2010-03-26 - Jon Ford
Volunteer travel involves taking a trip abroad to do unpaid work for a charitable cause. The volunteering work can be the main focus and purpose of the trip, or it can be a component of a longer period of travel or ‘gap year’. Volunteer travel participants are from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, but are generally united by the desire to give up their time and energy in pursuit of a worthwhile cause abroad. In return, volunteer travellers can expect to learn new skills and meet new challenges in places that they might not normally consider visiting.
Participants can volunteer on a wide range of projects and activities. One of the most popular schemes is teaching English to schoolchildren in developing countries. This gives the volunteer an opportunity to become a part of the local community and absorb the local culture while at the same time making a positive contribution towards the development of the children’s education. Another popular volunteering activity is wildlife conservation work. This can range from clearing and maintaining nature reserves to feeding and caring for animals in a wildlife sanctuary. Building and construction projects are another common form of volunteering work and often involve contributing to the creation of vital community projects such as building homes for underprivileged families in developing countries.
Volunteer travel has traditionally been undertaken by people with a specific connection to a particular cause, and was seen as a short-term intense project rather than a component of a longer vacation. This kind of volunteer travel still takes place, usually by volunteers with very specific skills and training. An example of this kind of volunteer project would be medical professionals volunteering their skills in the hospital of a developing country on a short-term basis.
In more recent times however, the emphasis of volunteer travel has shifted away from short, intense and professional projects towards more long-term and unskilled activities. It is often the case that the only requirements needed from the volunteer are enthusiasm and a willingness to ‘get stuck in’. This shift in emphasis means that there are now more opportunities than ever before for people to participate in volunteer travel, which in turn means that more resources can be poured into a wide variety of projects. Wherever volunteer projects take place they are intended to benefit the local environment and community. Volunteers themselves nearly always report that their experience of giving up their time in support of such projects is intensely rewarding.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Problems for teachers in foreign countries
2010-03-26 - Jon Ford
Educators choosing to further their career by taking up jobs in a foreign country are subjected to a form of culture shock. If they have worked in the teaching profession in their home country, they will have become accustomed to particular sets of values, approaches and methodologies for teaching. Upon starting work in a foreign country, they will be educating students used to somewhat different methods of study, and may therefore have to adapt their approach to the classroom. Anyone considering working in education abroad without previous experience should ensure they gain the necessary qualifications, for example a TEFL certificate, before applying for jobs in this sector.
The first and most obvious difficulty facing educators in a foreign country is the language barrier. While teachers from an English-speaking country might expect their students to have a reasonable knowledge of English, they must learn the language of their new students if they are to function effectively as educators. With this in mind, those going to work as teachers abroad are well-advised to acquire some basic knowledge of the local language before they begin their new role.
In addition to the language difficulty, educators in a foreign country may well find that the syllabus of their particular subject differs considerably from that which they were familiar with in their home country. Although they may have made every effort to prepare in advance for such differences, it is only upon arrival that teachers will learn exactly what is required of them. It may be the case that they have to teach different classes to what they were expecting, in which case a flexible approach and a willingness to acquire new knowledge rapidly becomes a necessity. It is essential that educators in a foreign country equate their instruction with the expectations of their institution and the needs of their students. This includes preparing students for required exams and adapting their assessment methods to the local system.
Such flexibility may also be required with regard to teaching methods. Teachers arriving in a foreign country may have firm ideas about successful teaching strategies based on their experiences in their own country, but find that these strategies are not as effective in their new environment. It may then be the case that teachers will have to modify their classroom methods to cater for the needs of their new students who are accustomed to different methods of study.
Finally, it is significant that anyone going to teach in a foreign country will themselves have a significant amount of learning to undertake. They will be operating within a new and unknown culture and will likely feel a certain amount of anxiety, disorientation and confusion as they begin to assimilate their new environment. The process of overcoming such problems and learning to operate effectively within the new culture will, however, be one of the most rewarding experiences for the educator working in a foreign country.
Educators choosing to further their career by taking up jobs in a foreign country are subjected to a form of culture shock. If they have worked in the teaching profession in their home country, they will have become accustomed to particular sets of values, approaches and methodologies for teaching. Upon starting work in a foreign country, they will be educating students used to somewhat different methods of study, and may therefore have to adapt their approach to the classroom. Anyone considering working in education abroad without previous experience should ensure they gain the necessary qualifications, for example a TEFL certificate, before applying for jobs in this sector.
The first and most obvious difficulty facing educators in a foreign country is the language barrier. While teachers from an English-speaking country might expect their students to have a reasonable knowledge of English, they must learn the language of their new students if they are to function effectively as educators. With this in mind, those going to work as teachers abroad are well-advised to acquire some basic knowledge of the local language before they begin their new role.
