January 10, 2007

WOW: A not-so-practical approach to ESL

I majored in journalism because I thought English wasn’t a practical enough major.  All of my friends in the English department would argue otherwise and most of my students here in Sekayu would back them up.  After all, English is the international language… yada-yada-yada.

Most students here in Indonesia and throughout the non-English speaking world are well versed in the "yada-yada-yada" of learning English—that is, the practical benefits of English proficiency, reasons their parents have been impressing on them since they were old enough to speak at all.  But for my students it's not just yada-yada-yada; it's a better job, life, and future. 

The practical benefits of learning English are—to say the least—broadly recognized, which is why I was more than a little surprised when one of the keynote speakers at this years TEFLIN (Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia) conference in Salitiga spent an hour lecturing on the topic. 

His presentation, “The Importance of English in a Global Society” rehashed the international consensus on the importance of learning English—a sentiment that resonates strongly even in the most rural and isolated segments of the developing world. 

His speech covered issues like “Economics and political power, The ‘haves’ and ‘have nots,’ 20th century press and broadcasting, and technology.”  He is one of most powerful and respected ESL teaching authorities in this part of the world, so I tuned in and waited for some insight into or perspective on these tired ESL talking points.  It never came. 

I’m not sure why he felt the English teachers at the conference, most of whom traveled hundreds of miles to attend, needed to be reminded of the practical benefits of learning English. They could have saved themselves a trip by simply asking any of their students why it is important to know English.  The only new insight from the speaker’s lecture, at least for me, was a new recognition of how not motivating these practical reasons must be to students not interested in tourism, international business, or another English-related field.  If asked, these students will cite the same practical benefits of learning English as their studious peers in the front row, even though these motivations don’t apply to them, because their teachers—with the help of educators like Mr. Speaker—have never given them any other reasons to learn. 

The lecture also made me think of the seven frustrating and fascinating years I spend learning Spanish—from the back row of class.  I wasn’t talented enough to ever consider using it for a job or for any other practical purpose.  But it didn’t matter; I was in it for the WOW.

WOW stands for Window to Other Worlds and ideas.  It’s all the not-so-practical reasons to learn a foreign langue—the reasons people still study Latin, and the reasons I’m glad I struggled through Spanish classes that I never use.  WOW speaks to a deeper love of learning and intellectual curiosity—one that applies equally to all students, whether they want to become foreign investment bankers or farmers.  Yet WOW is seldom discussed in ESL classrooms—or even considered by expert panelists at international TEFLIN conferences.  But it should be, and here’s why: View PowerPoint*

Viewing the Presentation

*I’ve included more explanations (as apposed to just talking points) in this version of the PowerPoint.  The best way to view it is:

 1.) download and open the document from the link below
2.) view project as a slideshow (click “Slideshow” tab on top of page; then “View Slideshow”). 
3.) Click your way through the slide show
4.) Enjoy! And feel free to laugh at my clip art professionalism

<<View PowerPoint*

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