Using Using RealiaRealia & & Environmental Assets:Environmental Assets:
EFL for EFL for HimalayanHimalayan Buddhist Buddhist NunsNuns
Where in the WorldWhere in the World Are these Nuns?Are these Nuns?
Why Why EnglishEnglish??
H.H. Dalai Lama H.H. Dalai Lama says says “It’s All Good”:“It’s All Good”:
– Refugee Refugee SurvivalSurvival
– Sacred Sacred TeachingsTeachings
– Global JusticeGlobal Justice
Handicraft Sales: Handicraft Sales: jewelry, weavings, jewelry, weavings, etc.etc.
Tourism $$Tourism $$ Int’l volunteersInt’l volunteers Int’l donation $$Int’l donation $$ World Buddhist World Buddhist
network network
Int’l EnglishInt’l English Opens the Way Opens the Way to:to:
ESP TargetsESP Targets for Nuns for Nuns
TourismTourism School School
TeacherTeacher HandicraftsHandicrafts Nurse-MidwifeNurse-Midwife Political ActionPolitical Action
Where the Convents Are:Where the Convents Are:No Next-Day Deliveries No Next-Day Deliveries
In In Spiti,Spiti, Himachal Himachal Pradesh Pradesh (India)(India)
LadakhLadakh
NepalNepal
Near Mt. Near Mt. EverestEverest
LovelyLovely in in summer-summer-autumnautumn
FREEZINGFREEZING in winter!in winter!
Pema Cho Ling – Pema Cho Ling – Summer-timeSummer-time
Deboche-Tengboche Deboche-Tengboche (Nepal)(Nepal)
Winter-timeWinter-time HimalHimal = Snow = Snow LayaLaya = Land = Land
Jungle MonasteriesJungle MonasteriesIndia, BhutanIndia, Bhutan
Hot & SteamyHot & Steamy Built in CavesBuilt in Caves Snakes, Spiders, Snakes, Spiders,
ScorpionsScorpions Books CrumbleBooks Crumble Ink RunsInk Runs Chalk DissolvesChalk Dissolves
Himalayan Himalayan Realia Realia & Environmental & Environmental AssetsAssets
No classroom No classroom – – – Where is the space?Where is the space?
No paper or pens No paper or pens – – – How to write?How to write?
No books No books – – – What texts?What texts?
No materials No materials – – – What to talk about?What to talk about?
Where is the learning space?Where is the learning space?Monastery GroundsMonastery Grounds
Space is Space is cramped cramped insideinside
Most EFL Most EFL happens happens outsideoutside
TeacherTeacher keeps keeps this this spacespace centeredcentered
How to write?How to write?On the hillside, in the On the hillside, in the
courtyardcourtyard
ABC’sABC’s In In dirtdirt, with , with
stickssticks In In mudmud, with , with
fingersfingers In In snowsnow, with , with
stickssticks On On riverbankriverbank, ,
with pebbleswith pebbles
What are our texts?What are our texts? The Teacher’s MemoryThe Teacher’s Memory
Fairy Tales!Fairy Tales! CinderellaCinderella Snow WhiteSnow White Hansel & Hansel &
GretelGretel Your Childhood Your Childhood
FavoritesFavorites
What are our texts?What are our texts? The Teacher’s MemoryThe Teacher’s Memory
SongsSongs with with Movement!Movement!
Farmer in the Farmer in the DellDell
Hokey PokeyHokey Pokey Your Childhood Your Childhood
FavoritesFavorites
What are our texts?What are our texts? The Teacher’s MemoryThe Teacher’s Memory
Poems with Poems with RhythmRhythm
One Fish Two One Fish Two FishFish
A.A. MilneA.A. Milne LimericksLimericks Your Childhood Your Childhood
FavoritesFavorites
What are our texts?What are our texts? The Students’ MemoriesThe Students’ Memories
Folktales Folktales – can be – can be acted out in simple acted out in simple wordswords
Himalayan Himalayan students know students know DOZENS of DOZENS of folktales!folktales!
