Pizza and cash draw crowd for International Language Program
Students arrived at TSC Room 335 for five dollars and free pizza at a presentation on teaching English in other countries Tuesday.
Kyle Pehrson conducted the presentation on behalf of International Language Programs, which is based in Orem, Utah. Pehrson, who showed up to find over fifty people waiting at the 11:30 a.m. presentation, said people in the ILP office told him to expect around ten to fifteen people at USU.
“I think that’s just the experience they’ve had at USU before,” Pehrson said. “I think they advertised it a bit more this time, so we’ve had a really great turnout.”
Pehrson, who went to Ukraine with ILP in 2010, said although the English teaching program attracts many elementary education majors, the program sends people of all majors and does not exclude those not enrolled at a university.
“A lot of our groups are interested in traveling, and service, too.” Pehrson said. “People just love to do something bigger with their lives, something more meaningful.”
Jess Brown, a senior majoring in graphic design who came to the presentation, said she was intrigued by the idea of free pizza but she also attended because she is interested in practicing a foreign language.
Ayanna Morazan said the idea of being more than a visitor in a foreign country made her want to learn more about teaching English abroad.
“I think it’s just experiencing another culture is what would be meaningful – actually living in it instead of visiting,” Morazan said.
As the volunteers teach by immersion, they are learning by being immersed in the language and culture of their host country, Pehrson said.
“You learn so much and get so much knowledge than just textbook reading when you’re immersed in the culture,” Pehrson said.
Learning includes more than just the local language, Pehrson said to the group. In many countries, the volunteer teachers live with host families and experience local life more than if they live in dorms.
“Your host families cook you authentic food, which can be a fun surprise and sometimes be a scary surprise,” Pehrson said.
Pehrson said to the group they do not have to know the native language to be in the program. The ILP system uses to teach is an immersion program, where students come knowing little or no English and are taught by teachers who usually do not speak the native tongue.
Teaching English to young children – some of whom are underprivileged – makes the volunteers role models, Pehrson said.
“You really get to be a hero and
be an example in their lives,” he said.
Pehrson said a Brigham Young University professor started ILP when he tried teaching his kids Spanish and failed. This experience led the professor to develop a language immersion program, which he started in Russia with a study abroad group. Students participate in everyday activities three hours a day while speaking only English.
A typical day consists of teaching three to four hours in class, where children rotate to different activities such as arts and crafts, drama and shop, Pehrson said.
“After two years in the program they are considered fully functional English speakers,” Pehrson said.
ILP is now a non-profit that is not affiliated with any universities and sends people around the world to teach English in schools, Pehrson said. These schools have a variety of children, from diplomats’ children in Russia, boarding school students in China and orphans in other countries.
-la.stewart@aggiemail.usu.edu