In addition to the language difficulty, educators in a foreign country may well find that the syllabus of their particular subject differs considerably from that which they were familiar with in their home country. Although they may have made every effort to prepare in advance for such differences, it is only upon arrival that teachers will learn exactly what is required of them. It may be the case that they have to teach different classes to what they were expecting, in which case a flexible approach and a willingness to acquire new knowledge rapidly becomes a necessity. It is essential that educators in a foreign country equate their instruction with the expectations of their institution and the needs of their students. This includes preparing students for required exams and adapting their assessment methods to the local system.
Such flexibility may also be required with regard to teaching methods. Teachers arriving in a foreign country may have firm ideas about successful teaching strategies based on their experiences in their own country, but find that these strategies are not as effective in their new environment. It may then be the case that teachers will have to modify their classroom methods to cater for the needs of their new students who are accustomed to different methods of study.
Finally, it is significant that anyone going to teach in a foreign country will themselves have a significant amount of learning to undertake. They will be operating within a new and unknown culture and will likely feel a certain amount of anxiety, disorientation and confusion as they begin to assimilate their new environment. The process of overcoming such problems and learning to operate effectively within the new culture will, however, be one of the most rewarding experiences for the educator working in a foreign country.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
What is volunteer travel?
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
Are you one of those people who get bored lying on a beach, and who want more of a challenge? Would you prefer to get involved in a collective endeavour with like-minded people, one with a strong social ethos? Then volunteer travel may be an attractive alternative.
Volunteering can take a variety of forms, with differing aims and differing levels of intensity and commitment. It can range from reclaiming old canals in the English Midlands to building new schools in the hills of Lesotho. In terms of time commitment it can range from a few hours at the weekend near your home, to a whole ‘gap year’ in some exotic and hard-to-reach location abroad.
The focus of volunteering holidays can be industrial archaeology, conservation and ecology, education, economic and social development, and dealing with social and political problems. As far as the first two options are concerned the volunteer in Europe and the USA does not need to travel very far from home. In England, the restoration of many previously derelict railways and canals have been completed mainly as the result of volunteer programs made up of enthusiasts prepared to give their time freely to these projects. Similarly, the reclamation of wetlands and other habitats of endangered species have been done largely by volunteers.
For those wishing to travel further afield however, there are other areas to explore. Education is one field of opportunity for those with the appropriate skills and experience. For example, many government schools in Thailand are anxious to expand the teaching of English, but do not have the financial resources to hire native-speaker English teachers. This gap can be filled by volunteer teachers, be they expat retirees giving their time on a pro bono basis, younger people as part of their ‘gap year’ programme, or (especially prevalent in Chiang Mai) young Christian missionaries on church-sponsored outreach programmes. Volunteer English teachers in Chiang Mai are also much appreciated at some temple schools, and at the various orphanages and refuges around the town.
Another challenge is to get involved in trying to alleviate social problems. Of course, this can be done in the volunteer’s own town – churches, charities and voluntary groups are always short of willing helpers. However, some kinds of social work can also be done abroad. In Northern Thailand, for example, there are many low-status groups that do not enjoy the same government support they might in other countries. Examples include AIDS victims and AIDS orphans, the disabled, undocumented refugees and migrant workers, and indigenous ‘hill tribe’ people. Of course, some of this work involves delicate cross-cultural skills, and can also be politically sensitive, but nonetheless there are opportunities here too.
So, if you are bored with holiday hedonism, and wish to make a contribution to the well-being of our planet, there are plenty of opportunities out there.
Are you one of those people who get bored lying on a beach, and who want more of a challenge? Would you prefer to get involved in a collective endeavour with like-minded people, one with a strong social ethos? Then volunteer travel may be an attractive alternative.
Volunteering can take a variety of forms, with differing aims and differing levels of intensity and commitment. It can range from reclaiming old canals in the English Midlands to building new schools in the hills of Lesotho. In terms of time commitment it can range from a few hours at the weekend near your home, to a whole ‘gap year’ in some exotic and hard-to-reach location abroad.
The focus of volunteering holidays can be industrial archaeology, conservation and ecology, education, economic and social development, and dealing with social and political problems. As far as the first two options are concerned the volunteer in Europe and the USA does not need to travel very far from home. In England, the restoration of many previously derelict railways and canals have been completed mainly as the result of volunteer programs made up of enthusiasts prepared to give their time freely to these projects. Similarly, the reclamation of wetlands and other habitats of endangered species have been done largely by volunteers.
For those wishing to travel further afield however, there are other areas to explore. Education is one field of opportunity for those with the appropriate skills and experience. For example, many government schools in Thailand are anxious to expand the teaching of English, but do not have the financial resources to hire native-speaker English teachers. This gap can be filled by volunteer teachers, be they expat retirees giving their time on a pro bono basis, younger people as part of their ‘gap year’ programme, or (especially prevalent in Chiang Mai) young Christian missionaries on church-sponsored outreach programmes. Volunteer English teachers in Chiang Mai are also much appreciated at some temple schools, and at the various orphanages and refuges around the town.
