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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE February 4, 2008
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| January 8, 2008 |
A Slice of Peace Boat Life III – Volunteer Global English and Espanol Training (GET) Teachers – A Bridge to Communication and Understanding |
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The Global English and Espanol Training (GET) Program reflects one of Peace Boat’s core principles, in that students are encouraged to apply what is learnt onboard in a real life context and actively engage in people-to-people communication. To meet this end, GET teachers use “global English” as a communication tool to empower people across the world to come together and move beyond national and cultural borders to create a more peaceful world. The GET team on the 59th Global Voyage represents seven nationalities and a diverse range of backgrounds. According to GET coordinator Phil Rundell, they share ‘a positive energy and are inquisitive about the world. They must be a team player, and, most importantly, have a passion for teaching and communication and want to make a difference in the world.’ We spoke with two GET teachers to gain an insight into what brought them to Peace Boat and how their experience has been.
GET English Teacher Aarif Meghani
By joining Peace Boat as a volunteer GET teacher, Aarif Meghani merged his two passions of teaching and traveling. Although he studied economics at university, the 32 year old Brit followed an unusual path, and after working extensively as a tour guide in Central Asia and then traveling widely throughout the world for several years, he arrived in Tokyo, Japan where he now works as an English teacher at a university. When he heard about Peace Boat from a Japanese woman while trekking in Nepal, he knew he had to apply. ‘I was excited by the opportunity to be in such a dynamic space and have so many opportunities for learning about the world, as well as being able to grow as a person and develop new skills,’ he said. He also shares many of Peace Boat’s core values. ‘I wanted to be part of an organization that helps the world be a better place – an organization that is part of the solution rather than the problem.’ Although he had to come to grips with a very busy schedule, he found that his time as a teacher onboard exceeded expectations. ‘The teaching experience is unparalleled – it’s unusual to have the opportunity to create lessons where you can put as much of yourself into it as possible at every stage. It makes it so much more rewarding,’ he said. ‘As a result, I’ve have become a more creative teacher. Also, pushing your own boundaries allows you to broaden the horizons and possibilities of the students,’ he added. |
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Aarif was also impressed by Peace Boat’s “hands on” approach. ‘I’m amazed by how much the participants have facilitated in all the events – I think that’s what makes it so successful,’ he said. Although he learnt many things, he believes that what will stay with him the most is the sense of infinite possibilities. ‘I’m much more open to the idea that anything is possible. We don’t have to have limits imposed on us by society, corporations, governments or international borders. I now believe more strongly than ever in one of my favorite quotes from Gandhi – “Be the change you want to see in the world.”’ When Aarif returns to Japan to resume his teaching career and pursue his new goals of learning Spanish and delving deeper into various issues raised onboard, he’ll also continue to live his own motto: “Love life, live love.”
GET Spanish Teacher Gabriela Tello
Ecuadorian Spanish teacher Gabriela Tello, 26, stumbled across Peace Boat by accident when she saw a poster advertising it. ‘I looked it up online and saw that they needed Spanish teachers, so I applied.’ Before joining the 59th Global Voyage, she had spent the last three years in Mie prefecture, Japan where her husband is studying and where she worked as a translator, teacher and counselor for the prefectural office. She was especially attracted to Peace Boat by the challenges and possibilities it offered. ‘It’s like an adventure – I lived with my parents and then got married, so I hadn’t had time on my own. I thought it would be challenging for me to meet others and be by myself.’ Gabriela was also excited by the teaching opportunity. ‘I like teaching Spanish – I love when people begin to speak a bit of Spanish and improve step by step. I also appreciate it when people are really interested in learning about the culture too.’ Onboard, she had a positive teaching experience which reinforced this. ‘The students tried really hard. You practice with them in class and then they practice in the port and come back to class and said “I could do it!,” so it was very rewarding.’ |
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Outside of the classroom, Gabriela had a formative experience and learnt many things from her encounters with the world. ‘The experience has been wonderful. It’s been one of the best things I have done in my life. People around the world are so different, it’s been great to get to know them, as well as on the ship. It has also helped me a lot because now I know that the things I have are wonderful. Many people haven’t had the opportunities I have had. I consider myself lucky. I have changed as a person. Now I think I’m more active rather than passive.’ Her experience has reinforced for her what she always believed. ‘In Spanish, we have a proverb El que quiere, puede. It means “what you really want, you can do it.” It’s true – if you really want to do something, you can do it. You just have to find a way. Actually, it was the name of one of my classes!’ she said with a laugh. When she leaves Peace Boat, she hopes to return to her former positions and share what she has learnt with others. |
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