Job Discussion Forums

BocaNY · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 131

Hi All,

I am currently teaching a student who is from Yemen and has been in the US for three years. He is in middle school and is still a beginner ELL. I would like to get some background on how the elementary school system is over there. Are male student only taught by male teachers? Is it only done at the university level if it is or from the beginning their educational careers? Also any tips for how to best teach him. From what I have gathered he does not read or write Arabic.

Thanks for an information.

Cheers,

BocaNY

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

There's plenty of info on the Internet. Try a search with education system in yemen. Ditto for UNESCO and UNICEF, which report on education systems worldwide.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

If he can't read or write in Arabic, it sounds like he may not have had much school at all. Just a general answer, schools are segregated sexually... don't know if they have any female teachers in the male schools. I doubt it.

NS's suggestions will give you the story of the educational system, though much depends on where he came from... Sanaa versus some small village. That would also affect whether he had any English classes at all. I would assume not and use methodology for a zero level beginner.

Good Luck... if he isn't an eager learner, both you and he will have a hard slog to get him up to Middle School levels.

VS

lcanupp1964 · Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381

Your student will never reach his peers' level if he does not know how to communicate in English using all the skills needed. (no kidding, right?) I would spend 95% of my time teaching EFL to your student.

When I first went to Japan, I was given lessons (handouts, books) based on what the average Japanese pre-school student (around 3-4 years old) would do in class. I kept at it until I "passed" pre-school. It was silly and boring, but I learned.

Teach the basics. Teach them over and over again until he gets it. You don't need to know where he comes from in order to "reach him". Great teachers inspire.

Good luck on your journey. Smile

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

If he's been in the country for 3 years why isn't he already fluent in English? What have the parents been doing for those 3 years? Have they been providing him with something else other than English materials for self teaching? We don't need this type of family in the U.S.

I knew of a family where the father moved to Italy for 6 months on his job. My 10 year old friend came back with a substantial Italian capability. So what is wrong with this family?

MuscatGary · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:21 am Post subject:

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I know Brits who have worked in KSA for 20 years with ZERO Arabic !

Maybe this Yemeni family have the same attitude to America as many Western "expats" have to Saudi society ?

Reprehensible, but what would you do it about it ?