Another challenge is to get involved in trying to alleviate social problems. Of course, this can be done in the volunteer’s own town – churches, charities and voluntary groups are always short of willing helpers. However, some kinds of social work can also be done abroad. In Northern Thailand, for example, there are many low-status groups that do not enjoy the same government support they might in other countries. Examples include AIDS victims and AIDS orphans, the disabled, undocumented refugees and migrant workers, and indigenous ‘hill tribe’ people. Of course, some of this work involves delicate cross-cultural skills, and can also be politically sensitive, but nonetheless there are opportunities here too.
So, if you are bored with holiday hedonism, and wish to make a contribution to the well-being of our planet, there are plenty of opportunities out there.
Problems facing educators
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
The new teacher on his first day in a classroom abroad; he introduces himself, tells the students where he comes from, and then asks them what kind of picture they have of his country.
Silence…
Eventually the new teacher asks one of the students for his opinion. Again, silence; but this time accompanied by a silent resentment that the teacher has picked him out for special treatment; a resentment, furthermore, shared by all his other classmates. First impressions count, and this new teacher must now overcome a certain residual hostility next time he comes to take that class.
What went wrong? Did the teacher make a mistake? Well, yes and no. His approach may have been perfectly appropriate for a classroom in England or America. But in a culture where students are not encouraged to ask questions, and where their opinion on anything has never been canvassed before, perhaps his approach needed to be modified.
This scenario is typical of some of the problems facing educators in a foreign country. In this case the students had very different expectations regarding the role of the teacher. The teacher was expected to dispense information, not engage the students in a dialogue.
What, then, can the teacher do? To understand these kinds of cultural nuances needs time, patience and a willingness to learn with an open mind. Not much help, perhaps, to our unfortunate teacher trying to plan his next lesson with that very same class tomorrow morning! In the meantime, he must seek out advice from other teachers who have faced these cross-cultural dilemmas, and then work out for himself where to go from there.
These are the kinds of challenges that face a teacher venturing out abroad for the first time. No-one should underestimate the problems involved. On the other hand, there are many rewards too. Eventually our new teacher will come to an accommodation with local norms. He will understand how to work with his students’ very different styles of learning and study, but will at the same time try to introduce his students to new modes of independent and creative thought. In this way, through teaching, he will gain an education himself into how other peoples and cultures see the world.
Qualifications for teaching abroad vary. Some countries will accept teachers armed with only an English teaching certificate. Others require a university degree and some prior teaching experience.
The new teacher on his first day in a classroom abroad; he introduces himself, tells the students where he comes from, and then asks them what kind of picture they have of his country.
Silence…
Eventually the new teacher asks one of the students for his opinion. Again, silence; but this time accompanied by a silent resentment that the teacher has picked him out for special treatment; a resentment, furthermore, shared by all his other classmates. First impressions count, and this new teacher must now overcome a certain residual hostility next time he comes to take that class.
What went wrong? Did the teacher make a mistake? Well, yes and no. His approach may have been perfectly appropriate for a classroom in England or America. But in a culture where students are not encouraged to ask questions, and where their opinion on anything has never been canvassed before, perhaps his approach needed to be modified.
This scenario is typical of some of the problems facing educators in a foreign country. In this case the students had very different expectations regarding the role of the teacher. The teacher was expected to dispense information, not engage the students in a dialogue.
What, then, can the teacher do? To understand these kinds of cultural nuances needs time, patience and a willingness to learn with an open mind. Not much help, perhaps, to our unfortunate teacher trying to plan his next lesson with that very same class tomorrow morning! In the meantime, he must seek out advice from other teachers who have faced these cross-cultural dilemmas, and then work out for himself where to go from there.
These are the kinds of challenges that face a teacher venturing out abroad for the first time. No-one should underestimate the problems involved. On the other hand, there are many rewards too. Eventually our new teacher will come to an accommodation with local norms. He will understand how to work with his students’ very different styles of learning and study, but will at the same time try to introduce his students to new modes of independent and creative thought. In this way, through teaching, he will gain an education himself into how other peoples and cultures see the world.
Qualifications for teaching abroad vary. Some countries will accept teachers armed with only an English teaching certificate. Others require a university degree and some prior teaching experience.
Second language learning
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
There are many reasons for learning a second language, and many different kinds of people wishing to do so. There is the expatriate retiree, or recent immigrant, struggling to make better sense of what is happening around him in his adopted country. There is the more serious tourist, who wishes a greater understanding of the people he meets during his travel experience. There is the student who wishes to study abroad, when the target second language is a vehicle of education and opportunity. Then there are people who admire and respect another culture or religion from that of their birth and who wish to engage more intimately with it. On a more calculating level there are those whose business interests require a facility in other languages. It has often been said that when you are buying you can use your own language, but when you are selling you must use your customer’s! Then there are those for whom the reasons for acquiring a second language are perhaps not so benign – the soldiers and spies of countries bent on conquest or subversion. Lastly, there are those fortunate natural linguists, who wish to hone their skills and extend their knowledge of languages for its own sake.
