Etnographic Report

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Enseñanza de Lengua extranjera
 By: Brian Martin

In the context of globalization and because of Colombian policies, the Ministerio de Educación Nacional formulated the Programa Nacional de Bilinguismo 2004-2009, which includes the new standards of communicative competences of foreign languages – English-, which pretends that in the year 2019 the total population of Colombia achieves a development of bilingual competence.  So does the Cafam school, which proposal is to bring up people with the capacity to face up the challenges worldwide; this program came into effect in 2011 with the second phase of the bilingualism project.

For Cafam School, being bilingual means being capable of using two languages with different purposes, in different fields and varied levels of abilities.  The bilingualism model at Cafam is supported for four principles derived from concepts and researches towards bilingualism, bilingual education and bialphabetism. 

How?

Cafam stated that education first in the mother language. Because of some researches that have shown the construction of knowledge is more effective through the mother language, especially in the early stages of development of bilingualism. That is the reason why Cafam carry out the whole process first in Spanish so they forwardly can produce the knowledge in a second language.

Bi-culturalismo: know the English-speaking culture without granting a privilege to that culture over ours. It is only give them the possibility to get to know that culture better. This also includes crating environments of learning, which I found great, because English can only be learned in real-life situations, Cafam implements reading and writing to reach that goal.

Context

Cafam school is a very varied school, in the matter that one may find any socio-economical statues, as the director of bilingualism said once to me, “here you find the ones who did not have dinner last night, and the once who had caviar for breakfast”, and I did find that is true. Once in class, in one of the activities of sharing experiences about traveling, working, future, the discourse is again varied, some talk about have been in Europe having lunch in Paris, some talk about swimming in Colombian rivers as the funniest trip they’ve done during their lives. Another example I have seen, there was an activity in which students must show a receipt and make it in front of the class, some barely carried out the activity with some fruits, or sandwiches with jam and bread, and others made a banana split with nutella and not cheap ingredients.

What I’ve actually seen in classes is that none of these socio-economical positions play an important role in the matter of students interactions, they seem like they do not care about who has more or less, they treat equally each other, and that, in this unequally country Is a sign of hope on humanity.

What really do influence the students at Cafam, is the fact that a low percentage of new students, with a high socio-economic status, come from expensive bilingual schools, so that makes a big difference on the process of each class, because as it is said at the beginning of this research, they are just implementing the common European framework for languages at the school. No matter what, these students have to stick to the level the class is going through, because the majority is in a low level of the language, and little by little they will implement a system in which the students can be in an appropriate level.    

At Cafam, while my staying; the students took a test that measures the level and proves if students are in the right level for their grade. In the case of my grades, the took the KET test, and it seemed to be a little hard for them, five out of 42 just had an almost perfect test, the rest of them found it hard to do. 

To continue, I put a list of fields observed in class and the analysis make on them.

Language Teaching: There is a program stated for each group, the topic once given, is followed by the next by periods of time, simple present should not take longer than five or six sessions, if students did not get it, at the end of the semester a little review is given. The abilities; reading, grammar, listening and speaking, are measured separately and summed up with activities done in the trimester. 

Personality of students: What is good of being in two different grades, 6^th and 7^th, could show me how hard the human being changes his way of acting, puberty hits very hard and one can notice it every day, at 6^th grade students are more docile and stick to the rules, they may have problems with the language learning, but they keep being meek. On the other hand, 7^th graders do not care neither about what is going on the board nor what the teacher is saying, their word is over teachers. They bow their heads when it comes to subpoenas or annotations in their records.

Approaches or Methods: I have not seen teachers who are free to teach in their own way, they are so fidel to the program that changing anything could scare them. Is that, or I’m wrong and every teacher teaches as a direct method enthusiast. Teacher commands everything; students barely talk or participate, just when they’re asked to do so. 

Questions! after reflection!

Why was it important to explore and be aware of your beliefs about teaching a L2?

Throughout years, one’s way of thinking changes every single day, and thinking a bit of our beliefs about teaching is a matter that should be keeping us aware, one thing is true, one as a single person, a human, is programmed genetically to develop a nature, a very unique nature, and that is what is hard to change, it will be present every day you teach and every day you live. But no matter what is our nature, one should transmit what we think is the best for others, what should we transmit and for the good of our people and country, do it in the best way possible. That is why exploring ones beliefs about teaching is very important to see if you’re doing it right or wrong, it is important as well what others think about my beliefs and know what are my partners beliefs.

After your decisions today about teachers and students beliefs, ask yourself a question… and answer analytically.

From your point of view, how would be the ideal teacher according to the models seen in class?

A teacher is a compound, a recipe of many ingredients, and from my point of view, the first step to the ideal one; autocratic, because looking like a dictator makes think your students believe in what you’re saying, at least to be quiet, by the way, the fact of being a dictator makes your students a “sponge”, or a ball of clay to be shaped; next, and what  contradicts that part of the dictator is the democratic, well, one must be aware of the students beliefs of the class, something has to be done if the class sucks, and that’s one as a teacher must let know the class that they have that right, of putting forward their rights. And the last part, the laissez-faire, once you know your students, you let them fly little by little, focusing on their abilities as the multiple intelligences, critical thinking, without letting the anarchy get to our classrooms! 

Reflection!!!

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Enseñanza L2
Reflection questions
By: Brian Martin

1. What are your beliefs about the role and importance of the skills (Reading, listening, speaking, writing), in L2 teaching and learning.

