According to the local newspaper, 26 million dollars has been granted by ADB (Asian Development Bank) to Laos to upgrade education. I guess there are reasons to grant so much money because obviously they’re not worried about how it will be used.To put it simply, people who decide budgets are not the people who use them. (figuratively speaking). In other words, teachers’ don’t have much say in this matter. In other words, students have almost no say in this matter.
Policy makers look down into the pond and see their own reflection. Under the water, the fish are the ones who know what to eat.
Today, a student asks what an ALVEOLAR ridge is. It can be easily explained as the place in the mouth where the tongue touches to make some sounds like /t/ and /n/, but he wants to know how to translate it into Lao. The teacher hasn’t come yet so I pull out my own pronunciation texts and we whiz through several sounds including points on reductions. Within five minutes, the students are speaking with an American accent and they understand what they’re doing with their alveolar ridges as well.
Students don’t know what to eat if they’ve only been given fish food. I’m curious as to what will happen if fish are suddenly put in a verdant pond. Over the past three years, I’ve created enough to make a lake. Finally, I’ve found a place to try it out and I’m curious to see if we can create a feeding frenzy. Afterall, seeking good food is a natural instinct.
Students struggle with independent clauses, but have no problems with their phones. I might as well teach through texting. I send sound files through bluetooth. With a new Internet shop across the street, they’ll be learning from youtube.
One female student told me she taught herself classical Lao dance by watching people and videos. I’ve heard about a student who’s taught himself how to hack. Pretty amazing since there were no Internet shop at the college until three days ago. I can’t fight what’s holding the students back, I can only help pave superhighways for them to run with.
All I can say is that I’d be very impressed if after 26 million dollars, students can speak with an native accent after five minutes, regardless of if they know their ALVEOLAR ridges or not.
