English classes
In Medellín, and throughout Colombia, people speak little English. The music is mainly in Spanish, on television everything is dubbed, so that children are not encouraged from an early age to learn another language.
On the other hand, children often have several hours of English classes every week from the age of around 7, until they finish high school. In total, they have around 10 years of classes where we can conclude that children learn relatively little. This is mainly because the teachers themselves speak little English, have to stick to a curriculum and mainly teach grammar.
Because relatively few Colombians speak English well, this means that if a person speaks English well, it is easier to find formal work.
Method
During English classes the goal is not to learn the grammar itself. You learn English by speaking with grammar for support. There are two groups with a maximum of 12 children per group to stimulate speech. The conversations are about current topics that are of interest to children.
Activities
Twice a week the children gather in El Paraíso for a 1.5 hour class. In addition to classes, it is important to be able to practice at home. There are English books available to read and exercise books to do at home.