We are Team IX – Introduction
Hello everybody, we are Team IX!
Team IX members: Laura Jakob, Yvonne-Jacqueline Muss, David Trendl, Phi Ha Nguyen, Anabell Kosalla
We are very glad to finally be able to introduce ourselves to all of you out there!
“We”, that includes Laura Jakob, Annabell Kosalla, Yvonne-Jacqueline Muss, Phi Ha Nguyen, and David Trendl. All of us are or were until recently students of teaching degrees at the University of Education Karlsruhe. When you read this, every one of our team members is either in the middle of a semester abroad, finishing their Bachelor thesis, or preparing for the oral First State Exams besides preparating for our departures to Laos. Because of this it was quite difficult to find dates for our preparatory team workshops when everybody would be available. At times, it felt like forever until our journeys would begin. In the months between our applications and actual departures we had three preparation workshops with Mr Johannes Zeck and Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin, we also kept getting updates on the new project partner in Vientiane, the “VEDI” (Vocational Education Development Institute), and then there were changes in the the numbers of volunteers and constellation of the team as well as the exact periods of our stays.
For most of us, the journey with this project already started long before the application deadline in May 2019 for Team IX. Some of us have been following the project’s progress for quite some time now. I, Jacqueline, for example, first read about the project back in 2015 when I applied for my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Education Karlsruhe – and I certainly never dreamed I would once be a part of it! One of our team members, Laura, has even already been part of the project before when she was a member of Team IV.
In July and August our team could finally be united for three preparatory workshops, during which we got to know each other and learned a great deal about Laos and the project from project returnees and project leaders Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin and Johannes Zeck.
This is us:
Team IX.A at the Lao-German Technical College (LGTC), Vientiane
Hello, my name is David Trendl (actually, it is David Konstantin Stefan Trendl). I do not know why my mother gave me such a long name. Either she was indecisive or just needed a long name to call me by in my teenage years when I did something foolish.
I am 29 years old and currently in my 6th semester on my way to becoming a teacher for the secondary classroom. My subjects are German and English and I am finishing my Bachelor’s thesis about German literature these days. I will go to the Lao-German Technical College in Vientiane to work together with my tandem-partners Ms Viengkhom Phyathep and Ms Moukdala Keomixai. Our tandem-goal is to professionalize ourselves and each other by bi-directional learning and teaching. The goal in my student classes is raising their current English proficiency level. The “Special Task” I have chosen is to care of the Didactics Room/Lending Library, where I have to make sure that all items are put in the right place, kept in order, and that their lending process is documented correctly. We will bring a lot of new items with us (e.g. books, notebooks, pencils, rulers, etc.) that will be added to the equipment already available and can then be borrowed, too.
Additionally, I will engage with some of the students at the LGTC (e.g. Mr Outh Sinminah) to work on the “Technical Dictionary[1]“, which the former team developed together in cooperation with the pupils and staff of the college. It already contains over 250 technical words (and some verb phrases) that are important for the education and work of the students here. I am very excited and grateful to be able to continue this work.
One of my hobbies is writing stories and poems, so I hope you will enjoy my monthly blog entries (I already have something in mind…). Certainly, I will give my best to not only supply interesting information about the development of the Laos project, but to also entertain our readers with a selection of poems that my time in Laos will inspire me to write.
Hello, my name is Yvonne-Jacqueline Muss, but my friends and family call me Jacqui or Jacqueline. I am 24 years old and a student in my 9th semester of my primary school teacher’s degree at the PH Karlsruhe. The subjects I study and will teach later on are English, protestant theology, German, and mathematics. Like David, I just recently finished my Bachelor’s thesis.
From the 15th of October 2019 until the 15th of January 2020 David and I will be working at the LGTC together. My tandem partners at the LGTC will be Ms Akina Yadsadahuk and Ms Ketsana Siphonephath. I am already looking forward to getting to know them very much! I will be (co-)teaching the LGTC teacher class “Technical Elementary” (which is a mixed group of the former Technical English and Elementary group) as well as the BHS beginner classes 1 + 2 and the BHS GM3-17 & ET3-17 English preparation Intermediate course. Furthermore, David and I are very excited about the new fact that we will each be teaching one to two hours of German lessons to one of the BHS apprentices at the LGTC. There will also be a shared conversation class with both of these students which David and I plan on teaching together.
