Page 6 - ELG1601 Jul Issue 438

Page ii ELLatin America July 2016

Chile confronts challenges

Andrea Pérez talks to Paula Rebolledo, the English Opens Doors

Programme’s national coordinator of teacher education for Chile

he issues which affect three lines of action: learners, to have a B2 level but we are still issues could certainly be associ-
English language learners schools and teachers. For learn- in the process of raising the level ated with lack of funding.
Tin Chile are unfortunately ers, the programme organises of some teachers. Standards for All of the initiatives devel-
numerous. First is the limited immersion in summer and winter initial teacher education pro- oped by the EODP are available
exposure to the English lan- camps for secondary students. grammes indicate that students for the state sector due to the
Courtesy Malta Tourism Authority B1 level expected, and the real- advise schools on the develop- language levels may increase in on state schools. These schools
We also provide online English
guage. The curriculum allows
new educational reforms which
are graduating with a C1 level,
so we think teachers’ English
seek to return the expenditure
only enough time to achieve the
courses for those interested. We
ity is that this time is reduced.
receive almost exclusively the
the next few years.
ment of complementary learning
activities, which include debates,
Second,
the
The British Council has
traditional
benefits provided by the EODP,
so the issue is not lack of access
mentioned that there is a
public-speaking activities and
methods of teaching. The gram-
mar-translation method still
Schools also receive guidance
seems to govern ELT in Chile
but other issues more related to
teachers in Chile. Would you
on how to plan and carry out
even though there is awareness spelling bee contests. shortage of qualified English to government programmes
agree?
language exposure, school lead-
BEST OF ALL WORLDS Students love Malta because of the that there are other ways to teach activities to promote the learn- I think this was the case ten ership and ELT.
‘beautiful seas, welcoming climate and enchanting heritage’ a language. ing of English at school. The years ago. Now there are forty Chile’s media has expressed
Third is the gap between initial programme allocates schools Tefl preparation programmes in fears that over-emphasising
Latin Americans Tefl preparation programmes do to motivate students to learn decreased. We do have a short- indigenous languages. How far
volunteers
English-speaking
teacher education and schools.
English may help extinguish
the country and this shortage has
English and have intercultural
not seem to fully prepare teach-
age of teachers to teach primary
has this issue been a problem
ers for work in school settings,
students, since there are only
in implementing the EODP
experiences.
head to Malta where most of them will be sional development of teachers six programmes with this kind policies?
The initiatives for the profes-
There is always concern in the
of preparation. Usually second-
working after graduation. Uni-
versities and schools rarely work
population that promoting other
ary teachers get hired to teach
include the provision of face-
together, which causes this gap to-face and online courses, at primary levels without the languages can endanger local
to broaden. which can have a linguistic or a necessary training to do so. New ones. However, I don’t think the
Fourth, EFL research is also
Federica Tedeschi explains why limited. Teachers and teacher methodological focus. We have programmes are being planned concern is against English over
indigenous languages but about
started to add school-based men-
to cater for this need.
Alternatively, the programme
Malta has had such success in educators are usually governed toring sessions to these courses has offered a diploma course to the lack of emphasis given to
by what is researched in very
the latter in the past. There are
to assist teachers to enact in
attracting South American students different contexts so I am afraid the classroom what they have primary teachers who are cur- now programmes at the minis-
we still haven’t fully studied the learned in the course. Shorter rently teaching English at school try of education which promote
different factors which affect workshops are organised for so they can improve their Eng- the learning of indigenous lan-
alta has seen a ‘sig- majority of students did last year language learning and how it winter and summer. lish language level and learn guages. We think more could and
nificant growth of Esol – becomes an extension of the should be better promoted in The programme also manages about EFL methodology. should be done in this matter.
Mstudents from Brazil, learning experience at school. Chile. English teacher networks across The British Council Chile’s We should acknowledge that
Colombia and other markets out- The classroom, meanwhile, is Finally, there is a lack of the country. We allocate them Report 2015 found that ‘the promoting English can be seen
side the EU/EEA area’, according a microcosm of the wider world. awareness of the usefulness of resources for the development of largest barriers to learning as linguistic imperialism with
to Genevieve Abela, chief execu- Despite visitors from Italy, Ger- speaking a foreign language in their own activities and materi- English are cost and a lack of hidden political and economic
tive of Feltom, the Maltese many and France accounting for part of the population. Some still als for their self-development, access to government-funded agendas. But as I said before, the
association of language schools, almost half of the over 75,500 view speaking English as a way and we have a mentoring scheme programmes’. Is this true? main difficulty we have come
which sets and monitors quality students, the remaining 50 per to communicate if you travel in place with the collaboration of I think in this respect the across and expressed by parents
standards for its members. cent was a multicultural group abroad and not for other com- the British Council to promote report is not fully accurate. The and learners is that they find it
Data for 2015 released in of Russians as well as Turkish munication purposes. teacher research through explor- report may be referring to gov- sometimes difficult to see the
April by the National Statistics and students from several Asian In 2003 the ministry of edu- atory action research projects. ernment-funded programmes real value of learning English. n
Office of Malta (NSO) shows countries, just to mention a few cation launched the Programa There aren’t any minimum for professionals. At school
that English language students of many nationalities. Almost 72 Inglés Abre Puertas (EODP). qualifications to teach in the level, the barriers are related to Forthcoming EODP training
from Latin America also ranked per cent of these learners were How does this work? state sector. There are standards the issues I have discussed pre- seminars are listed at www.