Each of these people will approach the learning of a second language from a different perspective, and with a different end in sight. Nonetheless, there are advantages to learning a second language that are common to all.
In the first place, anyone without familiarity with a second language is, to a certain extent, not really conscious of his own culture – since he has no viewpoint outside it that would allow him to judge it from their perspective of others. He often cannot imagine any point of view other than his own, and has little idea that there are other people who may view the world in often startlingly different ways. The Thai language, for example, is rich in pronoun forms that delineate exactly the social relationship between speakers, something that English lacks. This is one of the ways in which culture and language are inextricably linked. Thai social life is based on hierarchies of status, and on social relationships based on a patron-client basis. Not something familiar to English-speaking societies since the nineteenth century, when we lost the hitherto important distinction between ‘thou’ and ‘you’. Thus, language provides an insight into the differences between cultures.
Secondly, learning a second language provides a gateway to new social experiences. Initially, the shared endeavour of learning can lead to new friendships in the classroom. Thereafter, knowledge of the target language enables the learner to make new friends in a new culture.
Thirdly, learning a new language is a wonderful mental exercise in itself. It brings together the skills of memorisation, analysis, the detection of patterns and so on. This is particularly beneficial for retirees whose mental muscles need a workout!
So go on. Sign up for that language course today!
There are many reasons for learning a second language, and many different kinds of people wishing to do so. There is the expatriate retiree, or recent immigrant, struggling to make better sense of what is happening around him in his adopted country. There is the more serious tourist, who wishes a greater understanding of the people he meets during his travel experience. There is the student who wishes to study abroad, when the target second language is a vehicle of education and opportunity. Then there are people who admire and respect another culture or religion from that of their birth and who wish to engage more intimately with it. On a more calculating level there are those whose business interests require a facility in other languages. It has often been said that when you are buying you can use your own language, but when you are selling you must use your customer’s! Then there are those for whom the reasons for acquiring a second language are perhaps not so benign – the soldiers and spies of countries bent on conquest or subversion. Lastly, there are those fortunate natural linguists, who wish to hone their skills and extend their knowledge of languages for its own sake.
Each of these people will approach the learning of a second language from a different perspective, and with a different end in sight. Nonetheless, there are advantages to learning a second language that are common to all.
In the first place, anyone without familiarity with a second language is, to a certain extent, not really conscious of his own culture – since he has no viewpoint outside it that would allow him to judge it from their perspective of others. He often cannot imagine any point of view other than his own, and has little idea that there are other people who may view the world in often startlingly different ways. The Thai language, for example, is rich in pronoun forms that delineate exactly the social relationship between speakers, something that English lacks. This is one of the ways in which culture and language are inextricably linked. Thai social life is based on hierarchies of status, and on social relationships based on a patron-client basis. Not something familiar to English-speaking societies since the nineteenth century, when we lost the hitherto important distinction between ‘thou’ and ‘you’. Thus, language provides an insight into the differences between cultures.
Secondly, learning a second language provides a gateway to new social experiences. Initially, the shared endeavour of learning can lead to new friendships in the classroom. Thereafter, knowledge of the target language enables the learner to make new friends in a new culture.
Thirdly, learning a new language is a wonderful mental exercise in itself. It brings together the skills of memorisation, analysis, the detection of patterns and so on. This is particularly beneficial for retirees whose mental muscles need a workout!
So go on. Sign up for that language course today!
Why learn a second language
2010-03-22 - Jon Ford
Learning a second language is important for several different reasons. At an intellectual level, it has been proven that children who learn a foreign language in their formative years demonstrate improved intelligence, concentration and school results. For those learning a second language at a more advanced age, the process can still bring about advancement in many cognitive and life skills. Learning a second language helps increase mental flexibility and creativity, as well as problem-solving and reasoning skills. It broadens the learner’s horizons, equips them to deal with unfamiliar situations effectively and exposes them to unfamiliar cultural ideas and experiences.
Knowledge of a new language can open up an entirely new culture to the learner and offer up a wealth of new opportunities. Travellers to a foreign country invariably find that their experience is considerably enhanced if they are able to communicate in the local language. It allows them to participate more fully in the day-to-day life of the community, to navigate all kinds of situations successfully and to gain a truer understanding of the place they are visiting. Knowledge of a second language enables the traveller to communicate more completely, to build lasting friendships, and undoubtedly makes for a more worthwhile and satisfying travel experience.
