Turabo University
School of Professional Student
Undergraduate Program
Workshop 5
The Teaching of English in Puerto Rico
Curse: English 231
Research and Writing
Student: Elizabeth M. Crespo Aponte
Professor: Dr. Roberto Olmeda
Date: December 9, 2015
Introduction:
Educational systems are organized to provide for the students' development of
cognitive, social and technical skills through the teaching- learning process. The socioeconomic conditions prevailing at any point in time in the history of society determine
the nature of those skills. Only to the extent that educational systems provide for the
acquisition of specific knowledge and skills, education can meet the expectations of
being pertinent.
Education can only be pertinent, if it provides for the students' integral
development in their social, cultural, intellectual, moral and spiritual needs. Student's
integral development is central to the educating process planning. At he turn of twenty
first century, Puerto Rico needs to plan and implement initiatives and strategies that
facilitate the development of a human being capable of being positive and productive in
life. To live a productive life, people must be skillful to face the demands, challenges and
constraints of the new millennium. The positive aspect is, related to the values and
attitudes that make a good human being.
The Teaching of English in Puerto Rico
The importance for Puerto Ricans students to learn and to speak fluently the
English language is discussed in Puerto Rico everyday in the community and professional
circles. Regardless of the efforts that the Puerto Rico Department of Education has made
throughout the years, the reality is that Puerto Rican children are, not learning adequately
the English language in our Public School System.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education has regularly provided its students with
50 minutes of daily English instruction throughout their twelve years of schooling.
Nevertheless, the academic assessment data for the 1995-96 school year showed that 81
percent of the students in the Public School System has not developed the basic English
language skills to be able to use it in neither oral or written discourse. There are several
reasons that can explain this alarming reality. One of the main reasons could be that
English instruction in some schools is not being delivered using a natural and practical
approach, which is a prerequisite for the development of oral communication skills.
English instruction for many years has, been delivered following a grammaroriented approach, that very often places the students in right-or-wrong situations,
elevating their levels of anxiety and producing communication apprehension.
Unfortunately, this teaching learning reality in the English classroom is responsible, in
many ways, for the sense of insecurity that our children experience when teaming their
second language. It is fair to say that some teachers are conducting the class within the
whole language approach and most recently within the constructivist approach however,
theme a very few. If we add to this, that the time dedicated for English is not enough for
developing the skills we realize that something has to be done to improve learning
English. The outcome of this situation can be observed in the lack of motivation and
observable indifference toward learning English exhibited among student populations of
Puerto Rico Publish School System across the Island.
It is relevant to point out that the lowest students' scores, during the last Islandwide the administration, of La Prueba Puertorriqueña were obtained in English section.
English Scores showed only a 19 percent approval rate, and several school districts with
only a 10 percent approval rate. The 1995-96 College Board test results also indicated 19
percent of students with mean scores and above average scores as well.
Several studies have been conducted on the teaching of English in Puerto Rico
Public Schools (Torres, 1984; Soto, 1997 and Rodríguez, 1977). These studies analyzed
the English class from its history up to the teaching methods, didactic material and other
pedagogical areas. Many of these studies confirmed, among other things, that poor
academic achievement in English is promoted through the use of deficient teaching
methods such as memorization and repetition without comprehension.
There are several critical issues that need to be addressed in the proposed reform:
materials, instruction strategies, new theoretical framework for teaching, the standards of
excellence and curriculum alignment but most of all the time which will be provided for
learning the language is critical.
Another very important need, which must be taken care of, is the teacher’s
preparation for teaching English. The reality is that almost 50% of the teachers of English
do not hold an English certificate. This means that they have not taken the required
courses at the University which entities them to be certified. As a result of this, many
teachers interviewed reported lack of attention to very important matters of this academic
discipline. This is more dramatic at the elementary school level since the universities in
general do not graduate B.A.'s in English teaching. Only two campuses, out of over thirty,
graduate elementary English teachers but this is not highlighted. The elementary school
teachers only take one course in the teaching of ESL "English as a Second Language.
This is very limited to prepare them to teach English. If any student speaks the English
language fluently he or she may become a good English teacher with this one semester
course, if his/her ability is not adequate, it is a lot harder for him or her to be efficient
specially as pronunciation models.
This is not so with the students who graduate with a degree as English Teachers
For Spanish speakers or for speakers of other languages (TESS or TESOL Programs).
Most of these teachers have been placed at the intermediate level (7 - 12). This is the
level for which they are prepared professionally.
One problem that our public school system students confront is their lack of
language skills in English, and they're placed in an American school, when their parents
decide to travel with them to the United States. We all know that due to our Families'
socio-economic status all of our students are potential migrants. Moreover, they
participate in a circulatory migration moving back and forth during the same school year.
Conclusion;
As far as curriculum reform is concerned, the Department of Education
established as pedagogical policy the cognitive-humanistic theory and the constructivist
approach as foundations for teaching since 1994. In addition to this, the standards of
excellence were formulated. However, this new orientation has not reached all the
teachers a lot has been done in development activities but more needs to be done. New
supervision paradigms must be part of the reform in order to change supervision to focus
on technical assistance rather than visits for evaluating the teachers.
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