VOA慢速英语2014 US Teachers Reach Out to Indonesians in 'Access'

 

US Teachers Reach Out to Indonesians in 'Access'

Most people would agree that knowing English is important for moving up in school and also in the workplace. But millions of students in developing countries have little or no chance for a quality English language education.

This is especially true in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous¹ country. Indonesia has hundreds of languages and ethnic² groups spread across thousands of islands. For most people, the Indonesian national language is also a second language.

But the nation’s young people are hungry to learn a third language: English. English can be heard in coffee shops and shopping malls in the capital, Jakarta. Many of Jakarta’s well-educated people mix English with Indonesian when talking with others. But outside of the city and the island of Bali, learning English can be a struggle. It is even more difficult for young people who come from poor families or live on far away islands.

Enter the English Access Microscholarship Program -- an afterschool English class. Known simply as “Access,” the program receives money from the United States Department of State. Access provides two years of free English classes to needy³ young people around the world. One of the largest Access programs is in Indonesia --with about 1,000 students.

Earlier this year, several American English teachers organized a series of English language summer camps across Indonesia. The teachers wanted to show that learning English could be fun.

singing: “Instead I bought some bubble gum. Bazooka-zooka bubblegum, bazooka-zooka bubblegum”

Alice Murray: “Students enjoy getting to know Americans firsthand and it provides the Americans an opportunity to really get to know the culture of the students and also to understand firsthand some of the problems that these kids and their families face in their communities.” 

For most of the Indonesian students, it was the first time they had ever met an American or spent a night away from home. Tabitha Kidwell helped plan the camp activities.

 “They really enjoyed learning about multiculturalism⁴ in America. They love, of course, learning to make friendship bracelets⁵ and learning to play different American games. And they really enjoy the self-reflective workshops that we do too.

One of the most popular workshops was on American English pronunciations. Christy Lewis is an English Language Fellow from Tennessee.

“The workshop teaches the kids about the rhythm of the American English language and starts introducing them how to speak more native-like.”

 Lewis: “The kids go the camp. The kids go to the camp.”

Students: “The kids are going to the camp. The kids’ll be going to the camp. The kids’ll be going to the camp.”

Bryan Holzer is from a small farm town in Wisconsin. He spoke⁶ with the Indonesian teenagers about the game of American football.

“It’s interesting, at first when I showed them the ball they all said ‘rugby.’ But once I taught them about the rules, the basic idea of the sport they become more interested in American football. “

Lewis: “So one of things were do here in Indonesia is we sing a lot at our Access camps. The kids absolutely love to sing and they love learning new songs.”

Lewis: “Thumbs up!”

Students: “Thumbs up!

Lewis: “Elbows back!”

Students: “Elbows back!”

Together: “I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling I’m…”

The campers closed a long day of activities with a campfire.

Faishal Zakaria is an English teacher from Banda Aceh in Indonesia’s Northwest. He studied in the United States on a Fulbright exchange program. He hopes the camp will motivate his students to dream big and be more open-minded.

 “I see my lecturers, my teachers graduated from an American university and they talk about America, traveling here and there. And it really made me like, ‘if he can do it, I can do it.’ ‘Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you land among the stars.’”

The program was not just Americans teaching about US culture. The students also shared local songs and dances with the American teachers. On the eastern island of Ambon, students prepared an English translation of a favorite folk song.  

“I just want to tell you that we both are really brothers.

Sharing, caring each other is so very, very sweet . . .”

The camps lasted only three days. Yet some teachers noticed a change in their students during that period. Meutiati Ranty is a lecturer at the University of Indonesia. She helped plan the camps. She says one of the goals was to assist mutual⁷ understanding between Americans and Indonesians.

“Before the camps, the kids might have thought that Americans are difficult to approach. They are superior to others and they might have a negative opinion toward Muslims. But, through the experience during the camps, then they know that the Americans are just like them. Through the interactions during the camp, then they learn that Americans are very friendly, that what they thought earlier was wrong.”

Amin: “I want to thank Access because, honestly, before I joined Access, I really hate English. I always get remedial in my subject in my school about the English. And I don’t know. After I joined Access, I completely changed and I really don’t know why. But I like getting—I like English and I realize about how important that [is] for me.”

To find out if there will be an Access class near you, contact the U.S. Embassy⁸ in your home country.

Words in this Story

struggle – n. to try very hard to do, achieve, or deal with something that is difficult or that causes problems

needy – adj. not having enough money, food, etc., to live properly

self-reflective – adj. thoughtful about your own behavior and beliefs

rhythm –n.  a regular, repeated pattern of sounds or movements

1 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

4 multiculturalism   

n.多元文化

参考例句：

• Switzerland is well known for cheese fondue, penguin parades and its multiculturalism. 瑞士一向以芝士火锅，企鹅游行和多元文化等特色闻名于世。
• That may be one reason why multiculturalism came easily to it. 这也是多元文化容易适应发展的原因之一。

5 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

8 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。