On an economic level, learning a second language significantly improves employment potential across every profession. Any company intending to do business abroad will always require bilingual or multilingual employees. If a business intends to compete on an international level, it will need people who can communicate effectively in the locations where it plans to operate. Thus, an applicant with second language ability will often have an advantage over a monolingual applicant for the same job.
The requirement for language skills is by no means limited to the corporate world, however. All manner of government departments have need of people with second language ability, as do the fields of education, engineering, communications, scientific research, economics, public policy and international law. There is no doubt that competence in a second language opens up an array of previously unavailable employment opportunities.
Since cultures define themselves through language, it is only by learning to understand and communicate with that culture on its own terms that one can begin to appreciate its values and beliefs. In a globalised world where nations are increasingly dependent upon each other for trade and security, such understanding and communication has become of paramount importance. People competent in a second language can help promote international diplomacy, successfully engage in international trade, help bridge the gap between cultures and thus contribute towards wider global understanding and reconciliation.
Learning a second language is important for several different reasons. At an intellectual level, it has been proven that children who learn a foreign language in their formative years demonstrate improved intelligence, concentration and school results. For those learning a second language at a more advanced age, the process can still bring about advancement in many cognitive and life skills. Learning a second language helps increase mental flexibility and creativity, as well as problem-solving and reasoning skills. It broadens the learner’s horizons, equips them to deal with unfamiliar situations effectively and exposes them to unfamiliar cultural ideas and experiences.
Knowledge of a new language can open up an entirely new culture to the learner and offer up a wealth of new opportunities. Travellers to a foreign country invariably find that their experience is considerably enhanced if they are able to communicate in the local language. It allows them to participate more fully in the day-to-day life of the community, to navigate all kinds of situations successfully and to gain a truer understanding of the place they are visiting. Knowledge of a second language enables the traveller to communicate more completely, to build lasting friendships, and undoubtedly makes for a more worthwhile and satisfying travel experience.
On an economic level, learning a second language significantly improves employment potential across every profession. Any company intending to do business abroad will always require bilingual or multilingual employees. If a business intends to compete on an international level, it will need people who can communicate effectively in the locations where it plans to operate. Thus, an applicant with second language ability will often have an advantage over a monolingual applicant for the same job.
The requirement for language skills is by no means limited to the corporate world, however. All manner of government departments have need of people with second language ability, as do the fields of education, engineering, communications, scientific research, economics, public policy and international law. There is no doubt that competence in a second language opens up an array of previously unavailable employment opportunities.
Since cultures define themselves through language, it is only by learning to understand and communicate with that culture on its own terms that one can begin to appreciate its values and beliefs. In a globalised world where nations are increasingly dependent upon each other for trade and security, such understanding and communication has become of paramount importance. People competent in a second language can help promote international diplomacy, successfully engage in international trade, help bridge the gap between cultures and thus contribute towards wider global understanding and reconciliation.
Preserving Linguistic Diversity
2010-03-22 - Jon Ford
Language is one of the fundamental characteristics of what it means to be human. To learn a new language is to discover a new culture, a new means of expression, and a new way of thinking about and looking at the world. Therefore every time a language becomes extinct a whole culture is lost and humanity’s global memory and experience is impoverished.
This realisation has led, belatedly, to some concerted efforts to preserve the rich variety of linguistic diversity found all over the world. Minority and regional languages have always been in danger of being eradicated by more widely-spoken languages of power and commerce. In the United Kingdom, for example, minority languages such as Gaelic, Manx and Cornish receded quickly between the 17th and 19th centuries under pressure from English. By the middle of the 20th century, when some of these languages were in danger of becoming extinct, a concerted effort began among volunteers to bring them back into use. This involved holding language classes, publishing books and articles, broadcasting radio and television programmes and educating young people about their linguistic heritage.
In addition to the efforts of enthusiastic volunteers, government support is necessary if minority languages are to be preserved. The development of the Cornish language revival, for example, has been facilitated by the allocation of resources from local and national government, and recognition by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Some national governments, however, particularly those under budget restraints, may not view the preservation of minority and regional languages as a priority. It then becomes necessary for the speakers of the minority language to convince the government that their language is worth preserving. It should be argued that the regional language is an important cultural icon and that it contributes to a sense of regional identity. A regional language contributes to the image and economy of that area and can help to raise the profile of the region and increase tourism.
The best way to preserve a language is to keep it alive and in use. One method for safeguarding an endangered language is to teach it to younger generations as they are growing up, in the hope that they will continue to use it in their everyday lives and in turn pass it on to their own children. For many languages, however, this is not a feasible option as numbers of speakers continue to decrease. Technology can also be used to document and catalogue the global variety of linguistic diversity. The internet can be used to translate and archive languages while audio and video recordings can preserve their spoken forms. It has been estimated, however, that only 10% of the world’s languages are currently used online. The next step, therefore, in the development of language preservation should be to establish comprehensive online repositories for all minority, regional and endangered languages. A record of such languages would therefore be preserved should they ever become extinct.
