Learning English through Drama
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The mission will be achieved through the following specific aims:
- Design and deliver an English language course to boost children's interest in language, make them understand its importance for their future and motivate them for continuous learning;
- Advance the competence of English teachers from the community lyceum and primary school, allowing exchanges of experience and school capacity building.
- Allowing networking among children and volunteers;
- Allowing the exchange of culture and traditions;
- Teaching children healthy life style and good habits;
- Encouraging children to communicate, work in groups, create new personal links;
- Cultivating social responsibility in children and increasing the children’s awareness and appreciation of the world around them;
- Promoting arts, crafts, songs, games, movement, etc.
- Encouraging contribution to a course journal to be published on the Internet;
- Promoting cooking sessions as team-building activities and an opportunity to learn about healthy food and hygiene.
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In the long-term perspective the project strives to educate the generation of open-minded, educated, active and responsible persons, able to tackle their own problems and those of the community they are part of. The project intends to cultivate social responsibility in children and to provide them with a sound practical base for future independent life.
Project Background
The first edition of the project took place on 12-18th of June 2011 in a small rural community of Moldova called Budesti. Anna Hiora writes…
"My inspiration and motivation comes from my work in Budesti where during my 6 years of volunteering I've seen a lot of misery, poverty, ruined lives, lost opportunities and hundreds of children’s sad eyes. I've seen many projects implemented to improve community infrastructure, boost its economic development and employ people, but not so many projects aimed at children. My belief is that children are our future and most of our investment should go into their personal and professional development, as it will be they who will take over from us in a couple of decades. If we ignore their needs and go forward as we do now, we will build nice things on a bad fundament that won't last. But if we invest in children, we bring up a generation of skilled and motivated individuals, who will work hard to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them with their own abilities and potential. They will not wait for other people do something for them and they will know that it is their responsibility to contribute to the development of the village, city and country they live in. Being skilled and educated they will not look for ways to escape from Moldova, abandon their children and sink their sorrows about being poor and unrealised in life in alcohol and drugs.
"All of that, as well as the actual benefits that I’ve seen as the result of the first project edition, make me very enthusiastic about the continuous development of the project and committed to its mission and aims."
"All of that, as well as the actual benefits that I’ve seen as the result of the first project edition, make me very enthusiastic about the continuous development of the project and committed to its mission and aims."
Target area and populations
The direct beneficiaries of the project activities are:
- 30 children aged 13-16 years old from disadvantaged families, who benefit from English language courses;
- 3 English language teachers from the community lyceum and primary school, who enrich their knowledge of English and learn alternative teaching methods by collaborating and sharing experience with the international volunteers;
- 3 international volunteers, who enrich their teaching experience by collaborating and sharing experience with the local teachers.
- The indirect beneficiaries of the project are:
- circa 550 pupils of the community lyceum who benefit from more advanced teaching of English language;
- circa 200 pupils of the community primary school who benefit from more advanced teaching of English language;
- civil society that benefits from more skilled and empowered members in the future.
The project follows the following tentative agenda and offers the following activities:
10.00 – 10.45 Icebreakers
10.45 – 10.55 Break
10.55 – 11.40 Lesson 1
11.40 – 12.00 Fruit/snacks break
12.00 – 12.45 Lesson 2
12.45 – 12.55 Break
12.55 – 13.40 Games/ outdoor activities
13.40 – 14.10 Lunch
14.10 – 14.55 Lesson 3
14.55 – 15.40 Games/ outdoor activities
10.45 – 10.55 Break
10.55 – 11.40 Lesson 1
11.40 – 12.00 Fruit/snacks break
12.00 – 12.45 Lesson 2
12.45 – 12.55 Break
12.55 – 13.40 Games/ outdoor activities
13.40 – 14.10 Lunch
14.10 – 14.55 Lesson 3
14.55 – 15.40 Games/ outdoor activities
The aim of the project is to stimulate the speaking of English socially in various ways as well as to enhance understanding of English grammar and vocabulary. Both international and local volunteers constantly encourage English-speaking around the course. A careful balance of activities is designed to increase the children’s grammar and vocabulary and improve their skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Classes employ a practical, multi-sensory approach teaching English through arts, crafts, songs, games, movement, etc. This is combined with repetition to aid memory. Children also learn the language by using it outside the class to talk about themselves, make friends, go shopping, etc.
Classes use pair and group work to maximise the opportunity to speak and games, role-play, computers and video / DVD to make the lessons varied and fun.
The project also includes out-of-class projects. These extend to practise English outside class and increase the children’s awareness and appreciation of the world around them. Out-of-class projects include a social project for the benefit of the community and at least 3 excursions outside the community.
Food is an important part of the project as it foresees cooking sessions as a team-building activity. A special accent is placed on healthy food patterns.
Project activities are carried out in Budesti community, Moldova.
Students learn English with hands-on activities.
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Partners
In 2011 the project was organised by the non-governmental organisation “Ocrotiti Copiii” in collaboration with Susila Dharma International Association, Budeşti community town hall, the theoretical lyceum “Budeşti”, the primary school and Youth Center “Udo Jurgens” of Budeşti with the financial support of Susila Dharma International Organisation, Susila Dharma France, Susila Dharma Norway, Susila Dharma Germany and the Guerrand Hermes Foundation for Peace.
Contact
Project coordinator: Anna Hiora (a.k.a. Evghenia Zotieva)
Tel: + (373) 69611991
E-mail:zotieva@gmail.com
Budesti Summer School on Facebook
Photos on web