Chile is a country of constant development, mainly in business and international relations, because of its full integration to globalization phenomenon. This reality has motivated goverment authorities to stimulate english learning not just as a subject, but an ability.
However, the education of english language has become into a weak point, both for the students and for the workers.
The Chilean Ministry of Education has launched three years ago, a national English project - English Opens Doors - to improve levels of English in Chile . One of the aims of this project is that all state school students reach a level equivalent to KET (Key English Test) by the end of primary school and a level equivalent to PET (Preliminary English Test) by the end of high school. Cambridge ESOL was chosen to evaluate the current English competence of state school students.
Cambridge ESOL produced a diagnostic test for the Chilean Ministry based on assessment material which had already been extensively trialled and validated throughout the world. Because of its global network of partners, Cambridge ESOL was able to call on a local partner in Chile - the Instituto Chileno Británico de Cultura - to administer the test. The British Institute already administers most of Cambridge ESOL's exams in Chile , which made it the ideal partner for this project. A sample of 12,000 students, representing the 8th grade (13-14 year olds) and the 12th grade (17-18 year olds), took the test in October 2004.
The results of the test aplied were quite dissapointing, and stated two points mainly;
-On having finished the “High school”, a lower number of cases reaches the “autonomous” level of english. The students are too far from having a very good command of english and the necessary knowledge to do well at work.
-The performance of the students increases as they have higher social background and better teaching methods, such as speaking, reading and listening in english.
These results should call us to think about the factors implied.
One of the most important elements at the moment to measure english level in high school students, is the resources and infraestructure the teachers count with. Public schools in general don’t confer resources to, for instance, build english laboratories which would significatly improve and enrich learning process. In spite of that, most of public schools simply lack of the money.
Another fundamental thing the students the classroom has. The vast majority of succesfull english institutes suggest that the students by classroom should not exceed 10. This is absolutly unthinkable at state schools whose average students are 43, like, for example, Liceo de Aplicación of Santiago.
English books is other valuable aspect to consider. Many of the books from the goverment which send to state schools, exhibit severe problems in terms of the academic desing and the level of contents they have. This is demostrated at private schools which simply force students to buy specialized and expensive english books. They don’t have other alternative If they want their studentes effectivily learn.
There are other thousand of other important things to contemplate, but I think them are the most fundamental.
What things do we have to think in order to find solutions?
1.- Strength publics schools: Granting more resources to public education would facilitate more opportunities to people who lack to money enough to afford a private institute. Besides, it would shorten the huge differences that currently exist, between private and public education.
2.- Teachers: Giving more opportunities to teachers to speacialize in forgein countries would permit them to train and learn more.
3.- Stimulate the career: The Goverment should promote people to study english pedagogy by giving more resources to universities to impart the career. This could compense the current lacking of professionals that the system has.
4.- Programs and Experiences: New english experiences which provide students more opportunities to use the language in different contexts and to share it with other people. In addition to that, organising competitions and tournaments among schools with audiovisual games and other materials would generate the initial fascination for learning the language.
English is everywhere, and Chile should start thinking about solutions to improve the current situation.
However, the education of english language has become into a weak point, both for the students and for the workers.
The Chilean Ministry of Education has launched three years ago, a national English project - English Opens Doors - to improve levels of English in Chile . One of the aims of this project is that all state school students reach a level equivalent to KET (Key English Test) by the end of primary school and a level equivalent to PET (Preliminary English Test) by the end of high school. Cambridge ESOL was chosen to evaluate the current English competence of state school students.
Cambridge ESOL produced a diagnostic test for the Chilean Ministry based on assessment material which had already been extensively trialled and validated throughout the world. Because of its global network of partners, Cambridge ESOL was able to call on a local partner in Chile - the Instituto Chileno Británico de Cultura - to administer the test. The British Institute already administers most of Cambridge ESOL's exams in Chile , which made it the ideal partner for this project. A sample of 12,000 students, representing the 8th grade (13-14 year olds) and the 12th grade (17-18 year olds), took the test in October 2004.
The results of the test aplied were quite dissapointing, and stated two points mainly;
-On having finished the “High school”, a lower number of cases reaches the “autonomous” level of english. The students are too far from having a very good command of english and the necessary knowledge to do well at work.
-The performance of the students increases as they have higher social background and better teaching methods, such as speaking, reading and listening in english.
These results should call us to think about the factors implied.
One of the most important elements at the moment to measure english level in high school students, is the resources and infraestructure the teachers count with. Public schools in general don’t confer resources to, for instance, build english laboratories which would significatly improve and enrich learning process. In spite of that, most of public schools simply lack of the money.
Another fundamental thing the students the classroom has. The vast majority of succesfull english institutes suggest that the students by classroom should not exceed 10. This is absolutly unthinkable at state schools whose average students are 43, like, for example, Liceo de Aplicación of Santiago.
English books is other valuable aspect to consider. Many of the books from the goverment which send to state schools, exhibit severe problems in terms of the academic desing and the level of contents they have. This is demostrated at private schools which simply force students to buy specialized and expensive english books. They don’t have other alternative If they want their studentes effectivily learn.
There are other thousand of other important things to contemplate, but I think them are the most fundamental.
What things do we have to think in order to find solutions?
1.- Strength publics schools: Granting more resources to public education would facilitate more opportunities to people who lack to money enough to afford a private institute. Besides, it would shorten the huge differences that currently exist, between private and public education.
2.- Teachers: Giving more opportunities to teachers to speacialize in forgein countries would permit them to train and learn more.
3.- Stimulate the career: The Goverment should promote people to study english pedagogy by giving more resources to universities to impart the career. This could compense the current lacking of professionals that the system has.
4.- Programs and Experiences: New english experiences which provide students more opportunities to use the language in different contexts and to share it with other people. In addition to that, organising competitions and tournaments among schools with audiovisual games and other materials would generate the initial fascination for learning the language.
English is everywhere, and Chile should start thinking about solutions to improve the current situation.
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