Language is one of the fundamental characteristics of what it means to be human. To learn a new language is to discover a new culture, a new means of expression, and a new way of thinking about and looking at the world. Therefore every time a language becomes extinct a whole culture is lost and humanity’s global memory and experience is impoverished.
This realisation has led, belatedly, to some concerted efforts to preserve the rich variety of linguistic diversity found all over the world. Minority and regional languages have always been in danger of being eradicated by more widely-spoken languages of power and commerce. In the United Kingdom, for example, minority languages such as Gaelic, Manx and Cornish receded quickly between the 17th and 19th centuries under pressure from English. By the middle of the 20th century, when some of these languages were in danger of becoming extinct, a concerted effort began among volunteers to bring them back into use. This involved holding language classes, publishing books and articles, broadcasting radio and television programmes and educating young people about their linguistic heritage.
In addition to the efforts of enthusiastic volunteers, government support is necessary if minority languages are to be preserved. The development of the Cornish language revival, for example, has been facilitated by the allocation of resources from local and national government, and recognition by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Some national governments, however, particularly those under budget restraints, may not view the preservation of minority and regional languages as a priority. It then becomes necessary for the speakers of the minority language to convince the government that their language is worth preserving. It should be argued that the regional language is an important cultural icon and that it contributes to a sense of regional identity. A regional language contributes to the image and economy of that area and can help to raise the profile of the region and increase tourism.
The best way to preserve a language is to keep it alive and in use. One method for safeguarding an endangered language is to teach it to younger generations as they are growing up, in the hope that they will continue to use it in their everyday lives and in turn pass it on to their own children. For many languages, however, this is not a feasible option as numbers of speakers continue to decrease. Technology can also be used to document and catalogue the global variety of linguistic diversity. The internet can be used to translate and archive languages while audio and video recordings can preserve their spoken forms. It has been estimated, however, that only 10% of the world’s languages are currently used online. The next step, therefore, in the development of language preservation should be to establish comprehensive online repositories for all minority, regional and endangered languages. A record of such languages would therefore be preserved should they ever become extinct.
A Big Career Change
2010-03-22 - Jon Ford
In recent times there has been a spectacular increase in the numbers of those looking to change careers and enter the teaching profession. While the global economic downturn has undoubtedly played a part in this, as people seek work with more long-term security, there can be no doubt that a career in education offers a level of job satisfaction rivalled by few other industries.
Anyone considering leaving their current employment to become a teacher should consider the range of options available, and the kind of qualifications and training they will need. This will vary depending on the age of the students they wish to teach, for example at primary school, high school, college or university level. Anyone aiming to teach at high school level or above will also usually be expected to specialize in a particular subject area. The training required for such qualifications is a serious undertaking and can normally take at least one year to complete.
That being said, those who have made the decision to switch careers often find that skills and experiences learned in the workplace can serve them well in the classroom. Communication is of paramount importance in the teaching profession, as well as the ability to rise to new challenges on a daily basis. Those who enter teaching from other industries can draw on their background and experience to help them become effective educators and impart their hard-earned wisdom to their students.
As teaching becomes a more competitive industry it has become better remunerated, and many of those entering the profession from other sectors are surprised that their salaries do not suffer as much as expected. In addition, teaching offers opportunities for career progression that are unrivalled in almost any other industry, with good opportunities to progress rapidly to senior management. Teachers also typically enjoy a more generous holiday allowance than other workers. Although they must work very hard during term time, most teachers would admit that the kind of lifestyle allowed by longer holidays is one of the major bonuses of their profession.
Job satisfaction, however, remains the most overriding and compelling reason for people to change careers to teaching. This satisfaction comes from helping each student to unlock and achieve their potential, and enabling them to learn and understand new skills and concepts. While it can undoubtedly be a challenging profession, it is highly unlikely that any other career can offer the same level of fulfillment as a career in teaching.
In recent times there has been a spectacular increase in the numbers of those looking to change careers and enter the teaching profession. While the global economic downturn has undoubtedly played a part in this, as people seek work with more long-term security, there can be no doubt that a career in education offers a level of job satisfaction rivalled by few other industries.
Anyone considering leaving their current employment to become a teacher should consider the range of options available, and the kind of qualifications and training they will need. This will vary depending on the age of the students they wish to teach, for example at primary school, high school, college or university level. Anyone aiming to teach at high school level or above will also usually be expected to specialize in a particular subject area. The training required for such qualifications is a serious undertaking and can normally take at least one year to complete.
That being said, those who have made the decision to switch careers often find that skills and experiences learned in the workplace can serve them well in the classroom. Communication is of paramount importance in the teaching profession, as well as the ability to rise to new challenges on a daily basis. Those who enter teaching from other industries can draw on their background and experience to help them become effective educators and impart their hard-earned wisdom to their students.