above the average in dura- over eighteen years old, accord- The programme works on which indicate that teachers need viously. I would say that these piap.cl/fid/seminarios
tion of stay. Colombians came ing to NSO data from 2015.
first, spending a whopping 15.9 Another key factor con-
weeks in Malta, while Brazilians tributing to the success of Brazilian market evolves
placed fourth on the list with this destination is the way the
6.5 weeks. This is good news, Maltese government ensures
considering that the average teaching is well accredited.
duration per student stands at According to ELT Council
just 3.2 weeks. CEO Sue Falzon, no ELT school Claudia Civinini asks Belta president Maura de Araujo Leão about
Contrary to the general trend, can operate in Malta unless a
male students from Brazil and licence is issued by the council, the association’s new report shedding light on Brazil’s student mobility
Colombia slightly outnumbered which forms part of the Minis-
females last year. Colombian try of Education, and no English
numbers increased during the language teacher can teach etween 2003 and 2014 the to offer all kinds of combination zilians are changing. tries due to its currency, and what
winter months, and most opted without a permit from the same Brazilian Educational and programmes, allowing them to The study shows that per- the country has to offer to students
for general English courses. organisation. (The ELT Council BLanguage Travel Asso- reach a broader market. sonal savings are the biggest is also very appealing.
So why do these students was formerly the EFL Monitor- ciation (Belta) reported a growth Courses that add more to financing source. How does this How would you explain the
choose Malta over any other ing Board.) of 600 per cent in the country’s employability are a trend. Bra- impact on the student recruit- decline of the UK in Brazil-
destination to study English? ‘The ELT Council, through leg- student outbound mobility. How- zilians have a culture not to ment process? ian students’ preferences? And
‘The beautiful compactness of islation, is working hard to foster ever, with Brazil’s economy hit think about the future, but this We don’t see the impact in a what could student recruiters
Malta and Gozo (the country’s two a culture of continuous profes- by recession, unemployment and is changing and people are plan- negative way. The survey shows in the UK do to counteract this?
islands) and their still relatively sional development amongst ELT currency depreciation, and cuts to ning in advance and starting at an that Brazilians who go abroad are It’s all to do with the cost of
cheap cost of living allow us to teachers, and Malta is nowadays government scholarships such as earlier age to organise their first of a mature age and can afford to living due to the currency. In
propose a great package for Esol considered a top-quality desti- Science Without Borders, demand exchange programme abroad. pay on their own, and until now a country facing a very strong
students,’ said the Malta Tourism nation by students wishing to has changed over the past couple How would you interpret have done so. The ones that went economic crisis, people look
Authority chief marketing officer improve their English language of years. Recently released 2015 the 46 per cent reduction in the with scholarships are not repre- for solutions to fulfil their wish
Carlo Micallef. ‘The beautiful proficiency,’ Falzon said. Belta research, reporting on two total amount of products sold sentative of Brazilians who go to study abroad, and one is to
seas, welcoming climate, enchant- From a breaucratic point surveys of 135 education agents by travel agents in 2015 com- abroad for courses and exchange look for countries where the cur-
ing heritage of these tiny islands of view, some Latin Ameri- and nearly 2,000 students, sheds pared to 2014? programmes. rency is more favourable and
in the centre of the Mediterranean can countries are ‘Schengen some light on the situation. In the research 46 per cent I see from the Education which has a fair cost of living.
and the genuine hospitality that waivered’ and therefore do not Your report shows that 96 per of agents said that the Brazil- South Africa website that The frequent changes in UK visa
the Maltese people are famous for need a visa to enter the Schen- cent of students still want to learn ian market has declined. On the Belta signed a memorandum policies also bring a lot of uncer-
allowing us to keep reaching new gen zone (for border controls, English, but demand is shifting other hand, 36 per cent said it has of understanding with EduSA, tainty to agents and students.
records in tourism.’ of which Malta is a member) if from general language courses increased and 18 per cent that it the accredited language schools They have many other options to
Moreover, the tourism industry they’re staying for up to three to more specialised programmes. has stayed stable in 2015 com- association of South Africa, choose from other than the UK.
is ingrained in the population’s months. Colombia and Peru are What is driving this shift and pared to 2014. For this reason in January. Its website noted Schools in the UK should
daily life: everyone is welcomed on this list. n what opportunities does this we could say that international that there has been an increase continue to lobby on behalf of
to share the buzzing nightlife offer student recruiters? education in the Brazilian market in Brazilians going to study in students for visa matters, and offer
and attractions as well as the Federica Tedeschi is a The needs of Brazilians are has declined an average of 5 per South Africa. Can you give us more affordable prices. There are
traditional village festivals, not London-based freelance changing because students are cent. This happened because some an update on the trend? still many students willing to go
to mention the island’s three journalist and an English looking for options that add more agents have searched for new pro- South Africa has everything to the UK because of the diversity
Unesco World Heritage sites. language and Italian language value to their curricula and after- grammes, and others have kept to a student needs to fulfil his or of course options at all levels –
English is one of Malta’s offi- teacher at state schools and a wards help them find better jobs. offering traditional programmes her wishes and dreams of study- language, vacation, training and
cial languages, so choosing to university. She has previously For recruiters this is a chance to such as regular language courses. ing abroad. The cost of living is university programmes – as well
stay with a host family – as the worked for the Times of Malta innovate along with their partners As I said before, the needs of Bra- immensely lower than other coun- as quality. n
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