Peru (Summer 2018)
While participating in the Teachers for Global Classrooms program, all fellows were asked to create a guiding question as we entered classrooms throughout Peru.
My question kept circling around the theme “How can we or how are we, as global communities, preserving our nationalism while embracing the global community/each other?”
This question was inspired by the pushback I tend to receive as a Spanish teacher in more rural, middle-American (Nebraskan) schools. I have felt a lot of resistance to learning Spanish, often I hear: “Why do we have to learn Spanish? This is America”. This resistance comes from parents and students. It’s quite frustrating, as if learning an additional language will dilute our country’s culture?
As I entered Peruvian English classes I hoped to find answers to the big guiding question but also smaller, more manageable discussion points. I was able to interview three English teachers (one from the primary school, noted here as “teacher #1”, and two from the secondary school, noted as teacher #2 and #3):
My observations: Very similar to my U.S. classroom. There are the eager language learners, and then the learners who are there to meet requirements. The most visible difference I noticed was the total respect from every student—even the students who did not enjoy learning English. They still went through the process. There was never a “why do we have to learn this?” debate.
In Lima, at a public school, I noticed the eagerness to learn was not there. Most students at this particular school were clearly trying to survive from day to day. The quality of instruction was questionable too. I imagine it would be incredibly difficult to teach so many students in such a short amount of time (students only attended for part of the day—morning or afternoon shifts). English was not a priority.
For students who truly wanted to learn English (and were able to financially) they enrolled in additional, more quality English classes during the evening. These students were exceptional language learners.
Comparison to my Spanish classroom: I feel as though most Peruvian students 1) see the opportunity to learn English as a privilege and 2) value / appreciate that opportunity, much much more than my U.S. students.
Peruvian Teachers Response:
Teacher 1: “The resistance is more from the institutions…learning another language is not as important as learning math…they do not invest in English as a second language”
“A way to break this is telling/encouraging students to read in English, listen to music in English, etc.”
Teachers 2&3: Agreed, and added that the resistance is often because learning a English is difficult—and when students struggle they get in a mindset that they can’t learn English, which isn’t true. Parents also sympathize with their struggling students, which doesn’t help the situation.
Both teachers agreed that teaching English requires coaching students to embrace the challenge, ask for help and realize the benefits (career, travel, etc.) that come with knowing basic English.
My observations: I did not notice any resistance in the community where I was placed. All students were eager to practice English with me as they were eager for me to practice Spanish with them. It was so fun! Even after school if we saw the students on the street they would come up with their families to say hello. It was so refreshing!
Comparison to my Spanish classroom: Again, as expected, it is clear Peruvian students value education more than U.S. students. Even if they don’t enjoy or excel in the subject they are still grateful for the opportunity. The resistance to learning is not as public as it is in my classrooms.
Peruvian Teachers Response:
Teacher #1: “I help them see how people live in other countries and appreciate the good things we have in Peru”. She encourages students to think and play in English and teaches having an open mind.
Teachers #2 and #3: Using themes—for example—the theme of “tourism” to teach English vocabulary, and compare and contrast tourism in Peru and in the U.S.
My observations: While I was observing all three classes I could see each teacher’s approach and philosophies coming alive. All teachers made learning English personal to their students. The secondary classes were doing a big unit on waste management. They were learning English words, practicing speaking, reading and listening all while discussing global waste problems. It was quite impressive. Their goal was to address primarily the problems in their immediate region, and what they could do to improve conditions. It was very clear that they love their country and can still dabble in another a language ;-)
Comparison to my Spanish classroom: In my room I feel as though I am constantly defending other countries way of life, or that I am the first person to challenge my students’ viewpoint of the world. I love this, but it’s also a huge responsibility. It’s the first time many students question why we use words or follow the grammatical patterns that we do. It’s the first time many students realize we are unique in how we write the date, how we measure speed/distance/temperature. It’s the first time many students realize that the U.S. doesn’t have an “official” language and it’s the first time many students reflect on why that might be the case. These small discoveries are honestly why I love teaching Spanish, it’s not even that I’m teaching Spanish, it’s how the Spanish classroom lends itself to exploring culture and global education. I. LOVE. IT.
All that being said. I still need to reiterate the message that we have a great country too. We have a lot to be proud of and we have a lot to gain by learning another language and culture.
Final Conclusion:
At this present time, I feel as though Peru does a much better job of being patriotic, preserving a sense of nationalism while still wanting to be an active, positive contributor to the global community than the U.S.
To improve conditions in the U.S. we need more students to have positive experiences in language and culture classrooms. We also need teacher education programs to embrace and take on more global education practices.