As teaching becomes a more competitive industry it has become better remunerated, and many of those entering the profession from other sectors are surprised that their salaries do not suffer as much as expected. In addition, teaching offers opportunities for career progression that are unrivalled in almost any other industry, with good opportunities to progress rapidly to senior management. Teachers also typically enjoy a more generous holiday allowance than other workers. Although they must work very hard during term time, most teachers would admit that the kind of lifestyle allowed by longer holidays is one of the major bonuses of their profession.
Job satisfaction, however, remains the most overriding and compelling reason for people to change careers to teaching. This satisfaction comes from helping each student to unlock and achieve their potential, and enabling them to learn and understand new skills and concepts. While it can undoubtedly be a challenging profession, it is highly unlikely that any other career can offer the same level of fulfillment as a career in teaching.
How to preserve language
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
There are about 6,000 languages in the world at the present time. According to the National Geographic’s ‘Enduring Voices’ language survey, by the year 2100 more than half of these languages will have disappeared. In fact, this survey estimates that right now one language is disappearing every 14 days.
This erosion of language diversity has been going on for several hundred years, and the reasons for it are not hard to understand. Essentially, there are ‘big’ languages and ‘small’ languages. ‘Big’ languages belong to those countries whose size, economic power and cultural development enable them to promote their languages at the expense of others. This is a process which modern communications technology, in the form of print media, radio, TV and the Internet, has accelerated. The ‘big’ languages have greater prestige, and therefore the younger generation of minority language speakers will gravitate towards them, believing them to be the pathway to greater opportunity.
Against these social pressures the ‘small’ languages can only survive in those wilder, inaccessible places the global economy has yet to discover. It is no surprise then that the area of greatest linguistic diversity on the planet today are the deep, jungle-choked valleys of Papua New Guinea, where an astonishing 830 languages survive in a population of only five million people.
The question is, of course, how long can this variety of languages survive? Once, almost everywhere was as inaccessible as the mountains of Papua New Guinea. In England, the last monoglot speaker of Cornish died in 1665, and as a spoken language it disappeared altogether by the end of the eighteenth century. The development of coaching roads, and the enforced monopoly of English as the medium of government, law, and education, put an end to it.
What can be done to preserve these languages? And should they be preserved at all?
There are those who say that this loss is a natural process of evolution that should not be interfered with; that the survival of these languages is a barrier to progress and development. Others say that a people’s culture is embedded within, and only truly expressed, through their own language. The loss of a language therefore represents the loss of an entire culture.
The two keys to preserving minority languages appear to be: firstly, to preserve and record them in a written form; and, secondly, to protect their status through government intervention.
For example, Cornish is now beginning a slow revival, now that scholars have finally agreed on a written form. And recently, the EU gave Cornish the status of an official language.
In Thailand, Christian missionaries have created written forms for many of the ‘hill tribe’ languages of Northern Thailand; while some university scholars in Northern Thailand are promoting use of the local Thai Lanna dialect, and creating new fonts for its use on word-processing programs. Given the centralising impulses of the modern Thai state, however, government intervention on behalf of either of these projects will probably have to wait!
There are about 6,000 languages in the world at the present time. According to the National Geographic’s ‘Enduring Voices’ language survey, by the year 2100 more than half of these languages will have disappeared. In fact, this survey estimates that right now one language is disappearing every 14 days.
This erosion of language diversity has been going on for several hundred years, and the reasons for it are not hard to understand. Essentially, there are ‘big’ languages and ‘small’ languages. ‘Big’ languages belong to those countries whose size, economic power and cultural development enable them to promote their languages at the expense of others. This is a process which modern communications technology, in the form of print media, radio, TV and the Internet, has accelerated. The ‘big’ languages have greater prestige, and therefore the younger generation of minority language speakers will gravitate towards them, believing them to be the pathway to greater opportunity.
Against these social pressures the ‘small’ languages can only survive in those wilder, inaccessible places the global economy has yet to discover. It is no surprise then that the area of greatest linguistic diversity on the planet today are the deep, jungle-choked valleys of Papua New Guinea, where an astonishing 830 languages survive in a population of only five million people.
The question is, of course, how long can this variety of languages survive? Once, almost everywhere was as inaccessible as the mountains of Papua New Guinea. In England, the last monoglot speaker of Cornish died in 1665, and as a spoken language it disappeared altogether by the end of the eighteenth century. The development of coaching roads, and the enforced monopoly of English as the medium of government, law, and education, put an end to it.
What can be done to preserve these languages? And should they be preserved at all?
There are those who say that this loss is a natural process of evolution that should not be interfered with; that the survival of these languages is a barrier to progress and development. Others say that a people’s culture is embedded within, and only truly expressed, through their own language. The loss of a language therefore represents the loss of an entire culture.
