Challenge
English proficiency is a valued skill throughout Latin America, but many schools encounter significant obstacles to preparing fluent students. Barriers include low levels of English fluency among teachers, the high cost of many English language programs, and the difficulty of delivering high-quality English instruction to remote rural schools or overcrowded urban ones.
Drawing on decades of research and experience, EDC created English for Latin America (ELA), an interactive audio instruction program. ELA provides teachers with the tools and culturally appropriate lessons they need to teach English effectively. The program can be implemented by teachers of all skills levels—from those fluent in English to teachers with limited or no English proficiency. It was developed using award-winning producers and artists, with voices from every country in Latin America and many countries throughout the world.
Key Activities
ELA uses dramas, songs, games, and more to help students achieve internationally recognized benchmarks in English. The program’s activities include the following:
- Provide audio-based programs that correspond to A1 and A2 levels of internationally recognized English teaching standards. Programs for B1 and B2 levels will be developed.
- Implement support at the school, district, and country levels, in both formal and out-of-school settings.
Impact
- In the Dominican Republic, ELA reached a total of 274 teachers in 185 schools. On the 2014–2015 school year, budgeting was targeted for 15,000 students.
- In mainland Honduras, ELA reached 21,000 students in 2016.
- In Roatán, ELA trained 49 teachers in 2018, for a target of 3,500 students. The program is continuing throughout 2019.