Presented by
Tin Mar Lar Lwin Gugin
ED673/Inclusion of Linguistically Diverse Students
Spring 2013
GETTING TO KNOW OTHER CULTURES:
PALAU
LOCATION



Consisted of small islands in
the northern Pacific Ocean,
Located in Oceana, southeast
of the Philippines with the
total area of 459 sq/km
Varies geologically from the
high, mountainous main
island of Babelthuap to low,
coral islands mainly fringed
by large barrier reefs (Palau.
CIA. The World Factbook)
ON THE MAP AND THE NATIONAL FLAG
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The original settlers – from Indonesia
 Was explored by the Spanish navigator Ruy
López de Villalobos in 1543
 Remained under nominal Spanish ownership
for more than 300 years
 Was sold to Germany in 1899
 Japan occupied Palau during World War I and
received a mandate over the islands until the
U.S. seized them during World War II

HISTORICAL CONTEXT (CONTINUED)
After the war in 1947, the islands became a UN
trusteeship, administered by the U.S.
 In 1992, Palau signed a Compact of Free
Association with the U.S.
 Economic aid was provided by the U.S. in
exchange for the right to build and maintain
U.S. military facilities in Palau
 Became a sovereign state in 1994

PEOPLE AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

a mixed population of Malay, Melanesian, Filipino, and Polynesian
ancestry due to the proximity to southeast Asia and Oceania

Palauans (about 70% of the population) are predominantly
Micronesian with a mix of Malayan and Melanesian strains.

There are minorities of Filipinos, Chinese, and other Asians.

Linguistically and culturally Palau shares prehistoric links with the
peoples of the Philippines and eastern Indonesia

Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are the predominant religions.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Palau comprises several cultures and languages
 Palauan  an Austronesian language of a
Western subgroup
 Along with Chamorro (Mariana Islands), is
considered separate from the other Micronesian
and Pacific languages grouped under the label
"Oceanic."
 English and Palauan are official languages; elders
also read and speak Japanese. The Palauan
language incorporates Spanish, German,
Japanese, and English loanwords.

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY




Traditional schools, as with other cultures, include chanting and
story-telling was a way of passing on morals, values, and
knowledge.
Under the Spanish control, in 1891, Capuchin missionaries
started a Catholic school in Palau, promoting the Christian way
of living.
During the German control, in 1902, the first school for
policemen was opened by the Germans, the first vocational
school in Palau
During the Japanese occupation, the first formal public school
system was introduced in Palau, and “unlike Spain or Germany,
they set up a well organized school system throughout the
islands of Micronesia” (Quoted by Luka, 2011).
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY (CONTINUED)
Under the American control, the U.S Navy
introduced a curriculum that included Palauan
language, art, English (reading and writing).
 In 1962, the Kennedy Administration introduced
the Accelerated Elementary School Program;
English as the language of instruction and ESL
became available in Palauan schools
 Due to the stagnant economy during the early
years of the American administration, the
Palauans sought employment and education in
the United States and its Pacific territories

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY (CONTINUED)
A process of Palauan out-migration began
 There are now second- and third-generation
emigrants, especially in Guam, Saipan, and
Hawai`i,
 have well-established social networks that
facilitate education and employment opportunities
for the extended families
 spread across Palau, Guam, the Northern
Marianas, the United States, Japan, China, and the
Philippines

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY (CONTINUED)
Since the 1960s, Palauan students have had
access to US scholarships and loans for college
and other tertiary training.
 The educational level of the overseas Palauans
is high, and many hold professional and
managerial positions
 Those who hold skilled or semi-skilled positions
enjoy pay levels higher than those available in
Palau. (Nero, Murray, and Burton, 2000)

PALAU HIGH SCHOOL





First public high school in
Palau and reestablished in
1962
Is accredited by WASC
Enlists students pursuing a
secondary education in
academics or vocational trade
www.palaumoe.net/phs/
Palau High School.JPG
commons.wikimedia.org
PCC – PALAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE




