Participant of the 2016 “Diaspora” Summer School Program: “When the soul “speaks” Armenian, the body must also “speak” Armenian”

All the participants of the “Diaspora” Summer School Program of the RA Ministry of Diaspora are different from one another. It is impossible not to notice that they behave as Armenians and have the Armenian spirit. They are more alert and feel obliged to speak about Armenia and Armenians only in Armenian inside of Yerevan State University.

The participants of the Training Course for Teachers of Armenian Language and History and Organizers of Education (part of the “Diaspora” Summer School Program) stand out immediately with their beautiful speech and refined language. One of the participants of this course is Lusin Mangasarian, who is from the Armenian-populated city of Toronto, Canada. In an interview with the experienced educator, Hayern Aysor’s correspondent talked about the mission of a teacher, the difficulty with preserving the Armenian identity overseas and the effectiveness of the “Diaspora” Summer School Program.

Hayern Aysor: Ms. Mangasarian, teaching has always been considered one of the most difficult and the most responsible jobs. You teach Armenian in a country where the foreign language is the dominant language. Doesn’t this make you feel more responsible?

Lusine Mangasarian: Yes, being a teacher is first and foremost a calling, and this already implies responsibility. Before moving to Toronto, I was teaching in my hometown Aleppo. Although I am also an expert in business management, I have never thought of quitting my job as a teacher. I work as a teacher and a business manager, but being a teacher at the local Armenian Saturday school is more than a just a job for me. The feeling that I am educating a generation of Armenians in a foreign country gives me the feeling of spiritual satisfaction that no other job or occupation can give. I teach Armenian, but by saying Armenian, we must also understand Armenian songs, culture, theater and dance. After all, all this is the language of the soul, and when the soul “speaks” Armenian, the body must “speak” in Armenian.

Hayern Aysor: Ms. Mangasarian, can a teacher save Armenians abroad from possible assimilation alone?

L. M.: It is hard when everyone around you speaks in a foreign language. I see Armenian children who attend an Armenian school for only one day and are in another environment for five days, and that environment is sometimes so far from the Armenian environment. On that one day, we Armenian language teachers are in a real struggle as we try to give the children another “dose” of the Armenian language and Armenian education, keep them in and help them grow to love an environment in which they can become attached to their roots. I feel happy when I see Armenian children grow to love their roots. That is impersonal happiness that makes me feel great joy. I am certain that some of my students will continue what I am doing since we always need to fight for preservation of the Armenian identity. The world is globalizing, and the foreign environment is signaling retreat, and we need to evade it as much as possible.

Hayern Aysor: Do your students come to the Armenian school with pleasure? What does the school mean to them? What do they like the most there?

L. M.: Unquestionably, the children love our school. I love them (says and smiles when she says “my children”, one must understand her students-ed). They come to class with excitement, and I try to conduct the lesson with Armenian games, songs and dances. However, I ask myself if they do this at home or not. Of course, there are families that are conservative in this regard, but not all families are like that. As a teacher and, of course, as an Armenian devoted to preservation of the Armenian identity, I try to keep in touch with their parents, calling on them to be consistent and never give up on them.

Hayern Aysor: Do the students often express the desire to visit and see the homeland?

L. M.: Yes, and we help make their wishes come true. Every year, we take the graduating students of the Saint Sahag and Saint Mashtots Armenian Saturday School to Armenia for three weeks. After being told about the homeland for eight years, they see Armenia and experience life in Armenia. Of course, the visits are sponsored by the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church. During the visits, even those students who had been indifferent towards Armenia and the Armenians become so attached to the land and water that they don’t even want to return.

Hayern Aysor Ms. Mangasarian, the Armenian community of Canada has always been one of the most organized communities of the Armenian Diaspora. What is the community like today?

L. M.: Our community has always been strong. We have committees, the Youth Association, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, the Fund for Armenian Relief, the Women’s Union and other organizations that deal with preserving the Armenian identity and try to create an Armenian environment for Armenians of all ages.

Over the past few years, our community has become stronger and has grown due to the immigration of Syrian-Armenians. Of course, the split of the Armenian community of Syria is a great tragedy, but when a Syrian-Armenian child attending the Armenian school in Toronto starts speaking Armenian fluently, this seems to motivate the other students. It seems as though that Syrian-Armenian child sets an example for the others. It has always been like that. The Armenian communities of the countries in the Near East have always stood out with the way they preserve the Armenian identity.

Thus, our community is able to present Armenian culture and history to foreigners, especially last year and this year, due to the 100th anniversary and to the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Whoever didn’t know about the Armenians and our homeland in Canada learned about our past. In 2004, Canada officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, and the Canadians have stood by our side to this day.

Hayern Aysor: Let’s talk a little about the “Diaspora” Summer School Program. Being an experienced teacher, what new skills does the training course provide you with?

L. M.: I am very happy to be here. We receive new ideas, gain new skills and learn about new methods every day. I attach special importance to the exchange of experiences. I will apply the new knowledge in Toronto. During this course, I am a student who has a lot to learn.

Hayern Aysor: In closing, what is your call to all Armenian teachers abroad?

L. M.: I call on them to love the Armenian language and help Armenian generations of the Diaspora preserve the Armenian identity.

Amalya Karapetyan

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