Action Plan/TESOL

ACTION PLAN

I have graduated the Mongolian University of Humanities with first class honours degree in 2007. While I was studying in my final year, I have got involved with Gegeen network, which aim is to support Mongolian youth in pursuit of studying abroad, especially in Australia. Some students studying at Australian Universities initiated the network by providing information support for those who want to come to Australia. However, many young people who dream to go there do not have a good command of English, which is one of the  main prerequisites for admission to Australian Universities for international students. Therefore, network members who wish to improve their English formed an English speaking club.

From my experience with the club I learned that many Mongolians have extended vocabulary and demonstrate sound knowledge of English grammar, but their speaking and sentence construction is weak. In my opinion, it is because English is taught as a foreign language to Mongolians therefore, teaching is directed toward building vocabulary first, then applying grammar to the words. This methodology makes students conscious of making a mistake, therefore, many Mongolians can speak English within taught subjects. As soon as sentence construct differs what was taught, a student starts to experience difficulties.

When a baby starts talking he/she never thinks beforehand what words to use and what grammar applies to that sentence. Speaking development starts with assigning a name to a related object and after that a baby makes simple, but full meaningful sentences. Language learning should happen in a similar process, therefore, I want to study teaching English as a second language methodology, which is underpinned by a similar mechanism of child learning to speak.

Having studied this course, I will be able to help many Mongolian young people to learn English and study in developed countries where English is an official language. Moreover, by becoming a qualified English teacher, I could contribute more to my employer, Gegeen Undarga NGO in their activities of promoting English in Mongolia. I wish to set up a small language school and teach English to school age children that when they leave a high school they could directly enrol to foreign Universities.