Couple helps children learn English
By CAROL SOUTH
Special to the Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY -- "Farang" and loving it.
Kathryn and Frank Lepera returned home in early March from a month in Thailand, where they relished being "farang" -- foreigners -- while teaching school children English. The couple, who settled in Traverse City after their marriage two years ago, had previously traveled to Europe and Greece but never to Asia. For almost two years, they had been considering a trip to Thailand that included teaching English -- their own way of giving back. They were determined to be more than mere tourists by immersing themselves in a culture and connecting with the people.
Internet research led them to the Learn2Give Teaching Project and they signed up for a week of teaching. The program's concept of living with a host family and teaching every day, all day in school was perfect.
"(We) found others you had to pay to volunteer and spent only an hour a day with students," said Frank, a biologist for the Great Lakes Environmental Center.
While their trip included time to explore the country, including beaches and cities, they landed in Bangkok after nearly 24 hours traveling not sure if or where they would be teaching. A stop at an Internet café found an e-mail from Learn2Give assigning them to the Green Mango School in Pho Sai, a village of about 100 homes.
"We replied to them, 'We'll be on this train, you'll pick us up, right?'" recalled Kathryn, who works as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Grand Traverse County's MSU Extension office. After a week in Bangkok doing tourist-type things, the Leperas headed north to a rural agricultural area where mastering English can mean a better life. They lived with a teacher for their week's stint, becoming a part of her family and integrating into village life.
"They were so nice to us and hospitable and gracious," Frank said. They listened respectfully with the family to a 7 a.m. address on the radio by the country's king; the National Anthem played nightly at 6 p.m. In this patriotic country, all activity comes to a standstill -- even in a busy train station -- as everyone is quiet and stands for these daily broadcasts.
Sharing meals every evening provided more bonding time for the Americans and their Thai host family. "There's something about sitting down every night at dinner, that was my favorite time," Kathryn said.
Working every day in different classes, Frank and Kathryn volunteered in a primary school of about 100 students in grades 1-6. The program and school provided some teaching materials but others they came up with on the fly, including a cobbled together Scrabble game that was a big hit.
They taught both solo and in tandem in the school, which they characterized as very formal compared to the United States. This extended to more than just the crisp uniforms students wore daily.
"Every morning they would stand and bow and say, 'Good morning teacher,'" said Frank, noting that part of their culture is to respect elders. "When the teacher was talking, they always listen."
The teaching profession is highly respected in Thailand and teachers had no trouble with behavior.
"We'd walk into this class and there's no teacher in there to control the students and we don't speak Thai," said Kathryn, but there were never any problems. Throughout their stay, any temporary discomfiture was usually managed by the Thai culture's tendency for friendly smiles and laughter.
The Learn2Give Teaching Project is a nonprofit organization formed by students at the Ubon Ratchathani University. It is an outgrowth of an English language club -- the English Crazy Club -- formed in 2003 by students determined to boost English skills of school children in northeastern Thailand.
Initially the group held a series of English camps in these rural provinces but realized these did not spark sufficient enthusiasm and understanding.
The next step, Learn2Give, had a simple vision to bridge this gap: bring volunteers from around the world to teach English at the schools. Individuals, friends or couples pay their own expenses to Thailand and live with a host family for a block of time, teaching daily at the village school.
"Not a lot of tourists go to northeastern Thailand and they need to learn English from a native speaker," Kathryn said. "They're really good at hearing different tones because (Thai) is a tonal language. The children are really good at picking up inflections from their teachers -- when I'd say anything they'd repeat it back to me, like an echo."
For more information on Learn2Give Teaching Project or an upcoming fundraising effort to help the Green Mango School, call Kathryn Lepera at (517) 505-1368.
By CAROL SOUTH
Special to the Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY -- "Farang" and loving it.
Kathryn and Frank Lepera returned home in early March from a month in Thailand, where they relished being "farang" -- foreigners -- while teaching school children English. The couple, who settled in Traverse City after their marriage two years ago, had previously traveled to Europe and Greece but never to Asia. For almost two years, they had been considering a trip to Thailand that included teaching English -- their own way of giving back. They were determined to be more than mere tourists by immersing themselves in a culture and connecting with the people.
Internet research led them to the Learn2Give Teaching Project and they signed up for a week of teaching. The program's concept of living with a host family and teaching every day, all day in school was perfect.
"(We) found others you had to pay to volunteer and spent only an hour a day with students," said Frank, a biologist for the Great Lakes Environmental Center.
While their trip included time to explore the country, including beaches and cities, they landed in Bangkok after nearly 24 hours traveling not sure if or where they would be teaching. A stop at an Internet café found an e-mail from Learn2Give assigning them to the Green Mango School in Pho Sai, a village of about 100 homes.
"We replied to them, 'We'll be on this train, you'll pick us up, right?'" recalled Kathryn, who works as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Grand Traverse County's MSU Extension office. After a week in Bangkok doing tourist-type things, the Leperas headed north to a rural agricultural area where mastering English can mean a better life. They lived with a teacher for their week's stint, becoming a part of her family and integrating into village life.
"They were so nice to us and hospitable and gracious," Frank said. They listened respectfully with the family to a 7 a.m. address on the radio by the country's king; the National Anthem played nightly at 6 p.m. In this patriotic country, all activity comes to a standstill -- even in a busy train station -- as everyone is quiet and stands for these daily broadcasts.
Sharing meals every evening provided more bonding time for the Americans and their Thai host family. "There's something about sitting down every night at dinner, that was my favorite time," Kathryn said.
Working every day in different classes, Frank and Kathryn volunteered in a primary school of about 100 students in grades 1-6. The program and school provided some teaching materials but others they came up with on the fly, including a cobbled together Scrabble game that was a big hit.
They taught both solo and in tandem in the school, which they characterized as very formal compared to the United States. This extended to more than just the crisp uniforms students wore daily.
"Every morning they would stand and bow and say, 'Good morning teacher,'" said Frank, noting that part of their culture is to respect elders. "When the teacher was talking, they always listen."
The teaching profession is highly respected in Thailand and teachers had no trouble with behavior.
"We'd walk into this class and there's no teacher in there to control the students and we don't speak Thai," said Kathryn, but there were never any problems. Throughout their stay, any temporary discomfiture was usually managed by the Thai culture's tendency for friendly smiles and laughter.
The Learn2Give Teaching Project is a nonprofit organization formed by students at the Ubon Ratchathani University. It is an outgrowth of an English language club -- the English Crazy Club -- formed in 2003 by students determined to boost English skills of school children in northeastern Thailand.
Initially the group held a series of English camps in these rural provinces but realized these did not spark sufficient enthusiasm and understanding.
The next step, Learn2Give, had a simple vision to bridge this gap: bring volunteers from around the world to teach English at the schools. Individuals, friends or couples pay their own expenses to Thailand and live with a host family for a block of time, teaching daily at the village school.
"Not a lot of tourists go to northeastern Thailand and they need to learn English from a native speaker," Kathryn said. "They're really good at hearing different tones because (Thai) is a tonal language. The children are really good at picking up inflections from their teachers -- when I'd say anything they'd repeat it back to me, like an echo."
For more information on Learn2Give Teaching Project or an upcoming fundraising effort to help the Green Mango School, call Kathryn Lepera at (517) 505-1368.
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