Objectives and Background Information
Our project consists of adapting the lexical and communicative approaches in English language teaching to promote what we named ‘Integrated Skills methodology’, which uses the elements of music, literature, project building and oral language to create an interesting, supportive and challenging learning environment.
The Pracatum Association believes that Education and Culture are keen components to foster ones’ and community development, thus all its projects carries this vision of work in its laying foundation. To achieve this goal, Pracatum developed together with Macmillan Publishing and Associação Cultural Brasil- Estados Unidos (ACBEU) , Pracatum English Project, that has rolled over these past 7 years and now has reached more than 130 students from the community.
A platform is being constantly built to advance the capacity of teachers engaged in the project, while at the same time offer a new and exciting opportunity for students to develop their English Skills and broaden their perspectives and engagements in a world increasingly more complex and globalized.
A platform is being constantly built to advance the capacity of teachers engaged in the project, while at the same time offer a new and exciting opportunity for students to develop their English Skills and broaden their perspectives and engagements in a world increasingly more complex and globalized.
Our project promotes continuing teacher education through providing: (1) Constant teacher development and monitoring,(2) enrollments in Seminars and English Development Courses,(3) material Support,(4) fair wages, and(5) excellent working facilities. The school environment consists of constant sharing of experiences among teachers so that the mistakes and frustrations are addressed early in the process stage and answers are discussed and given to all involved quickly in the process. As for the students, our project provides them with learning opportunities since age 6, thus fostering wonderful basis for growth and improvement throughout their educational experience.
Methodology
Pracatum Project Teaching is based on methods that aims at oral and literacy language building through a diversity of artistic areas such as: music, literature, theater and films. For that, we developed what we named “Integrated Skills methodology” which seeks, through the integration of reading, writing, speaking, listening and specific social skills (specially picked for their ability to enhance the learning process)the building up of Language knowledge. Another aspect that is keen in the project is developing critical thinking among our students through the understanding of the cultural components and political implications of the language, in a highly competitive society.
Pracatum Project believes that one cannot expect positive results from an educational program which fails to help people to think and act critically in society, particularly in a world increasingly more unfair and unjust. Therefore, educating must be a practice of commitment to solving the real problems that affect all in today’s world, through knowing the tools and knowledge available for you, learning how to use these tools and committing to the changes that must be made, rather than adapting to the world as it is.
Goal:
Pracatum believes that high quality English language education for children and teenagers who live in disadvantages communities and attend public schools will create opportunities for them to broaden their cultural understanding of the world, as well as provoke them to reframe their choices in the present and future. To question the world as we perceive, and to be able to see more than what we are normally used to, is the ultimate goal of education.
Project Information
First it is important to provide some statistics and background about English formal education in Brazil:
- Among the middle and upper class in Brazil, 26% say they speak English fluently;
- Among the lower middle class (which represents 52%of the population) this statistics falls to 6%;
- Among the lower class it falls even more drastically to a derisive 2%;
- English Instruction is only required from 5th grade on;
- Teaching is very much grammar-based;
- Teachers are often not fluent in English;
- Teachers are poorly trained by their pedagogical department in teaching English as a foreign language;
When you analyze critically the information cited above, there is a question that remains unanswered: given this existing language dictatorship in the country, how many people actually speak English and under what equal criteria are we evaluating them?
The need to spread the teaching of English in poor communities in projects such as this one is indispensable to promote equal job and academic opportunities for underprivileged students. The more intimate environment of independent schools allows the teachers a greater flexibility and a far more individualized vision and interference in the students’ course progression. It also helps teachers to spend a lot more time studying methodology and implementing new projects with students which contributes greatly to build-up of a contextualized and meaningful curriculum.
The School
- 2 programs: kids and teens;
- Age group: 6-16 year olds;
- 90 students enrolled;
- 2 teachers;
- 1 coordinator;
- Administrative assistant and Janitor.
Partnerships
- Macmillan : Provides pedagogical materials such as : books, posters, magazines, readers collection among others.
- Associação Cultural Brasil - Estados Unidos (Acbeu): A binational Center that provides high standards independent EFL education in Bahia for over 70 years. They provide financial support for the pedagogical Coordination of the program and also exchange of EFL practices in seminars and workshops.