School holidays are upon us! ETAs are bound for incredible destinations around the region from Laos and Vietnam to Sri Lanka and India. This mid-term break also means that the ETAs have reached the halfway mark in their grant year. To mark this occasion, last weekend they all returned to Kuala Lumpur for a Mid-Year Assessment. They were met by Ambassador Paul Jones at the MACEE headquarters. The ETAs shared stories of their lives in Johor, Pahang, and Terengganu, regaling the Ambassador with tales of their efforts to engage students in and outside of the classroom. They emphasized the improvements they’ve noticed already in the speaking ability and confidence in English of their students.
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| Ambassador Paul Jones addresses the ETAs |
The English Teaching Assistants have had remarkable success creatively engaging their students with poetry, games, and story-telling in the classroom, and getting students excited about extracurricular activities like Debate Team, Ultimate Frisbee, and Drama Club. They have also made great strides in adapting themselves to local customs, and have introduced their communities to facets of American culture as well, be it through a campfire sing-along or teaching American recipes in a cooking club. The ETAs are looking forward to seeing what new challenges and experiences await them in the second half of their grant term, as they deepen their bonds to the communities and schools they’ve become a part of.
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| ETAs discuss their experiences in the schools |
