"Our goal as teachers is to provide students with access to English and all the personal and professional possibilities that come with the ability to speak English, and to decolonize the teaching of English."
This quote is especially important to me because it is my dream to teach English in the Peace Corps. Because of this I am very interested in ways and techniques that I can use to decolonize the teaching of English. The English language has been globalized because of British colonialism as well as economic and militant power the United States holds. As teachers we must be aware that we are culture bearers and through our teaching we must be sure that we are not colonizing our students. We cannot simply force the English language and our specific accents among students, we have to take into consideration that English is a language addition not a language substitution. If students want to know who they are as people then it is vital for them to know the 'mother-tongue' of their language. We must be sure that while teaching we are not inadvertently oppressing that history and creating a language loss. Obviously since we are in TESOL classes none of us have the intention of dismissing the already existent cultures students will have. Yet, the colonizing nature of our teaching may be something that we are not aware of, and that is why it is necessary to not only teach our language and culture but to facilitate and promote the culture of our students. As teachers if we promote the other cultures and strive for double consciousness in our students we are taking an active role ensuring that our students do not forget who they are, but actually add to who they are.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Energy and Community
Hello fellow bloggers,
What I found the most intriguing in Chapter 2 of Under the Ginkgo Tree was the Chinese idea of ethical and social teaching coming from their ideas of the cosmos and how cosmic energy is always changing. The quote "Yin Yang provides the idea of harmony within creative tension" made me think of how as preservice teachers we are given so many theories and methods that will help with our teaching. However, after given all of these conflicting theories we must pick and choose ideas that each one possess in order to make our own philosophy of education. I feel that a harmony must be reached through the different theories. As well, the idea of collective learning reminded me of this positive and negative balance. (As the book said, not positive and negative in the idea of good and bad but just as two completely different ideals) Especially in a class such as this, we are constantly in discussion with one another and our own culture and backgrounds give us each an unique lens that we see the world through. Discussion and group learning provides students with ideas that may be completely different than their own, which allows them to see the same context in a different manner. I know for myself sometimes the ideas and thoughts that are the complete opposite of mine stick with me the most. By listening to these ideas and thoughts I feel as if I am able to make my whole more complete by gaining pieces people have to offer.
-Donny
What I found the most intriguing in Chapter 2 of Under the Ginkgo Tree was the Chinese idea of ethical and social teaching coming from their ideas of the cosmos and how cosmic energy is always changing. The quote "Yin Yang provides the idea of harmony within creative tension" made me think of how as preservice teachers we are given so many theories and methods that will help with our teaching. However, after given all of these conflicting theories we must pick and choose ideas that each one possess in order to make our own philosophy of education. I feel that a harmony must be reached through the different theories. As well, the idea of collective learning reminded me of this positive and negative balance. (As the book said, not positive and negative in the idea of good and bad but just as two completely different ideals) Especially in a class such as this, we are constantly in discussion with one another and our own culture and backgrounds give us each an unique lens that we see the world through. Discussion and group learning provides students with ideas that may be completely different than their own, which allows them to see the same context in a different manner. I know for myself sometimes the ideas and thoughts that are the complete opposite of mine stick with me the most. By listening to these ideas and thoughts I feel as if I am able to make my whole more complete by gaining pieces people have to offer.
-Donny
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