Teach and Travel: M.Ed. Students Do Brazil, Summer 2007

by Twyla Miranda, Ph.D.

Ten Texas Wesleyan graduate education students traveled to Piracicaba, Brazil, this summer to teach English to Brazilian adults. They enjoyed the times of their lives, experiencing the joys of traveling and teaching abroad, as well as national and professional pride in co-sharing culture.

The master’s level students were Favi Averola, Sharon Forman, Marcus Bryant, Casey Waggoner, Lilly Hartmann, Sheryle Kuehl, Meredith Webb, Johnny McKenzie, Berenice Felix-Diaz, and highly capable Fort Worth ESL instructor Debra Thomas. After an early morning arrival in Sao Paulo, the students explored for two days the jungles of Caqueta and the giant caverns that are in that area. Meredith Webb said that such outings should be mandatory for teachers – “the long hikes and water caves tested us, and we found enough courage. It was a great adventure!” Also, the group visited a small African-roots village whose people are of the Cangume tribe. “Walking through the village saddened me because, though the children seemed happy we were there, I felt somewhat useless. Our small donations were not enough,” said Berenice Felix-Diaz, of the village experience.

The group traveled on to Piracicaba, the home of UNIMEP, a large Methodist university. Here they stayed in one of the dormitories of the university and spent each day teaching groups of students high school age and older, who had enrolled in the English language classes. One group of students were teachers from Argentina, and that experience was very rewarding – to work on best teaching practices with teachers from Argentina! Other classes that Wesleyan students taught were academic English, business English, advanced English, and conversational English. Lilly Hartmann observed that “Brazilians are very desirous of learning other languages, especially English and Spanish, in order to secure their jobs and to become more global in their outlook. It was very impressive that despite the low income status of many of our students, learning languages was a priority.”

Besides enjoying the shops, the nightlife, the sights, and the wonderful people, the Wesleyan students all “zipped” down a mountain in San Pedro, on zip lines, not once, but several times. The trip ended all too soon, and the group returned to DFW with new visions and an enlightened understanding of what it means to teach English overseas and what it means to be immersed in a different culture. As Sharon Forman bubbled with enthusiasm, “My experience in Brazil was life-changing! The students invited me into their homes and to their favorite hang-outs to meet family and friends, and most wanted to spend all of their free time with us in order to practice their English and to learn more about American culture. The students were determined, motivated, generous, and I felt that in just one week I was able to make a difference in their lives. I made friendships that I hope will last forever.”

Look for more Wesleyan graduate education trips to be announced for summer 2008 and in the future. For complete coverage of these travel experiences and updates on future ones, I invite you to visit my website http://web.mac.com/twylatmiranda/.