- It’s very important not to know all the structure and the whole thing, but at least to know what are you saying, and think about it, these skills are the whole language, if you know how to do it well, you got it, you can listen, read, write and most important, communicate in a spoken way; I mean, how we consider a person analphabet?, because doesn’t have the ability to read or write, but he can speak and listen to what others say, there is where one say, a person is involved totally in the language, no matter if he can write or read, but he understands.

2. What are your beliefs about the role of grammar in L2 teaching and learning.

- As when we were learning the grammar of our L1, in real life we use a 60% of what we were taught; at least for once in your life one’s got to use the grammar to teach, your children for example; but we were talking about grammar theory, that progressively will turn into applied grammar in real life; that is important, but talking seriously one has a grammar code inside that won’t let you fail while you’re talking, one does not ever say “hey, there it goes, the subject, the past tense, the blah!”

3. What are your beliefs about the role of culture in the L2 classroom?

- Learning a language is to get to know the whole thing, that involves, culture, or why are we learning a L2? To talk with Colombians? no! We must learn everything related to the language to not to have cultural shocks when communicating with native people; once we speak in L2, we shall be as a native, we transfer into other personality, one must think in L2, forget the L1!

4. Have your beliefs as a student affected your learning of a foreign language?

- in the first sight, the first impression of a class when beginning, I see how it will be, and I have no beliefs as a student, of course learning a language in the country it is spoken is better, but I’ve found teachers, Colombians, that give a class as a native speaker, that doesn’t mean that I prefer that rather than being in the original country; I just trust on somebody who has spent at least 20 years in the L2 country, otherwise I will not believe everything.

5. How can your beliefs as a teacher affect the learning of your students, keeping in mind that they may have different beliefs?

- in my way of seeing the world, ones may believe in what I say, others may not, but I teach with a belief, and that is very different compared with the regular teachers that just want to follow a written guide that the school give them.

6. Does this reflection boost any attitudinal/emotional cognitive changes in you?

- It made me think that I should teach more grammar from the book than the one I learned throughout the years and experience, while being in the states, but from my point of view, I believe much more on a teacher who says “close your books, you’ll not use that grammar in real life”- I mean, the grammar from the books, the formal and boring one. Once I said to my class, do not believe on everything is written here, if you use it that way, you’ll look as a alien, there’s nothing more comfy than going unnoticed.

Now, this is a real teacher!

Again, everyone in, the class has begun, Carolina says "Brian, i have to get back these keys to the office, you entertain them"; oh god! that was it, i'm a teacher!.

I remembered I had check the notebooks from last class, i told students, well, do you have any doubt about simple present?--- everybody quiet--- no doubts?? really??, well i'll make a quizz then!! I believe the whole school heard the very loud answer "NOOOO", I laughed and the started explaining some thing about the mistakes they made in the notebook, after 10 minutes and making exercises with all the class, I said, "ready for the quizz??" then they answered the same way, no matter what happened the teacher took very serious my quizz and said, "everybody please take out a sheet of paper". I was happy, she authorized me to make a quizz!.

A half an hour later, i was correcting them, and again about 8 kids made it!! out of 42!! this is awkward!... Carolina was aware of that too, she throws some exercises sometimes but she has to follow the program. Sad thing!

First experience as a real teacher!

I was a bit tired of seating there and doing nothing. The teacher put an exercise about simple present to be developed in the notebook; I know Carolina read my mind when she said, "could you please check everybody's work", I was as happy as a fat kid with a cake. I began solving doubts, explaining one thing and translating others; time to pick the notebooks and grade them with a seal.

42 students! well , lets do this!. It  took an eternity to grade and correct them, only 10 minutes left for the class to finish, and I wasn't even in the half of the job. I saw many many mistakes, just six or seven students out of the 42 could make it!

I finished my job at the teacher's room, Carolina was very thankful for that! ... you know just earning some points, she's a good teacher, and I'd like to be with her when I do my assistance.

And then get back to reality!

After Carolina's class, I went again to this tough class, 7th grade; that day was special, they had "Dirección de grupo", the home teacher as any other formal meeting, she wrote on the board the program of the meeting, there were some issues not very important, but other that I consider very serious, like they're stealing each other's cell phones, or less serious but not less important that they're leaving the classrooms very dirty. 

Well, they didn't get to any part, jokes, screaming, laughing, yelling everywhere. Sometimes the teacher feels stressed and do not know what to do, but as the rest of the classes on a high school, threats work very well!

Now the HELL is turning into HEAVEN

Another day, a Wendsday prepared to go on with my observations; that day I had to be with a new teacher that was assigned to me, her name Carolina, a teacher that changed the way I thought classes should be given. 

The first impression was not good, when I entered, she just said "hi" and "take a seat", I was expecting the worse, not to like her and not to get on well with her. She didn't even introduce me to the class, none of the kids knew who in world I was, but well, i was just observing.

On the other hand, leaving behind all the protocol, I was just surprised with Carolina, she has a total control of the class, she rises her hand with her hand closed, and everybody magically stops talking!, really? with sixth graders!?? Well this is real, and I liked that class, I congratulated her after the class for such a nice job, I haven't seen that in my whole life, not even when I was at school. 

Again, i wasn't doing anything, just taking notes, resisting and holding myself to not to push the teacher to jump and give the class or just do anything!

The class was over, totally in order, nothing similar to what it is with Liliana, it is not Liliana's fault, I do know the kind of people that are in her classroom, but this is, Carolina has a system that makes people be controlled, she decides the performance in class at the end, and gives the class a face, could be happy, a long face or a sad face, it's a kind of threat, but it do works, and depending on the number of happy faces, their grades may increase or decrease. Totally worth it!!!