Despite studying English at all levels of education, Bhutanese students do not gain ability to speak English as expected. This was one of the findings revealed by Dr. Mark LaPrairie from his study on “English medium education in Bhutan: Is it working?”
Dr. Mark LaPrairie, the former World Bank Representative to Bhutan, found that there is a lack of language based interaction between teachers and students inside classrooms. Having been a teacher himself in the late 1980’s in eastern Bhutan, he said even with many reforms not much has changed inside the classrooms from 25 years ago.
“While lot of reforms have taken place around the system there seems to be a last sort of few steps that need to be taken, to really translate those reforms into classroom practices,” he added.
He also mentioned that language proficiency of teachers is an important factor. He said not just language teachers but all teachers are models of good language. “When I asked history or geography or science teachers about their support of English in the classroom they say….’oh that’s the English teacher’s job’. “That’s not the case. In a second or foreign language medium education or say English medium system all teachers are English teachers to some degree or another,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. LaPraire suggested that teacher-training institutes should focus more on providing innovative trainings or teaching methods for a better teacher-student interaction in the classroom.
“I would really recommend that the teacher training programs here have a full on focus on ESL, meaning the four years of teacher training strongly emphasize bringing up teacher’s own level of proficiency and if a Bhutanese graduate needs 6.5 on the IELTS to study in Australia or Canada why don’t teachers going into Bhutan’s own English medium system need to have the same level of proficiency,” he questioned.
The director of the department of curriculum, research and development, Kesang Choden, said that it has just been about seven years since the implementation of new curriculum. “The reform is yet to be seen,” she added.
She also pointed out that Bhutanese teachers tend to compartmentalize their subjects because of which from last year, schools have been directed to develop an action plan, which clearly states the language policy.
She said that the enhancement of English language in schools should be a united effort.
