest enemy of online learning is the internet's slow performance of providers or disconnection. In this case, the applicant the desire to learn leads to exhaustion or nervousness.
Cheating – Students can cheat easily if exams are conducted online. They can copy the answers as they give the exams from their own house.
Inability to focus – Many students find it difficult to focus on screen for long period of time. Students get distracted easily towards social media or other sites too.
Possible lack of control: No matter how carefully you design e-learning course, there is no guarantee that your massage will get across. There is always the risk of your learners just going through the material without paying any attention. It is difficult to measure program results. Question remains: are students learning what instructor is saying that they should be learning? Students must be self-motivated and disciplined to progress through his or her program in a timely manner.
In conclusion, the facts are that there are advantages, and disadvantages to every type of learning environment. Students have to analyze both the pros and cons, factors which contribute greatly to making an informed decision, about the direction of his or her career path. Students have to decide, how they are going to accomplish their goals: online, in the classroom or a combination of both. Today’s online learning is better than yesterday’s; and online learning of tomorrow will be better than today’s.
References:
1. https://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-online-learning
2. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
Why Lack What We Need?!
In shadows deep, where darkness takes its heed,
We lack what we need, in dire times we plead.
No power's grace to light our path with care,
Insecurity's cloak, a burden hard to bear.
A student's dreams, once bright, now dulled by strife,
In the absence of light, she walked a perilous life.
With every step, uncertainty did breed,
In the heart of the night, where shadows feed.
Vicious whispers echo through the streets,
As the city sleeps, in darkness it retreats.
No watchful eyes to guard, to intercede,
A tragedy unfolds, in this forsaken creed.
Innocence is lost, a life now gone,
In the absence of trust, a mourning dawn.
We lack what we need, in this tragic decree,
A society's lament, in somber harmony.
With power's absence, and security's despair,
We mourn the cost of a world unfair.
In a symphonic voice, we must take heed,
For in these voids, the darkest deeds proceed.
A Big Thank You
I would like to thank the bluebird
for introducing me to the concept of evil.
Also, a note of gratitude to that cat-thief
in Copenhagen for relieving me of my worldly bounty
(you know who you are).
Some of these pauses were first published
in the Giant Book of the Head.
Without the assistance of spectres
this line would never have seen the light of day.
And I want to take this opportunity
to mention the red-assed sprites
cavorting in my mind, and to also thank them
for their unquestioning support,
as well as the bent angels, their advice
being given freely, whether called upon or likewise.
Lastly, a big nod and wink to the blind horse,
for which none of this would have been,
or should have been, made possible.
Carrying On In The Same Manner
Nobody remembers how the universe ended.
Some aren’t even aware that it did.
“Imagine Creation’s Big Bang, but in reverse,”
suggested a prominent physicist,
time scattering like shattered molecules.
Time a monster with a lamb in its mouth.
Earth shaking like a ride at a fairground.
“Carry on as if nothing has happened,”
the constable talking in his sleep instructed.
“Things are in the saddle and they ride mankind,”
Emerson obliquely commented from the garde de robe,
unaware he’d been dead for many decades,
the cosmos reverting to its standard darkness.
Double Feature
An empty cinema, a few last shattered dreams going about
the business of expiring. You can practically hear the stars
in dialogue. You can sense the disbelief, suspended from
a spider’s web-strand ever since the advent of the talkies.
On the ‘silver screen’ is a fine powdering of laughter and
ashes. In the back row are two apparitions locked in a kiss,
quite oblivious to the Age of Reason.
Bruce McRae, a Canadian musician, is a multiple Pushcart nominee with poems published in hundreds of magazines such as Poetry, Rattle and the North American Review. The winner of the 2020 Libretto prize and author of four poetry collections and seven chapbooks, his poems have been performed and broadcast globally.
The Music Inside Is the Same
Paul* had signed up for piano lessons earlier in the year as a complete beginner, hoping for a creative outlet that might balance his academic work. He had progressed fairly quickly at first and showed quite a bit of potential but became increasingly distracted and had less and less time to practice. I had agreed reluctantly to be an itinerant teacher and come to his apartment, only because he pleaded that he couldn’t come to my studio for lessons and leave his two young children on their own.
