TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD: IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL WORK OR ANOTHER FORM OF NEOCOLONIALISM?
My destination this month is Peru. And my volunteer work is teaching the English language to elementary school children.
Many folks in world might view this as an honorable form of charity. Others might see the teaching of English as simply another example of training “Developing” nations to be a resource for economically-driven Western cultures.
What do you think?
I have no issue with teaching a language abroad. Those children are learning it in a lesson to widen their view of the world and adults who sometimes have international teachers have chosen to learn that. You are learning about a culture and a language. You are not forcing them to change to a more Western way of life or enslaving them to do your menial jobs.
When I learnt French in high school we learnt about French culture and their traditions as well as their language. I’ve known many people who have gone abroad to teach English. A friend taught in China for a year. Even in communist China she could talk about her home country and its traditions and culture (as long as you didn’t slag off the govt or communism or mention Tienanmen square).
So I don’t think its spreading colonialism! But religious missionaries on the other hand I have big problems with! they will help and provide medical help as long as you listen to their religious teachings. There is always a “pay back” for their help! They are different from other charity workers doing it altruistically!
What if a McDonalds or a Starbucks suddenly opens where you are? is that neocolonialism or just capitalism spreading? that is probably worse than teaching English!
But you are learning about their culture, they are learning about yours! :) xoxo
Good education can only open minds and create opportunities. I can only imagine the “good” education you will provide for these lucky students! Never doubt your contribution to this society.
Learning a new language always opens new doors and is never negative. And given the amount of information available online in English, learning English offers new opportunities for these students to become more informed and empowered and to give back to their community. More power to ya, Daniel!
Depends. Are you teaching English, an interesting foreign language spoken in many parts of the world and which, among other things, will enable you to understand the lyrics to a lot of rock music? Or are you teaching English, The Sole International Language, without which one is uncultured, backwards, and will never be able to earn a living?
Will learning English open new cultural doors to your students, or will it slam the door shut on their mother tongue and culture?
I taught in Nepal, where there can be a bit of a sense of linguistic inferiority. We’d use English in English class, but I avoided it in other classes, emphasizing that Nepali was perfectly capable to express any scientific concept that English could, plus was even more effective when they had to communicate these ideas to their countrymen. If my students ended up with a love of Shakespeare, I’d feel wonderful; if it came at the cost of losing a love for Bhanubhakta or any other great figure of Nepali literature, I’d think I’d failed as an educator.
Spanish is in a better place: it’s one of the great world languages and even English-speakers read Cervantes (in translation), so the neocolonial dangers are less. As a citizen of a bilingual nation, you’re in a good place to teach the value of speaking multiple languages and respecting multiple cultures in order to understand the world better.
Keep asking yourself the questions, but teach away and have fun doing it.
I would say that it is a bit of both actually. Children shouldn’t be denied the incredible international educational and professional opportunities that speaking English affords; however, neocolonialism is part and parcel of development and something anyone with a conscience struggles with when working overseas in the ESL racket.
there’s some understandible resentment towards foreign English teachers in Korea: we don’t have to be “real teachers”, just people who speak the language who are willing to teach! Personally, I see it as a job: certainly not “important international work”, although I try to have a positive impact on the students’ lives. I’d like to do the same job in the future, but in Canada or the US, for immigrants.
In my school jurisdiction we have French Immersion, Spanish Bilingual, German Bilingual and Mandarin Bilingual schools. We also offer Blackfoot, Cree, Michif, Ukrainian and a range of other language options. We have a specific focus on Global Citizenship that includes learning another language.
The only problem I have with English language programs in certain areas of the world are those which are under the guise of a specific religious group. Someone once said that the difference between influence and manipulation lies in the outcome: I get you to do something that will benefit me (increase the membership in my organization; bring in more money) or I get you to do something that will benefit you (provide you with skills that you can apply in your own way that will potentially provide you with a benefit that will last for your lifetime).
Daniel (8 March: 5:05) describes the groups to which I am referring in his reply and each of the other commentators also provide a pragmatic and succinct overview of the point that learning something new is never bad in and of itself but the respectful attitude of the teacher has the power to have a positive impact on student’s lives.
Congratulations! Daniel.
Well Daniel……..what do you think?
Elaine! I love that you’ve thrown the question back at me.
In this situation I feel that my presence here in the city of Trujillo, and specifically in the low-income neighborhood of La Esperanza is valid. The organization with which I’ve partnered, Horizon Peru, was founded by a man named Manuel who grew up in the very house where I’m staying. Whether teaching English or any other forms of international work, I think it is optimal to be in a situation birthed and directed by a person local to the area. The “intervention” is being lead by the people of the community.
This said, at this point, I’m not sure if one-hour of English lessons per week will have a major impact on the elementary school students that I’m teaching. But it does introduce them to “the other” – the fact that the human race is diverse and there are many languages (and cultures) across the globe. At worst, I’m a fun white guy that the kids get to play with. At best, I’m providing some tools that may help them engage in a global context that might enrich their lives.
In short, I have no guilt about my presence here in Trujillo, teaching English.
Bravo!
I’m fascinated that you get internet in poor countries. I would love to hear more about Internet, cost of food, gas, etc. How it compares to Canada and the US