British Expatriate Network

Tonight I am going to a meeting/social gathering celebrating cultural diversity, for parents at our elementary school. I am one of six "foreign" parents who has been asked to speak for seven to ten minutes on the differences and similarities between schools where we come from and the school our children are attending here.

"No problem", I said. Now I have three hours to go, I am wondering what exactly I am going to say! So I have to be organised instead of talking off the top of my head as usual. Public speaking doesn't bother me at all - in fact I rather like it, but I'm supposed to stop after only ten minutes and that will be the hardest part for me! Better make some notes.....

The other speakers are from Argentina, Lebanon, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Japan. I will be second, following the Argentinian speaker. Most of the audience, I feel, are more likely to be other foreigners. There will be a lot of ethnic food too, so it should be a good evening.

Anyway, I'm off to think a bit more about my speech so that I can stun them with my ready wit and penetrating insight!

But surely, you can't be foreign, it's always the others. By definition. twisted

My problem would be that I have no idea what UK schools are like anymore... except that over there they tend to bring knives and over here they bring guns...

I don't know whether I am too late on this but could it be worth talking on something called "Writing Across the Curriculum" (in the UK I believe it may have been called language across the curriculum)? It is something that is in both education systems but occur at different times - in the UK it is something that starts almost immediately in that subjects are not separated and children constantly write. the idea being that children learn to bridge the gaps between science, English and the humanities, or more correctly show that there aren't gaps. Whereas, in the US it is something that doesn't start until post-secondary education. The issue with delaying it is that students are already set at thinking of these things as being different and not connected, and therefore struggle to make a connection.

It could be something that, as both a teacher in the UK and a parent here, you are able to explain the concept really well. )

The education I received at primary school was not at all like the one I gave when teaching. I still maintain that schools here are in many ways behind in their practices but that there are some very good things that go on here, such as getting the children to make oral presentations of their work from a young age.

I was going to mention that much of what we did was topic-based and we did not teach formal grammar and that we had religious education.

I'm getting nervous now! Better go and get ready.... I have to leave in just under an hour and I don't feel so good! Silly really

Let us know how it went.
Hope you got across what you wanted to.

All the best, let us know how it goes. Very brave of you. smile

That was the most fascinating and entertaining evening I've spent in a very long time.

My own speech didn't exacty go according to plan - I waffled on and missed out a few things I wanted to say, but what I did say was well received, I think. The other speakers were interesting and spoke very well, and the ethnic food was delicious - although I probably shouldn't have eaten a samosa just before I spoke! Good thing I had a bottle of Poland Spring!

My only regret is that there were very few locals present to hear all the interesting viewpoints.