My question kept circling around the theme “How can we or how are we, as global communities, preserving our nationalism while embracing the global community/each other?”
This question was inspired by the pushback I tend to receive as a Spanish teacher in more rural, middle-American (Nebraskan) schools. I have felt a lot of resistance to learning Spanish, often I hear: “Why do we have to learn Spanish? This is America”. This resistance comes from parents and students. It’s quite frustrating, as if learning an additional language will dilute our country’s culture?
As I entered Peruvian English classes I hoped to find answers to the big guiding question but also smaller, more manageable discussion points. I was able to interview three English teachers (one from the primary school, noted here as “teacher #1”, and two from the secondary school, noted as teacher #2 and #3):
- Do you find your students want to learn English?
My observations: Very similar to my U.S. classroom. There are the eager language learners, and then the learners who are there to meet requirements. The most visible difference I noticed was the total respect from every student—even the students who did not enjoy learning English. They still went through the process. There was never a “why do we have to learn this?” debate.
In Lima, at a public school, I noticed the eagerness to learn was not there. Most students at this particular school were clearly trying to survive from day to day. The quality of instruction was questionable too. I imagine it would be incredibly difficult to teach so many students in such a short amount of time (students only attended for part of the day—morning or afternoon shifts). English was not a priority.
For students who truly wanted to learn English (and were able to financially) they enrolled in additional, more quality English classes during the evening. These students were exceptional language learners.
Comparison to my Spanish classroom: I feel as though most Peruvian students 1) see the opportunity to learn English as a privilege and 2) value / appreciate that opportunity, much much more than my U.S. students.
- Do you experience resistance from students or parents about learning English?
- If so, how do you handle it?
Peruvian Teachers Response:
Teacher 1: “The resistance is more from the institutions…learning another language is not as important as learning math…they do not invest in English as a second language”
“A way to break this is telling/encouraging students to read in English, listen to music in English, etc.”
Teachers 2&3: Agreed, and added that the resistance is often because learning a English is difficult—and when students struggle they get in a mindset that they can’t learn English, which isn’t true. Parents also sympathize with their struggling students, which doesn’t help the situation.
Both teachers agreed that teaching English requires coaching students to embrace the challenge, ask for help and realize the benefits (career, travel, etc.) that come with knowing basic English.
My observations: I did not notice any resistance in the community where I was placed. All students were eager to practice English with me as they were eager for me to practice Spanish with them. It was so fun! Even after school if we saw the students on the street they would come up with their families to say hello. It was so refreshing!
Comparison to my Spanish classroom: Again, as expected, it is clear Peruvian students value education more than U.S. students. Even if they don’t enjoy or excel in the subject they are still grateful for the opportunity. The resistance to learning is not as public as it is in my classrooms.
- How do you promote learning English while continuing to promote / value Peruvian culture?
Peruvian Teachers Response:
Teacher #1: “I help them see how people live in other countries and appreciate the good things we have in Peru”. She encourages students to think and play in English and teaches having an open mind.
Teachers #2 and #3: Using themes—for example—the theme of “tourism” to teach English vocabulary, and compare and contrast tourism in Peru and in the U.S.
My observations: While I was observing all three classes I could see each teacher’s approach and philosophies coming alive. All teachers made learning English personal to their students. The secondary classes were doing a big unit on waste management. They were learning English words, practicing speaking, reading and listening all while discussing global waste problems. It was quite impressive. Their goal was to address primarily the problems in their immediate region, and what they could do to improve conditions. It was very clear that they love their country and can still dabble in another a language ;-)
Comparison to my Spanish classroom: In my room I feel as though I am constantly defending other countries way of life, or that I am the first person to challenge my students’ viewpoint of the world. I love this, but it’s also a huge responsibility. It’s the first time many students question why we use words or follow the grammatical patterns that we do. It’s the first time many students realize we are unique in how we write the date, how we measure speed/distance/temperature. It’s the first time many students realize that the U.S. doesn’t have an “official” language and it’s the first time many students reflect on why that might be the case. These small discoveries are honestly why I love teaching Spanish, it’s not even that I’m teaching Spanish, it’s how the Spanish classroom lends itself to exploring culture and global education. I. LOVE. IT.
All that being said. I still need to reiterate the message that we have a great country too. We have a lot to be proud of and we have a lot to gain by learning another language and culture.
Final Conclusion:
At this present time, I feel as though Peru does a much better job of being patriotic, preserving a sense of nationalism while still wanting to be an active, positive contributor to the global community than the U.S.
To improve conditions in the U.S. we need more students to have positive experiences in language and culture classrooms. We also need teacher education programs to embrace and take on more global education practices.