Kids in the third and fourth grades (ages nine to twelve) now have their first chance to speak and write English. In a pilot program started last summer classes are held for three hours on Saturday mornings and on school holidays.
Cetana is grateful to the Riverside Church in New York City for providing a grant that enables us to be able to expand this program to additional levels in an intensive school holiday program. Students attend classes five days a week for special classes that provide solid grounding in speaking and listening. Classes will continue on weekends during the school year.
The goal is to have students fluent in English by the time they graduate from high school. As with all our programs the Cetana course of study incorporates age-appropriate critical thinking components.
Student success will be measured by the ability to pass the Cambridge-based KET English comprehension exam at the time of high school graduation. This exam evaluates achievement in both written and spoken English.
Classes are directed to students who come from families with limited financial resources. Tuition is paid by the class term but breaks down to about $1 per session.
With this new program Cetana has been able to bring these classes, modeled on the successful program in Kyaing Tong, to students in Yangon.
Professionals in the field frequently stress that the earlier a child begins to learn a second language the easier it is to learn and that fluency will be achieved more rapidly.