austraLasia 1496
When English stirs the creative juices - Poipet experience
(A 'towards #1500' entry from Cambodia. For further details see #1492 on Bosconet. As you can see the entries are varied and interesting so far)
POIPET: 20th March 2006 -- School is serious business, one reason why the Salesians in Poipet, who run a Technical Skills Centre, decided to open another venture which could be less serious, less rigorous. This was the Youth Centre. But then, aside from the need for technical skills, young Cambodians are keen on learning English, so the Youth Centre, which only opened its doors in November last year, decided to start out with informal classes in English.
Learning a language might be serious business too, but the Poipet Centre has demonstrated just how popular it can be when it is offered informally - and free! English teaching is big business in many parts of Asia, but paid attendance (at US$ 10 per month, the going local rate) would be just beyond the capacity of the very people Don Bosco Poipet would like to see given the chance to learn English: those who attend the Youth Centre in their free time. They found they had no need to publicise the offer. Word of mouth ensured full classes of youngsters from 7 to 20 years of age. The teachers are volunteers.
English classes have stirred creative juices, the creativity of the Salesians and their young leaders. The presence of so many young people coming to learn meant an opportunity to learn things about local reality. They discovered, for example, that Poipet has a 'business' middle class, and this group is very much interested in English as a way ahead for development opportunities. Other Don Bosco Open Classes are opening. The English classes have become a real beacon of hope in the midst of a fairly impressive list of Poipet's evils; there's so much chaos about. When you see a 100 children and teenagers arriving daily for their informal English class, though, you can only believe things are getting better in Poipet. Then there's 'Prodal', the Cambodian cultural martial arts passion, another informal offering, but that is another story.....
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
When English stirs the creative juices - Poipet experience
(A 'towards #1500' entry from Cambodia. For further details see #1492 on Bosconet. As you can see the entries are varied and interesting so far)
POIPET: 20th March 2006 -- School is serious business, one reason why the Salesians in Poipet, who run a Technical Skills Centre, decided to open another venture which could be less serious, less rigorous. This was the Youth Centre. But then, aside from the need for technical skills, young Cambodians are keen on learning English, so the Youth Centre, which only opened its doors in November last year, decided to start out with informal classes in English.
Learning a language might be serious business too, but the Poipet Centre has demonstrated just how popular it can be when it is offered informally - and free! English teaching is big business in many parts of Asia, but paid attendance (at US$ 10 per month, the going local rate) would be just beyond the capacity of the very people Don Bosco Poipet would like to see given the chance to learn English: those who attend the Youth Centre in their free time. They found they had no need to publicise the offer. Word of mouth ensured full classes of youngsters from 7 to 20 years of age. The teachers are volunteers.
English classes have stirred creative juices, the creativity of the Salesians and their young leaders. The presence of so many young people coming to learn meant an opportunity to learn things about local reality. They discovered, for example, that Poipet has a 'business' middle class, and this group is very much interested in English as a way ahead for development opportunities. Other Don Bosco Open Classes are opening. The English classes have become a real beacon of hope in the midst of a fairly impressive list of Poipet's evils; there's so much chaos about. When you see a 100 children and teenagers arriving daily for their informal English class, though, you can only believe things are getting better in Poipet. Then there's 'Prodal', the Cambodian cultural martial arts passion, another informal offering, but that is another story.....
____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
