This past Friday I had a direct experience where traditional cultural values meet modern cultural values.
Most university education only began in Albania after World War
Two. Mandatory education after age 12 is
one of the positive legacies of the communist dictatorship. Most of the high school and college buildings
were built in the concrete block style construction that we associate with the
communist era. Many Albanians continue to live and learn in these types of buildings,
occasionally letting them crumble until more modern facilities are built. Sometimes new paint covers the
cracks and concrete mold.
The legacy of the communist regimentation, absolute
authority and rote learning, lingers in the education system even as
educational and political leadership work to create an "American"
system that encourages individuality, student engagement, skepticism,
innovation and creativity. I have
recently had my first teaching opportunity to experience this cultural whirlpool when I delivered a three hour class to graduate students in the Faculty of
Economics at the University of Shkoder.
Because it was a graduate level class there were only 15
students instead of the 35 or 40 who are in the undergraduate classes. (My
primary assignments in October will be at the undergraduate level, although I hope to also work with graduate students.). The Dean of the Faculty encouraged me to use “American” teaching methods. I was asked to focus on consultative selling skills. To make class more relevant, I spent the last week learning about the marketing of tourism and hospitality, in Albania and elsewhere.
My experience of the last thirty years has been designing and delivering learning modules for adult business professionals where relevance, fast pace and participant engagement were demanded by an assertive and achievement oriented customer. In that spirit for this class, in addition to necessary conceptual models and brief explanation slides, I came with a variety of application exercises including role plays, small group problem solving, fish bowel demonstrations and dramatic examples where I simulated a variety of customers, The practices of Albanian teachers and students is primarily students sit and listen while the teacher talks. The primary goal of the students is to memorize only what is necessary to pass exams.
This animated group spoke the best English |
My experience of the last thirty years has been designing and delivering learning modules for adult business professionals where relevance, fast pace and participant engagement were demanded by an assertive and achievement oriented customer. In that spirit for this class, in addition to necessary conceptual models and brief explanation slides, I came with a variety of application exercises including role plays, small group problem solving, fish bowel demonstrations and dramatic examples where I simulated a variety of customers, The practices of Albanian teachers and students is primarily students sit and listen while the teacher talks. The primary goal of the students is to memorize only what is necessary to pass exams.
Groups of three preparing for a role play skill practice |
They did the best they could, with virtually no experience
with these teaching methods, bringing unconscious habits from years of rigid
education. They were often perplexed when
given the freedom to collaborate, think creatively and set their own small
group agenda. And I also had to adjust my expectations and instruction
style in the midst of this three hour getting to know you session. The bottom line is that beneath the
occasional muddle, I had the sense that we had a shared hope for the future and
that we looked forward to the next time we could learn together. The class ended with a spontaneous applaud,
they for me and me for them, with smiles all around.
*ESP is English for Special Purposes – where English is
taught in a professional context, i.e. business, law, mechanical engineering,
agriculture. The situations and the vocabulary
are customized to the immediate communication requirements of the targeted
professionals. Grammar is included, but
only as a necessary support to communication competency. My area of concentration in ESP is for
business professionals, or for students anticipating a business career.