using realia & environmental assets:

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