You may recall the local English classes that I had developed a habit of ambushing in the evenings near my house in Phnom Srok. The extremely kind Director of Phnom Srok High School would faithfully teach about 3 English classes ‘out of hours’ in a make-shift classroom underneath his home. I absolutely loved joining the class on occasion and really enjoyed speaking with the children both in the class and when I happened to bump into them around the village. So, I was really sad to find out that Mr Savat, the director, had become very ill and unable to teach the classes and I must admit it crossed my mind what the kids would do every evening and whether the English class would continue.
Well, this thought had also crossed some of the students’ minds and it wasn’t long before two of the boys approached me near my home in Phnom Srok to explain their plight and ask whether I could teach them English. They needed to learn ‘English for Cambodia, Book 3’. To cut a long story short I agreed to teach them each evening between 6 and 7pm if and when I was in the district. Ergo, in my spare time, I have become an English teacher...
...and I love it! I have so missed being in front of an audience, erm... I mean class! Despite the fact that they are yet to fully understand my jokes without a lot of sign language, I really enjoy spending time with a lovely bunch of kids who want to learn. It’s great! It’s also helping my Khmer out immensely!
It has amused me how I find myself comparing this class with those I have taught in Hammersmith in London and amazing how the same characters appear despite the stark differences, culturally, socially, economically, and so on... There are a few cocky-but-cute boys who are quite bright and quickly becoming my favourites (not that a good teacher has favourites of course... pah!), there is a smart-alec girl who continually and rather annoyingly calls out all the answers before any one else has had the chance to process the question (I admit the main reason she annoys me is the fact that she reminds me of myself!) and then there are a few painfully quiet children who wouldn’t say boo to a goose and who subserviently plough away at the tasks with such a beautiful dedication and meticulous attention to neatness that they don’t quite seem real (ok, I didn’t come across so many of them in Hammersmith now I come to think about it).
They range from Year 3 to Year 9 and 9 years old to 17 years old so they’re quite a mixed bag! What has become very apparent is the fact that they are so used to one (and only one) method of being taught. They are all pretty bright but are used to reading aloud, learning by rote and basically being told the answers. Their idea of learning is memorising textbooks from which, I have discovered, they copy answers that the previous owner scribbled in the gaps at some point. I couldn’t believe it when I asked what they had learnt yesterday at the start of my second lesson; the kids all opened their books and started reading the text to me! Unbelievable! But not unusual; I have observed children in primary and high schools being taught purely from textbooks (minus the sense of humour), taught to memorize and copy, and I firmly believe the whole nation are basically being encouraged, if not taught, not to think for themselves!
Despite being involved in the District Education Office and schools in the district for the past 7 months or so, I have learnt so much more from actually teaching a mixed bag of local kids just a couple of times! I feel quite some sense of responsibility too as the kids have made it quite clear they want to learn Book 3. I, on the other hand, would much rather teach them to sing ‘Head, shoulders, knees, and toes’ (which I have done by the way – with actions!) and play fun learning games. I’m hoping we can meet half way! I remember being presented with small gifts and pictures by my students in London and Phnom Srok is no different. The kids present me with at least one bottle of water per lesson, I have got beautiful kids' drawings stuck to what passes as a blackboard and one parent rather generously gave me a bag of cooked silk worms as a 'thank you' for teaching her child. Yummy!! As word gets round, the class has rapidly grown each day from 7 students to 17 so the problem will come when I have to start turning kids away!
P.S. Any ideas of songs or games to help teach the wonderful English language would be very welcome indeed!
Well, this thought had also crossed some of the students’ minds and it wasn’t long before two of the boys approached me near my home in Phnom Srok to explain their plight and ask whether I could teach them English. They needed to learn ‘English for Cambodia, Book 3’. To cut a long story short I agreed to teach them each evening between 6 and 7pm if and when I was in the district. Ergo, in my spare time, I have become an English teacher...
...and I love it! I have so missed being in front of an audience, erm... I mean class! Despite the fact that they are yet to fully understand my jokes without a lot of sign language, I really enjoy spending time with a lovely bunch of kids who want to learn. It’s great! It’s also helping my Khmer out immensely!
It has amused me how I find myself comparing this class with those I have taught in Hammersmith in London and amazing how the same characters appear despite the stark differences, culturally, socially, economically, and so on... There are a few cocky-but-cute boys who are quite bright and quickly becoming my favourites (not that a good teacher has favourites of course... pah!), there is a smart-alec girl who continually and rather annoyingly calls out all the answers before any one else has had the chance to process the question (I admit the main reason she annoys me is the fact that she reminds me of myself!) and then there are a few painfully quiet children who wouldn’t say boo to a goose and who subserviently plough away at the tasks with such a beautiful dedication and meticulous attention to neatness that they don’t quite seem real (ok, I didn’t come across so many of them in Hammersmith now I come to think about it).
They range from Year 3 to Year 9 and 9 years old to 17 years old so they’re quite a mixed bag! What has become very apparent is the fact that they are so used to one (and only one) method of being taught. They are all pretty bright but are used to reading aloud, learning by rote and basically being told the answers. Their idea of learning is memorising textbooks from which, I have discovered, they copy answers that the previous owner scribbled in the gaps at some point. I couldn’t believe it when I asked what they had learnt yesterday at the start of my second lesson; the kids all opened their books and started reading the text to me! Unbelievable! But not unusual; I have observed children in primary and high schools being taught purely from textbooks (minus the sense of humour), taught to memorize and copy, and I firmly believe the whole nation are basically being encouraged, if not taught, not to think for themselves!
Despite being involved in the District Education Office and schools in the district for the past 7 months or so, I have learnt so much more from actually teaching a mixed bag of local kids just a couple of times! I feel quite some sense of responsibility too as the kids have made it quite clear they want to learn Book 3. I, on the other hand, would much rather teach them to sing ‘Head, shoulders, knees, and toes’ (which I have done by the way – with actions!) and play fun learning games. I’m hoping we can meet half way! I remember being presented with small gifts and pictures by my students in London and Phnom Srok is no different. The kids present me with at least one bottle of water per lesson, I have got beautiful kids' drawings stuck to what passes as a blackboard and one parent rather generously gave me a bag of cooked silk worms as a 'thank you' for teaching her child. Yummy!! As word gets round, the class has rapidly grown each day from 7 students to 17 so the problem will come when I have to start turning kids away!
P.S. Any ideas of songs or games to help teach the wonderful English language would be very welcome indeed!
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