U.B. students prove they can learn English
Today the Belmopan campus of the University of Belize was abuzz with activity, and in several different languages. The students of the Regional Language Centre have set their sights on conquering the English language, a task many have yet to master. Ann-Marie went west to test her own skills.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
They come from as close as neighbouring Mexico and as far as Japan, with one aim–to learn English. Today, over sixty students of U.B.’s Regional Language Centre, adjacent to the university’s main campus in Belmopan, put their linguistic skills to the test. Leroy Green is the co-ordinator of today’s “Language in Action Display.”
Leroy Green, Co-ordinator, Language in Action
“Some of the things that you see on display, like the one on the wall behind you, the students read certain literary material and we integrated it with art, whereby to show if they understood what they read, they drew what they understood. The one behind us here is talking about junk food versus healthy food. In the other room, they listen to poems, they interpreted those poems and some of them made up their own. They also made up children’s storybooks written in English. They display on the computer examples of CALL, Computer Assisted Language Learning, where the students access different things to do with culture, language learning and so on, and they make Power Points, which is a tool for teaching these days.”
There were more to the day’s events than just teaching material.
Leroy Green
“This morning from 8:30 until 10:30 we had a two hour programme whereby the groups of students sang, recited, did mock interviews and talk-shows all in English to showcase how far they’ve come in speaking English. There was even a group who sang “Freetown Gial.”
And although we didn’t hear “Freetown Gial,” White Christmas is a seasonal favourite. (Students singing)
Andres Pinilla is a student from Colombia, who came to the R.L.C. to improve his English.
Andres Pinilla, Colombian Student
“It’s very interesting because we’ve had the opportunity to exchange experiences with different people from different countries, and know about their countries, culture and customs.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“How much have you learnt?”
Andres Pinilla
“I think I have improved on my skills, especially listening.”
Alejandra Gonzalez, an industrial engineering student from Mexico, is in Belize for four months to learn English–a pre-requisite for her university degree. Gonzalez, who knew no English prior to coming to the centre, felt comfortable interpreting a limerick.
Alejandra Gonzalez, Mexican Student
“It’s about a boy that’s very greedy. He’s always looking for food and he all that he see, he thinks is food and he had a bad experience for his behaviour.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Did you write the limerick or did you get it from a book and just interpret it?”
Alejandra Gonzalez
“We just interpret the limerick…but it’s a personal interpretation.”
Green says that today’s display was primarily to showcase the students’ level of English proficiency, which they will certainly need to compete in the world of work.
Leroy Green
“Some of the Cubans will be leaving this month. The others will be staying for a year and we hope that by the time they leave they will be able to function enough for everyday living. Some of them are going on to universities in their own country, while some will be taking up jobs. For example, some of the Cubans that we have here work in the Foreign Office in Cuban, and so they thought that needed to talk English in order to be international relations.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
The students, who hail from nine different countries, will be practising English at the Regional Language Centre for a year.
