A Song for Roberto Minardi

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Little did I know in 1964
it would take me half a century
to meet  the past master of
audio-visual Communicative teaching

at the City Lit  in 2018
with the computer and methodology at his finger tips
with total self-assurance and inimitable precision
in his master class evening Italian course.

He forestalls the tumbles and falls of protean
SEI, LEI, and CHI, convinced that prevention is better than cure,
cure always at hand.
Roberto Minardi’s leaners joyously intone,

“Sono Inglese, di Londra,”
like Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrews,
with the serenity of the Mona Lisa,
no sweat, no tears, no confusion, all happy smiles.

How time shrinks in Merlin Roberto’s hands
three hours from 6 to 9 feel like three minutes!

The class wanes on la conga of
devilishly clever games and realistic role play.
Ciao, amici. Will we hear the nightingale again,
if not next week, another fine day?

Whatever will be, will be –
Che sara’, sara’.

che sara', sara'



Dato’ Yunus Raiss
JP FRSA FCIL MEd BA BSc (Econ)
M.Ed, Barrister, Dip TEFL, Dip Edu Research
01.08.2018

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