English Language Learning
My Experience
In an effort to engage more with the learners at my school, I agreed to help a few girls publish the school magazine (see below for file). Although it turned out to be a long and tedious process, I learned much about the learners use and knowledge of the English language. English is the official language of Namibia and learners begin learning English in grade 4. However, much of the adult population can barely speak English and learner’s mastery of the language is minimal by time they complete senior secondary school (1). While typing the magazine for the girls, I often had to ask what they had intended to say and give quick English lessons on the use of punctuation and the different tenses. Overall I was not too concerned about their rather loose grasp of English as I assumed the writing for the magazine was casual, often incorporating English/Oshikwanyama (the native language) slang.
However, I become more concerned when I helped the grade 12 class type their curriculum vitae and letters they would hypothetically send to the Ministry of Education to request financial assistance. Again, there were many errors in sentence structure and I needed to go over each letter carefully to ensure the learner understood the grammar. Although this may be specific to written English, I observed the role of English language in the classroom as a challenge for most learners during my time in Namibia.
Significance
One of the key barriers preventing students from mastering content subjects is the language in which they are taught. Students learning English are unable to move forward in content areas that are taught in English without the necessary language skills to understand the material. This challenge can cause many students to fall behind and prevent them from reaching adequate performance for their grade level. In the U.S., English as a second language (ESL) students must cope with this issue of learning English while learning content subjects in English. Until this issue is addressed, ESL students will remain ill-prepared for higher education and professions in the labor force.
In an effort to engage more with the learners at my school, I agreed to help a few girls publish the school magazine (see below for file). Although it turned out to be a long and tedious process, I learned much about the learners use and knowledge of the English language. English is the official language of Namibia and learners begin learning English in grade 4. However, much of the adult population can barely speak English and learner’s mastery of the language is minimal by time they complete senior secondary school (1). While typing the magazine for the girls, I often had to ask what they had intended to say and give quick English lessons on the use of punctuation and the different tenses. Overall I was not too concerned about their rather loose grasp of English as I assumed the writing for the magazine was casual, often incorporating English/Oshikwanyama (the native language) slang.
However, I become more concerned when I helped the grade 12 class type their curriculum vitae and letters they would hypothetically send to the Ministry of Education to request financial assistance. Again, there were many errors in sentence structure and I needed to go over each letter carefully to ensure the learner understood the grammar. Although this may be specific to written English, I observed the role of English language in the classroom as a challenge for most learners during my time in Namibia.
Significance
One of the key barriers preventing students from mastering content subjects is the language in which they are taught. Students learning English are unable to move forward in content areas that are taught in English without the necessary language skills to understand the material. This challenge can cause many students to fall behind and prevent them from reaching adequate performance for their grade level. In the U.S., English as a second language (ESL) students must cope with this issue of learning English while learning content subjects in English. Until this issue is addressed, ESL students will remain ill-prepared for higher education and professions in the labor force.
Ongha S.S.S. Magazine | |
File Size: | 2226 kb |
File Type: |
1. Marsh D., Ontero A.,
Shikongo T. (eds) (2002), Enhancing English medium Education in Namibia,
Finland: University of Jyväskylä.