What are our texts?What are our texts? Oral Tradition – Memorized Oral Tradition – Memorized
StoriesStories
What are our texts?What are our texts? The Students’ MemoriesThe Students’ Memories
Songs!Songs!– Students sing Students sing
one one in Tibetanin Tibetan– Teacher sings Teacher sings
one one in Englishin English Learn to Learn to Sing Sing
Each Others’Each Others’ SongsSongs!!
Class Materials?Class Materials? Realia:Realia: Khukuri’sKhukuri’s
Knives & scythesKnives & scythes Talk about:Talk about:
– Cutting animal feedCutting animal feed– CookingCooking– Harvesting grainsHarvesting grains– CarpentryCarpentry– House-buildingHouse-building– Shearing yak & Shearing yak &
sheepsheep
Class Materials?Class Materials? Realia:Realia: Butter-Churn Butter-Churn ChangChang
Talk about how Talk about how to make:to make:– Salt-Butter teaSalt-Butter tea– Barley BeerBarley Beer– Rice BeerRice Beer– Wheat BeerWheat Beer– How Girls Learn How Girls Learn
to Cookto Cook
Class Materials?Class Materials? Realia:Realia: In the Gompa In the Gompa
Talk about:Talk about:– ColorsColors– Room parts: Room parts:
floor, floor, ceiling, wallceiling, wall
– Furniture: Furniture: shelves, shelves, tablestables
Class Materials?Class Materials? Current Events =Current Events = New New
VocabularyVocabulary ““Eye Camp”Eye Camp” 3 3
days awaydays away Talk about:Talk about:
– EyesEyes– CataractsCataracts– BlindnessBlindness– DoctorsDoctors– SurgerySurgery– Health-careHealth-care
Class Materials?Class Materials? Current Events =Current Events = New New
VocabularyVocabulary ““Mani Rimdu”Mani Rimdu”
morality playmorality play Talk about:Talk about:
– DemonsDemons– ProtectorsProtectors– Big LamasBig Lamas– Guru RinpocheGuru Rinpoche– Sherpa StoriesSherpa Stories
Materials to Talk About?Materials to Talk About? Realia:Realia: They Walk thru Town They Walk thru Town
Yak & SheepYak & Sheep Talk about:Talk about:
– Where to grazeWhere to graze– What they eatWhat they eat– Dairy milk, butter, Dairy milk, butter,
cheesecheese– How to shear their How to shear their
woolwool– How to tame a wild How to tame a wild
yakyak
Class Materials?Class Materials? Realia:Realia: Hitched Out Front Hitched Out Front
Pack Pack AnimalsAnimals
Talk Talk about:about:– Load Load
size?size?– What What
altitudealtitude??
Class Materials?Class Materials? Assessment:Assessment: Find A Tourist Find A Tourist
A A fun testfun test to do in the to do in the Village:Village:
Waylay a TouristWaylay a Tourist– Teacher requests Teacher requests
Tourist to ask Tourist to ask a polite a polite English question:English question:
– ““Where can I drink Where can I drink tea?”tea?”
– See if students can See if students can answer in English!answer in English!
– (or if they get scared & (or if they get scared & run away!)run away!)
Will this Will this Tourist Tourist
help set up help set up our Test?our Test?
Will this Will this Tourist Tourist
help set up help set up our Test?our Test?
How about How about this one?this one?
Well OK – Well OK – Just ask Just ask this one!this one!
Tashi Delek!Tashi Delek!
Resources:
www.tnp.org - Seattle & Dharamsala- Seattle & Dharamsala
www.jamyang.org - San Diego & Zanskar / Spiti (Ladakh)- San Diego & Zanskar / Spiti (Ladakh)
Om Mani Peme HungOm Mani Peme Hung
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