Project Question

Project Question: How does English learning affect identity among foreign language learners in this area, and what are the best pedagogical approaches to teaching the different groups, (e.g. Monks, adolescents, mothers), dependent upon their specific desires for learning?

Right now that question feels a little wordy, and obtuse.  I'm hoping to articulate it better as time goes on and focus more specifically one what I will be doing.  It's a big question, a few big questions, and I'm only one girl that as of yet doesn't have a lot of experience.  I've already found myself grateful for the study and research that has been done that sparks ideas or inspires me towards my own interests; but it leaves me wondering what I have to offer and what contribution I will give.


I looked heavily into doing study abroad in some form because I have always been excited about the prospects of learning from other people, other cultures, other areas of the world or even my own country that I am not familiar with.  I recall an experience from early in my education when we were discussing a world war in some form.  My mind started racing and kept going all that day, wondering about the people, families, children, girls just like me in that town we bombed.  Suddenly war felt different to me, national pride felt different to me, the "enemy" looked different to me.  Life can begin very black and white and it is only through our experiences and education that we can begin to see how our own paradigm of the world is not the same black and white as someone else - and it doesn't make me right and them wrong or vice versa.  Then that concept becomes the real question to work through.

Now that I've digressed, let me bring it back; I was excited to travel the world and live, really live, with another culture of people so I could learn from them, and them from me.  It's easy, so easy, to lose sight of my desire to learn from them as I've been so focused on research and project ideas and what it is I can do or add to everything.  I suppose that is very important, but I feel it will ultimately mean nothing to me if I don't keep in perspective my original purposes and desire to learn from the people.


To end, here is a quote I appreciated a lot from my reading today.  This Author sums up a lot of why I want to be a part of education, in general, and for this study a part of the English education of Tibetans in India.
  
Understanding how identity functions in and for Tibetan students in India offers the
potential to create an appropriate, relevant and ultimately more meaningful
educational experience for them. (Maslak 65-106)

I believe everyone needs the chance to have a meaningful education.  I didn't start out thinking much about identity, although the topic due to my location has become interesting to me, but as I read more and more I realize how what I want to do has a great impact on identity and education has everything to do with identity.  These are some directions I'm planning to focus towards now.

References:

Maslak, Mary Ann. "School as a site of Tibetan ethnic identity construction in India? Results from a content analysis of textbooks and Delphi study of teachers’ perceptions." Educational Review. 60.1 (2008): 65-106. Print.