In my early formative years as a student, I understood that writing was just a medium of communication. I did not know any typewriter or a computer keyboard; I thought that only way of writing was with a pen or pencil or chalk. This meant, for me, that the basic purpose of writing was to teach (for the teachers) and write the answers (for students). Several years have passed and I am an adult now, and a teacher for that matter. This shift in my status has also changed in my understanding of writing. I now feel that writing is not just a medium of expression of ideas but it is much more than that.
What is that which makes writing more than a medium? One of the answers could be its purpose: why do we write? We may write to inform, to ask, to express, to share, to lament, to rejoice and so on. One of the latest realizations regarding the purpose of writing is that we write in order to evolve. The human race evolved from Stone Age to the civilized modern age and one of the key factors that facilitated the evolution is the writing that we invented. The whole human race underwent evolution due to the writing over the centuries and millennia. And in the miniature form, each person can evolve in his or her own life from beginner to a developed professional.
Writing becomes richer if we are engaged in reading. When we read diverse materials and blend them with our own ideas and insights, we can churn out beautiful pieces of writing. Writing that the readers can get inspired from; writing that can change readers’ perspectives; writing that remains as imprint in the readers’ kinds.
ELT Choutari is a platform where we can see our own evolution as we write. It is also a platform where we share our stories to help others to write to become professionals. In the current issue we have focused on: reading, sharing and writing. We present moving personal experiences, ideas on what to read and some distinct writings.
Thanking you for your continued readership, here are the articles for the month:
- Interview with Hornby Scholar Dr. Amol Padwad
- English from Feminists’ Eyes – Shankar Dewan
- Interview with Chinese Teacher Hu Xiao
- Teacher Confession: Leaving Radio Nepal to change the World
- Must-Read Series: Seven Books on ELT Methodology: Laxman Gnawali
- Interview: with Bishwa Gautam, RELO Specialist, US Embassy Nepal
Ushakiran Wagle
Editor, February Issue 2015