The two keys to preserving minority languages appear to be: firstly, to preserve and record them in a written form; and, secondly, to protect their status through government intervention.
For example, Cornish is now beginning a slow revival, now that scholars have finally agreed on a written form. And recently, the EU gave Cornish the status of an official language.
In Thailand, Christian missionaries have created written forms for many of the ‘hill tribe’ languages of Northern Thailand; while some university scholars in Northern Thailand are promoting use of the local Thai Lanna dialect, and creating new fonts for its use on word-processing programs. Given the centralising impulses of the modern Thai state, however, government intervention on behalf of either of these projects will probably have to wait!
Changing your career to teaching
2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks
Why would people want to change their career to teaching? Often you will hear of people who have given up on lucrative and long-standing career paths to embrace the teaching profession, to the amazement of colleagues, friends and family alike. There are a variety of reasons for such a change, although it is rarely done to increase their income or because there are better employment opportunities in teaching. Usually the reasons are less tangible and more to do with wanting a change in lifestyle, with ‘giving something back’ or ‘trying to make a difference’.
What, then, are the attractions of teaching? It suits those with a gift for communication and a desire to share knowledge. Teachers sometimes talk of the ‘rush’ of being the centre of attention, and it certainly brings out the performer in many of us. Then there is the satisfaction of bringing out the best in others, watching the development of understanding, above all of sharing in the achievements of your students.
How difficult is it to make the change? In fact, in many countries, governments actively encourage late entrants into the profession. They value the diverse skills, wider experience and emotional maturity that these people can bring to the classroom. Obviously, they prefer candidates with a university degree relevant to the subject they will be teaching. It is often possible for successful applicants to complete a post-graduate teaching course at a college near their home. These courses are often underwritten, or at least heavily subsidised, by the government.
There are other options too. Some governments have overseas volunteer programmes which allow people to share their specific skills and experience with people in developing countries. In many cases these volunteer programmes do not require much in the way of formal academic qualifications. This can provide a way for people with practical skills and experience, but few academic qualifications, to share in the joy of teaching.
Then there is the burgeoning growth of Teaching English, either as a Second Language or as a Foreign Language. The setting for this kind of teaching is either in a college in your home country, teaching English to recent immigrants, or (more usually) overseas in private language schools. This last option was often undertaken by younger people attempting to subsidise independent foreign travel and a freewheeling lifestyle in exotic places. These days, however, it is tending to be more and more regulated, with most national governments requiring private language schools to hire teachers with recognised qualifications, usually a degree in a relevant subject and a TESL/TEFL qualification. To be merely a native speaker in possession of a tie is now, I am afraid, not nearly enough! However, the good news is that initial TESL/TEFL certification can be achieved in just a few weeks at various colleges and private language schools both at home and abroad.
Why would people want to change their career to teaching? Often you will hear of people who have given up on lucrative and long-standing career paths to embrace the teaching profession, to the amazement of colleagues, friends and family alike. There are a variety of reasons for such a change, although it is rarely done to increase their income or because there are better employment opportunities in teaching. Usually the reasons are less tangible and more to do with wanting a change in lifestyle, with ‘giving something back’ or ‘trying to make a difference’.
What, then, are the attractions of teaching? It suits those with a gift for communication and a desire to share knowledge. Teachers sometimes talk of the ‘rush’ of being the centre of attention, and it certainly brings out the performer in many of us. Then there is the satisfaction of bringing out the best in others, watching the development of understanding, above all of sharing in the achievements of your students.
How difficult is it to make the change? In fact, in many countries, governments actively encourage late entrants into the profession. They value the diverse skills, wider experience and emotional maturity that these people can bring to the classroom. Obviously, they prefer candidates with a university degree relevant to the subject they will be teaching. It is often possible for successful applicants to complete a post-graduate teaching course at a college near their home. These courses are often underwritten, or at least heavily subsidised, by the government.
There are other options too. Some governments have overseas volunteer programmes which allow people to share their specific skills and experience with people in developing countries. In many cases these volunteer programmes do not require much in the way of formal academic qualifications. This can provide a way for people with practical skills and experience, but few academic qualifications, to share in the joy of teaching.
Then there is the burgeoning growth of Teaching English, either as a Second Language or as a Foreign Language. The setting for this kind of teaching is either in a college in your home country, teaching English to recent immigrants, or (more usually) overseas in private language schools. This last option was often undertaken by younger people attempting to subsidise independent foreign travel and a freewheeling lifestyle in exotic places. These days, however, it is tending to be more and more regulated, with most national governments requiring private language schools to hire teachers with recognised qualifications, usually a degree in a relevant subject and a TESL/TEFL qualification. To be merely a native speaker in possession of a tie is now, I am afraid, not nearly enough! However, the good news is that initial TESL/TEFL certification can be achieved in just a few weeks at various colleges and private language schools both at home and abroad.
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