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Paul writes......about his experiences while volunteering in Nepal.Overall I am glad that I went to Nepal and I have no regrets or particular complaints about the experience. If I were to go again I would stay longer and bring a water filtration device. There were two periods of government school teachers striking in solidarity with the Maoist movement, which effectively limited my actual teaching time to three days (In Mulpani). The other teachers seemed aware that I was going to be more of a temporary 'novelty' for the kids rather than a catalyst who would initiate changes in the way things were done. I appreciated the way the other teachers were so laid-back and relaxed - very different than teaching here in the US. At the beginning I had no idea of what each class level meant as far as the students' practical English ability. I decided to just get into whatever classes the other teachers would let me have. In brief, the kids were great and enthusiastic. The rote/repetition learning style prevalent in Nepali classrooms doesn't, in my opinion, foster to authentic communication skills. I decided to just teach in my own style. It is/was hard to see progress in three days - the first day (at least) is usually spent trying to determine what level the kids are. For most classes I worked on teaching them to talk about personal information (name, age, family, favorite things, etc.) in the first, second, and third person. For lower level students, I worked on countind, colors, and demonstratives (this/that/these/those is/are . . .). I brought a bag of small, colorful items with me (crayons, pens, balloons, paper, clay) and used these as visual aids to keep the kids' attention and also for them to use as physical/tactile stimuli.TPR techniques seemed particularly useful in such small classes (1-4 students!). I began by using my toothbrush holder as a kind of scepter or symbol of authority, giving the kids various commands (stand up, sit down, etc.). Each child got to come up to the front of the class and use the 'scepter' to give commands to the other students. They enjoyed this. Having had some ESL experience before probably made it easier to 'wing it' in this way. I got sick twice - the first time in Bistachaap was nothing serious - just a nasty cold. In Mulpani I came down with something a little worse, and decided to go back to KTM for a short time, where I could either buy some medication, see a doctor, stay close to the toilet, or perhaps all three. While I was in my hotel hunched over the toilet I was mulling over the possibilities for the remainder of my stay Paul |
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Vietnam
Volunteers have the chance to teach English, care for and play with children in placements around central Vietnam. > Read More
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