Using the English Language to Bridge the Gap
When We Entered Nadia
In Nadia you will find a crowded station, and even more crowded narrow streets where the only place to walk is in the middle of the road. On the way to school you will find many people playing carrom, and children chasing hens and goats. The roads are winding, surrounded by lush green fields and many small water bodies. This experience made us wonder how the people of Nadia would accept the English Language and technology in their lives.
Changing with the English Language
The schools in Nadia are wonderful. The children are bursting with enthusiasm and have very big dreams. Each student smiling ear to ear and having the confidence to come up, ask us our names, and how we were doing. The sound of collective reading echoed down the hallways of the schools. ReadToMe helped the students pronounce the words that they used to have trouble with, as it broke down each word with the ‘Spelling tool.’ “Before this, the only teaching learning methodology I used was the blackboard, chalk, and some stories. Now ReadToMe has brought life to the class. ReadToMe is very important for all first generation learners in school” said Biswarupa Bhattacharya, the English teacher in Salua Academy. The use of technology with English language learning has changed the teaching methods.
Dreams and Aspirations of Students in Nadia
When we asked one of the students in class 5 what he wants to be when he grows up, his response was “I love old houses. I love to see how they are made. When I think of an idea I like, I write it down. I make maps of the perfect house I will build for my family. I also want to rebuild some of the shaky bridges we have around.” We taught little Abheek the word ‘Architect’ before we left.
Helping the children realize their dreams through the use of the English language motivated us more than ever. Here is to crossing and building more bridges on our journey with RightToRead!
– Written by a member of the EnglishHelper Team.
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