My inspiring teacher called ‘Terminology Coordination Unit’

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A reflective article on my 3 weeks Study Visit in the Terminology Coordination Unit

Teachers in all languages and cultures are primarily identified as the persons who teach others. Linguistically, the word ‘teach’ originates from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root ‘*deik-’ which means ‘show, point out’. Gradually the PIE linguistic root ‘*deik-’ results in the Proto-Germanic word *taikijan, meaning ‘to show’, and in the Old English word *taecan which held the original meaning of ‘show’ and enriched further its semantic context acquiring the wider similar meanings of ‘point out, declare, demonstrate, give instruction, train, assign, direct, warn and persuade’.

So, it can be easily realized that teachers are the persons who train and instruct the learners by showing them methods of learning, explaining notions of knowledge, assigning them tasks, and overall guide them in the way of developing their knowledge skills and their personality traits.

In an effort to focus on the importance of the role of a teacher, William Arthur Ward has made the separation among three different kinds of teachers. His quote is ‘The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. My study visit in the Terminology Coordination unit taught me that it is not only a person who can perform the important and invaluable role of a teacher. A whole team may function as a teacher. A whole Unit, Department, or group of people may be your valuable teacher in opening up the routes existing in front of you leading to knowledge. And this is what the Terminology Coordination Unit has become to me, after completing my 3 weeks study visit as an active member of this Unit. The Termcoord Unit has turned out to be my inspiring teacher who reminded me the merits and joy of learning.

Every visit opens new horizons to the eyes of the visitor with all the new stimulation it offers. It has been said that there is no greater agony than an untold story bearing inside us. This reflection article of mine on my study visit in the Termcoord Unit is the story bearing inside me, which I wish to share and not keep untold inside me. The harmony characterizing the cooperation of all team members, the highly challenging and interesting tasks of the day-to-day work, the stimulations offered either in the terminology field and the possibilities it offers to all those using it, or in the field of communication, have made me realize that Termcoord Unit has been an inspiring teacher to me, who taught me the beauty of the Terminology world. Termcoord Unit is a Unit resembling the persona of a teacher who knows how to speak to the soul of each one of its study visitors. It is a teacher who can inspire its study visitors deepen into the magic lying in the study of terms, in the writing of articles, in the contribution to the work performed by all other European Institutions.

An American proverb says: ‘Give me the facts and I will learn. Tell me the truth and I will believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever”. Termcoord Unit has told me its story, which will live in my heart forever. A colorful story full of learning experiences which offered me the fulfillment of creativity, of ameliorating and exploring the field of linguistics, translation and writing. The learning story of Termcoord Unit is not a fixed story that finishes or may get boring or old. It is a story going through an ongoing procedure of enrichment thanks to the interaction developed among the researchers, linguists, translators and specialized scientists of its team and its visitors from Universities all over the world. Termcoord Unit listens to the personal stories of all its members and visitors and structures its multilingual, multitasking and multilearning story, which always shares with us through its projects, through the new learning paths it draws and establishes and through its easily accessible webpage.

I would like to express my happiness and gratitude to all the members of the Terminology Coordination Unit for the experience I lived and the story of learning they shared with me. I wish them all the best in their future projects and aspirations.

References:

Teach (v.). Index. https://www.etymonline.com/word/teach. Accessed June 28, 2019.

William Arthur Ward Quotes. BrainyQuote. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_arthur_ward_103463?src=t_teacher. Accessed June 28, 2019.


Written by Maria Papamargariti, Greek and English Philologist, Substitute Teacher in ISL School (Luxembourg) and Study Visitor at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament in Luxembourg. She holds a Bachelor in Greek Language and Literature (Philology) and a Bachelor in English Language and Literature, both from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has published three books in the field of children’s literature, Books publication link. She speaks English, French and Greek. At present, she is completing her Master Studies in Learning and Communication in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts in the University of Luxembourg.