One week, he did not answer my knock at the door, so I headed back down the hallway to the stairs. Suddenly Paul burst through the stairwell door dressed in full, flamboyant drag, pulling off his wig as he approached. We both stopped and exclaimed, “Oh!” at the same time. I said, “I was just leaving. It looks like it’s not a good time for your lesson.” He was most apologetic about having forgotten and said he had just come from the big city three hours away, adding unnecessarily that he had a lot going on and would have to stop taking lessons. I knew he did indeed have a lot going on, between the children and his doctoral program to finish in the spring. Now, he said, he also was in transition to become “Paulina.” His ex-wife didn’t know yet. He hadn’t planned to tell me this soon.
I heard later that Paulina had graduated with a PhD and moved away. Wherever she ended up, I hoped the digital piano had come along too, and that circumstances worked out for piano lessons to be an option again. Whether Paul or Paulina, there is music inside, and it only needs a chance to come out.
*Name changed.
Willow in June, Millhaven Creek
Smashed on the rocks near the old mill and basket factory lies a white ceramic plate with black script that would have spiraled to the center from the outer edge. It seems poetic somehow, the general sense of the words I see while walking past and trying to resist the urge to gather the fragments and make sense of them, as well as the fact of the plate having been thrown with force onto the ground. Someone’s dignity, stolen by anger or despair.
But my destination is the willow tree beside the creek with the wide cascade of rapids no more than half a meter high, so I keep walking. There seems always to be a willow near an old mill. The composer Rachmaninoff took care to plant willows at his secluded summer estate but only enjoyed them for seven years until 1917, when the place burned during the revolution and he fled by sleigh over the border into Finland. His dignity—and that of the willows—stolen by war.
Willows grow quickly, anywhere from two to ten feet a year. The trade-off is that they only live for 20 to 30 years, but one can propagate more trees by taking “switches” from an old tree in the spring, placing them in water, then planting the rooted cuttings in the fall. One of the blessings of willows is that other species of trees can sometimes emerge from a fallen willow. Thus the life cycle continues, as does the dignity of the gentle elder.
Life is but a dream
Life is but a dream
Sweet yet melting down ice cream
Still be not discouraged, not a scream
Swim bravely graceful bream.
Life is but a dream
Be that you are awake or asleep
Emotions be shallow or deep
Raise hopes beyond mountain steep
Sweet yet melting down ice cream
Life churning wild like milky cream
Still be not discouraged, not a scream
Smooth sailing be in sky so gleam
Swim bravely as a graceful bream
Over and under a flowing stream
Life may be just a dream travelers to see
Praise and thanks to God for the journey
Tear in Darkness
Pain is a burning fire hidden
No water can douse it out
Slowly creeping inside self
Draining life with own life
Snuffing out the light within
Sought freedom with numbness
Even coldness cannot stamp out
Fear, doubt, anxiety, despair
Every chain has a weak link
Every lock has a way to pick open
Every cage has an exit door
Every cell in prison with a desire
Even water has a boiling limit
Vessels have an overflow line
Frozen ice can burst any pack
Smother a soul within its flesh
Volcano burst out its lava
No matter how deeply hidden
But peace is not guaranteed
Smoking poisons up the sky
Nature sends its healing rain
Healing all the hidden pains
Angels see the tears in the dark
Grieving moans heard above
And a soul is saved by grace
Tears of pain to tears of joy
The Tower of Babel ceased to grow
Builders dispersed to be free
Just as trouble pours like rain
So do comfort and blessings
A life born can again be reborn
Tainted yet spread to rewrite on
A new journey without a map
Familiar path to leave behind
Nervous yet without any fear
Faith from fire road walked on.
Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa was born January 14, 1965, in Manila Philippines. She has worked as a retired Language Instructor, interpreter, caregiver, secretary, product promotion employee, and private therapeutic masseur. Her works have been published as poems and short story anthologies in several language translations for e-magazines, monthly magazines, and books; poems for cause anthologies in a Zimbabwean newspaper; a feature article in a Philippine newspaper; and had her works posted on different poetry web and blog sites. She has been writing poems since childhood but started on Facebook only in 2014. For her, Poetry is life and life is poetry. Lilian Kunimasa considers herself a student/teacher with the duty to learn, inspire, guide, and motivate others to contribute to changing what is seen as normal into a better world than when she steps into it. She has always considered life as an endless journey, searching for new goals, and challenges and how she can in small ways make a difference in every path she takes. She sees humanity as one family where each one must support the other and considers poets as a voice for truth in pursuit of equality and proper stewardship of nature despite the hindrances of distorted information and traditions.
