First Round Assessments - Literacy
Fields are filling up with water and the rice paddies are turning green as we reach the height of monsoon summer here in Cambodia. Students attending our English literacy classes at Trach School are preparing for a month recess from classes to go to farm on their family plots outside of the village. We have just finished our first round of testing for all six classes at the school and are happy with the results we’ve seen.
When we began the program last November, over 100 students enrolled. Each student took a basic placement test to assess their English capacity. We received most tests back blank, as expected. This gave us a template for measuring any progress achieved through the program. We then set up 3 levels of classes with each level taught two times a day three days a week. We have a primary student’s level for children between the ages of 5 and 10 with the child-friendly Let’s Go series of English textbooks and an intermediate level for students between the ages of 10 and 18. This level is taught through the Cambodian English Course series, a textbook written specifically for young people in rural Cambodia. Additionally, we have adult classes taught through the New Headway series, which focuses on English for adults in a modern context.
Last week we finished testing the youngest primary class, bringing our round of grammar testing to a close. Each class showed a marked improvement. In the primary classes over thirty percent of the classes passed with over 85 percent. In the intermediate level the scores were even higher, with 50 percent of students scoring over 85 percent. It was the adult levels that have improved the most however, with 66 percent of the class scoring above 85 percent. These scores are above average for the region. While it may seem that the tests were too easy from these high scores, these were the same tests, with some more difficult sections added, that the students could barely fill in during the placement round of testing.
There has been some talk in the development world about the merits of teaching English to people in developing areas of non-English speaking countries. What good will come of teaching these students English? At HT, our classes at Trach School were started per the community’s request and are merely the first phase of our program to improve education through literacy in Balangk commune. Fluency in English is an incredibly marketable skill in Cambodia, especially as it emerges as a tourist destination to rival Thailand. People with even a basic knowledge of this international language are able to open businesses, find jobs and bring money to their community. Members of our own staff have benefited from free, non-formal English courses set up by organizations in Cambodia. Chai, our Engineering Coordinator, learned English in a NGO sponsored program in Uttar Menchay, one of the poorest areas of Cambodia. It was with these skills he was able to come to Siem Reap and begin working at Human Translation. Today he is about to receive his formal degree in Engineering from one of Siem Reap’s best Universities.
As we break for farming this month, we will continue our assessment of the success of our English program. We hope to make further improvements in the curriculum and the teaching techniques of our teacher and to begin training a local teacher to take over the teaching position at the school. Please look for updates on our education program over the next few months.
When we began the program last November, over 100 students enrolled. Each student took a basic placement test to assess their English capacity. We received most tests back blank, as expected. This gave us a template for measuring any progress achieved through the program. We then set up 3 levels of classes with each level taught two times a day three days a week. We have a primary student’s level for children between the ages of 5 and 10 with the child-friendly Let’s Go series of English textbooks and an intermediate level for students between the ages of 10 and 18. This level is taught through the Cambodian English Course series, a textbook written specifically for young people in rural Cambodia. Additionally, we have adult classes taught through the New Headway series, which focuses on English for adults in a modern context.Last week we finished testing the youngest primary class, bringing our round of grammar testing to a close. Each class showed a marked improvement. In the primary classes over thirty percent of the classes passed with over 85 percent. In the intermediate level the scores were even higher, with 50 percent of students scoring over 85 percent. It was the adult levels that have improved the most however, with 66 percent of the class scoring above 85 percent. These scores are above average for the region. While it may seem that the tests were too easy from these high scores, these were the same tests, with some more difficult sections added, that the students could barely fill in during the placement round of testing.
There has been some talk in the development world about the merits of teaching English to people in developing areas of non-English speaking countries. What good will come of teaching these students English? At HT, our classes at Trach School were started per the community’s request and are merely the first phase of our program to improve education through literacy in Balangk commune. Fluency in English is an incredibly marketable skill in Cambodia, especially as it emerges as a tourist destination to rival Thailand. People with even a basic knowledge of this international language are able to open businesses, find jobs and bring money to their community. Members of our own staff have benefited from free, non-formal English courses set up by organizations in Cambodia. Chai, our Engineering Coordinator, learned English in a NGO sponsored program in Uttar Menchay, one of the poorest areas of Cambodia. It was with these skills he was able to come to Siem Reap and begin working at Human Translation. Today he is about to receive his formal degree in Engineering from one of Siem Reap’s best Universities.
As we break for farming this month, we will continue our assessment of the success of our English program. We hope to make further improvements in the curriculum and the teaching techniques of our teacher and to begin training a local teacher to take over the teaching position at the school. Please look for updates on our education program over the next few months.
