36 young people from Liceo Carlos Mondaca and Colegio Edmundo Vidal Cárdenas will be part of the initiative that we carry out together with the U.S. Embassy in Chile and will have 360 hours of formal instruction in this language over two years.
36 high school students from Liceo Carlos Mondaca and Colegio Edmundo Vidal Cárdenas in the commune of Vicuña were awarded scholarships to participate in We Learn Access, an English language program that will seek to enhance their English language skills.
The aim is that in the two years of the program they will be able to reach level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At this level, students will be able to introduce themselves, converse on everyday and personal topics, describe images and people, understand short and long texts of medium complexity, write informal communications, express opinions on specific topics and understand medium-length speeches.
This extracurricular course is a collaboration between Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and the U.S. Embassy in Chile. It has a duration of 180 hours per year, will be taught by two English teachers, one for each group, and will have a local coordination team and the collaboration of the management teams of both schools involved, to monitor and support the development of the program.
The head of the We Learn program at Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, Paz Collao, explained that "English is a communicative tool that, if it is not used, it is forgotten. It is important to continue to promote its learning and practice at all levels of schooling, from early childhood to secondaryeducation".
He added that "this program is also framed in the development of very important skills for the young people who participate, for example, youth leadership and the development of local identity. The aim is for them to continue to improve their level of English, but always in a context of comprehensive training".
ABOUT WE LEARN
In response to the need for improvements in the teaching of English in public education at a national level, Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and its We Learn program have been collaborating with schools in the Elqui Valley since 2006 with the aim of promoting the teaching of English from an early age.
In addition, thanks to the collaboration with the US Embassy in Chile, since 2018 it has been implementing the We Learn Access scholarship program, to provide continuity to the development of students in this language at secondary level.
