Mauritius Convenor donates books to Unisa

Alumni

Zeenat Fugurally, Convenor of the Mauritius Chapter

Zeenat Fugurally, Convenor of the Mauritius Chapter and author of the Learn English series of textbooks, donated over 3 500 textbooks to Unisa during a recent visit by Unisa’s Dr Phasoane Mokgobu, Vice-Principal: Institutional Development, and the Alumni office in Mauritius.

The textbooks will be donated to schools in and around South Africa. The author gives us insights into the journey she took to write the books.

How long did it take you to complete the books?

I had to complete the set of three books in less than a year, as per my publisher's demand. The series covers the syllabus for the first three years of secondary schooling that culminates with an examination carried out at national level.

What did you enjoy the most about writing the textbooks?

It was out of passion that I decided to write, and I enjoyed putting into practice all the invaluable knowledge that I had gathered during my PGCE course with Unisa in 2008. I wanted to give my fellow teachers the type of book they would enjoy using in the classroom. At the same time, I thought about the learners constantly when I created and selected materials for the textbooks. Along the way, I realised that writing this kind of textbook demands a lot of creativity.

Learn English series of textbooks

Each chapter has a theme, please tell us more about this approach.

I have adopted a thematic approach so that at the end of every chapter, learners will feel that they have gained knowledge of the theme and can write or speak about it confidently. I chose the themes with the learners in mind. The themes either fall within the learners' realm of interest or are issues they should learn and reflect upon at their age. Thus, the themes include, among others, friendship, pets, careers and motivation.

What are your passions in life?

I am practically always in my garden when I am not teaching. I enjoy reading both English and French novels. I indulge in quite a bit of poetry: reading, recitation and writing for inspiration. These days I am busy completing projects at my Toastmasters Club. I have given 20 speeches in seven months both in Mauritius and in London (Toastmasters is an international organisation). If I still have time and energy left, I climb our local mountains and have a dip in the sea – I am in Mauritius after all!

* By Lynnette van Niekerk, Events Coordinator, Department of Institutional Advancement

Publish date: 2019-11-28 00:00:00.0