English education development has been a focus of the Colombian Education Department over the last few decades. Part of my organizations’ work is to help in this initiative through partnering with local teachers in rural to semi-urban public schools that have more limited resources.
The need in my community that I will focus on in this article is English-learning. Supporting English education is my primary role here in Plato. I co-teach English at a local public school for 6th to 11th grade. I also teach evening community English classes for anyone in town. My goal is to help reinforce English education in Plato through teacher-trainings, student motivation and the introduction of new English materials.
English is often the only foreign language that Colombian students will have the oportunity to learn (especially in Plato), so it is important that there is ample support for its development. Language learning at any age has many developmental benefits. For students, it's a necessary part of education and a gift for future opportunities.
Secondary language classrooms are also great opportunities to learn about other cultures and develop a global perspective. The wider Plato community benefits from this greatly as it lacks foreign tourism compared to other parts of Colombia.