Micronesian Occupational College that was founded in
1969 as a two-year post-secondary vocational/technical
institution became Palau Community College in 1993
Has got accreditation from WASC for the past 30 years
The mission statement, “Palau Community College is an
accessible public educational institution helping to meet
the technical, academic, cultural, social, and economic
needs of students and communities by promoting
learning opportunities and developing personal
excellence.”
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college.../palaucommunity-colleg...
CORE VALUES
“According to the research of the Palau Society of Historians and the
Bureau of Arts and Culture (2006), there are eight fundamental
principles and components that were taught to Palauan children in
their homes and clubs (p.3-4).”
 Respect
 Responsibility
 Occupation
 Obedience, Kindness, and Perseverance
 Visits to Kin and Others
 Humility and Verbal Conduct
 Care and Compassion
 Concern for the Needs and Problems of Family
Quoted by Virginia Luka (2011) in her paper” Palau: Impacts of
Education and Cultural Changes.”
ROLES OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE
CLASSROOM



Matrilineal society
“The basic unit is the
telungalek —people
descended from one
woman” (The culture of
Palau)
Picture from
pacificislandtravel.com
ROLES OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS
FOR THE CLASSROOM (CONTINUED)





The components of the core values taught to the
children since at a very young age play the major role for
the related perspective
Membership in a clan is passed down generation to
generation from a mother’s line
Both men and women may rightfully be offered a title in
a clan passed through the female side of a family.
When a chief died, his title returned to the woman in his
lineage
Various members of a child’s family were in charge of
teaching proper behaviors such as a child’s maternal
uncles, as well as female titleholders
DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOR
Disciplines and behaviors also reflect the core
values
 “Self-sacrifice for the good of the family was
considered better than individual advancement”
(Luka, 2011)
 Children are given everyday responsibilities in their
home, clan, and society
 Youths learned from each other while performing
different assignments and occupations that were
given depending on their personal background
knowledge and skills

DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOR (CONTINUED)
They demonstrate kindness towards their village
by providing financial support and practiced
perseverance by working together
 Older people teach core values to the younger by
example
 Children are expected to learn who their relatives
and familial responsibilities are, including caring
for family members (especially elders and the sick)
 Children are also taught to be humble and to
speak properly to others.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM







Both collaborative and vicarious learning styles are evident
in Palauan culture
Implicates “Creating a Sense of Belonging” (Peregoy & Boyle,
pp. 16-17)
First and foremost importance to help the new Palauan
students feel that they are “part of the social fabric of the
class”
Home group
One-to-one attention of the personal buddy
Repetition of class routines within a meaningful concrete
context
Context-embedded instructions
PALAUAN ORAL LANGUAGE HISTORY AND
IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM





“For students learning English as a second language in
school, oral language development plays a key role “
(Peregoy and Boyle)
They discuss the importance of oral language
development in academic success
“Retelling” is especially significant for Palauan
students’ English language learning and success in
school
“Culturally compatible in an oral society” especially
retelling the story to one’s partner or in a group “builds
upon the collaborative nature of Pacific Islanders”
(Stoicovy, UOG)
Context-embedded as well as culturally appropriate
content-based lesson plans will be most helpful
FOOD AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE PALAUAN
COMMUNITY






Traditionally, men provide protein, women provide
starch
Each clan has certain recognized food taboos
Special foods for titled individuals and for pregnant
and lactating women
The extended family system was organized around a
series of clan exchanges of food and related valuables
during special occasions
soft or hard taro, tapioca, or rice, pork and fish
Japanese and American foods, and recent additions various cuisines of China, the Philippines, and Korea
FOOD AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE PALAUAN
COMMUNITY
Palauan tapioca - it's ground down from the root and mixed with some sugar
and water, then stuffed inside frond leaves, sewn up with twine, then boiled
for awhile. It's a great-tasting starch
(Davesensei.blogspot.com Palau+Emadch2-2275.jpg)
REFERENCES








Culture of Palau: Countries and Their Cultures. Retrieved from
http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Palau.html
Luka, Virginia. (Spring 2011). Palau: History of Education and Cultural
Impacts. McNair. Scholars Journal, 7, 45-60.
www.sou.edu/mcnair/documents/LukaCV.pdf
Nero, Karen L; Murray, Fermina Brel; Burton, Michael L. (2000, september
22). The Meanings of Work in Contemporary Palau: Policy Implications of
Globalization in the Pacific. The contemporary Pacific. Retrieved from
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/palau.html#ixzz2PZmR2M
4Q
Palau – CIA – The World Factbook. Retrieved from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ps.html
Peregoy, S. Boyle, O. (2008). Oral Language Development in SLA. Reading,
Writing, and Learning in ESL (pp. 115-150). Boston: Pearson.
Stoicovy, C. E. Culturally Responsive Instruction for Pacific Islanders: Helping
to Close the Gap. SOE. College of Professional Studies. UOG