Eventually I suppose I'll have to either ask permission or let this Peace Corps volunteer know that I'm using stuff off of their site...
By way of understanding what we are attempting to do at PHA, I found some writing samples that Form 2 students wrote at the beginning of their school year this month. Form 2 students are approximately 16 years old. At the end of their Form 2 year, they are required to take exams in English, and those scores determine whether or not you can continue in school. Apparently, these are the students' best attempts at a paragraph in which they were asked to describe themselves to their teachers.
And, by the way, reading these completely shocks/scares/whatever me at the skills students have. They have spent so much time in school. They have bought into the belief that an education is the ticket to something better in life. Given the circumstances, I believe most students are willing to work hard to get a decent education. But there's so much lacking...
I like swimming I dislike to be a Lazy man
If I grow up I want to be a Doctor
I like to listen music and to study all subjects.
Also music of Mr Nelly I don't like eat Ugali and beansI want to be pilot
In this program I like to drink beer and I like to eat meat and rice and I reading into dreaver of bus or into teacher. I must.
I like play football to write letter girafe and the colour blueI don't like pigs, etc.
When I grow up I want to be Carpenter
I lake football I don't lake to sing
I want to be a present
I like reading booksI do not like to steal{crime mistakes)
When I grow up, I want to be a teacher
I like to eat pilau, To play football, to swimming, to dancing Music, to watch TV to study subjects. I don't like Majungu, don't like thief, don't like beer, don't like improper behavious, When I grow up I want to be Police, Carpenter, teacher, Doctor, Nurse, Tailor.
It's a jolting realization how far apart our goals for our students are and where they will begin their lives with us. I don't believe they are impossible, but I do believe that what we are visualizing today will be vastly different than what we finally discover to be what's optimal for our students!
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3 comments:
Wow, you are right, this is a little daunting.
And I noticed - did you? - in the last example you gave, the one listing all those different occupations the writer is considering ... see how all but one are capitalized? They must be important jobs to get capital letters. The only one that is NOT capitalized? Teacher.
Good point--they are writing in a 2nd language. They are supposed to start English lessons in 4th grade and by the last year of primary school have 1/2 of their instruction in English. Of course, that doesn't always happen and the teachers are all non-native English speakers, many of whom don't have a good command of the language themselves.
Once they start secondary school, all instruction is in English, as are the exams they have to take to continue in school (which these students will take in less than a year). You can imagine how difficult it is for students to express what they know when they are hampered by the language.
By the way, US research indicates that academic proficiency in a second language takes 7-9 years, assuming the student is literate in their native language.
Hello,
I volunteered in Tengeru Village in Arusha at the Nkoaranga Orphanage for three weeks this Christmas and am in the process of planning a fundraiser to raise enough money to send as many of the kids as possible to boarding school. I would like to learn more about your school and your process in moving to Tanzania. If you wouldn't mind, my email address is erturner@email.unc.edu. I'd love to start a correspondence.
Thank you and good luck!
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