Wednesday, August 06, 2008 Tabanda seeks cross-culture orientation from Tesda By Rimaliza Opiña
ENGLISH tutorial schools should dwell not only on teaching English but also on the culture of the teacher and student.
With the sprouting of English tutorial schools catering mostly to Korean students, Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda said the meeting of two different cultures might result in a misunderstanding between Koreans and Filipinos. Orienting both on the culture of each country could help one understand the other's practices and traditions, she added.
Tabanda proposed to the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) that it requires the integration of cross-cultural orientation in the curriculum of English proficiency program for foreign students.
She said cross-cultural orientation would help lessen the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of actions that may be innate but may be given a different meaning by others.
Tabanda said this orientation would arm foreign students with a deeper understanding of the Filipino culture and would help them better interact during their stay in the country.
In a related proposal, Tabanda also asked the Tesda to establish a district here in Baguio. Because the city happens to be the center of trade and governance in the region, establishing a district office here would cut down the time of transactions at its office in La Trinidad, she said.