My “Special Tasks” are being the blog mistress as well as organising team meetings and writing minutes. I am already very excited about my stay in Laos because I have been following the project for a few years now, and because my participation in it will be my very first trip to another continent.
In my free time I like to sing and do “Bullet Journalling“. My Bullet Journal is a blank DINA5 paper notebook which I fill with a mixture of a calendar, notes, photos, to-do-lists, and much more. It helps me to increase my productivity, my level of organisation, and it also allows me to let my creativity run free.
Team IX.B at the Vocational Education Development Institute (VEDI), Vientiane
Hello, my name is Annabell Kosalla, I am 27 years old and in the 12th semester of my primary school teacher’s degree with a bilingual profile. My main subjects are English and geography and I also studied German and mathematics as minor subjects. Currently I am in the middle of completing my First State Exams, my final “act” at the PH Karlsruhe. When I am not busy educating my mind, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family or going to the gym.
After finishing high-school I travelled through Australia, and during my studies I did a semester abroad in Vancouver, Canada – both journeys were very valuable experiences that shaped me. Therefore, I am really looking forward to our time in Laos and to being part of the new project at the VEDI, where I will be working with one of my best friends, Phi Ha. A little later in December Laura will join and support us, too, to which I am looking forward to as well. I will be teaching English and working closely together with my tandem-partner Ms Sompalang Ngonphetsy, who I cannot wait to meet soon. My “Special Task” is organising team meetings and writing the minutes, to make sure that everything is documented so that everyone can follow our progress and is up-to-date.
Hello everyone, my name is Phi Ha Nguyen and I am 25 years old. I am in the 10th semester of my primary school teacher’s degree with a bilingual profile[2] at the University of Education Karlsruhe. My main subjects are English as well as geography and my minor subjects are German as well as mathematics. If all goes well, this will be my last semester at the university because I am currently doing my First State Exam. So, hopefully only one more month to go until I finally graduate! This is why the library became my “second home” in the last months, not leaving me with much time to do anything else except studying at the moment. However, when I am not in the midst of my State Exam, I really enjoy reading, dancing, especially Lindy Hop, and everything that involves coffee and/or food.
During a 10-day trip to Laos in 2014 I was able to get a glimpse of the incredibly open and warm-hearted Lao people and culture. Back then, I knew I would want to return one day, so when I heard about the project “Bi-directional teaching and learning in Laos”, I was very eager to apply.
Now I cannot wait to finish my studies to finally go back to Laos for a longer stay and fully dive into Lao everyday life! Together with Annabell and Laura, I will be working at the VEDI and there, we will be cooperating closely with the teachers, for example by observing and planning their lessons together with them. This also involves working with my tandem-partner Mr Khonkhame Phi Tak Soun Thone, whom I cannot wait to meet. My “Special Task” will be “media manager”, meaning that I will take care of digitalising and organising all the files we will collect during our stay so that the following teams can build on our work.
I am also very excited to start this adventure with my team and to learn a lot about our new home!
Hello everyone, my name is Laura Jakob, and I am 26 years old. Currently I am in my third Master term studying English and home economics. Some of our readers might remember me because I worked in Team IV at Ban Phan Heng secondary school. My first impressions of Laos and personal highlight are some of the memories that remain. I will be joining the project again to work at the VEDI this time.
I am very excited to work in Laos again as the last time was an unforgettable experience for me. I enjoyed teaching and living in Laos because I was able to contribute to such an important cause and also develop as a human being as well. I hope to learn and teach and help as much as possible this time as well. Personally and professionally, I have a great interest in English education in Asia, as I have travelled the continent from a very young age. This is why I am also planning to do some academic research in my free time in Laos.
My other interests include learning languages such as Japanese, Korean, and recently Lao, as well as reading, cooking, and photography. I will be joining a little later in December due to my ongoing exchange term in South Korea, where I am studying at the Seoul National University of Education. After my term is finished, I will directly fly over to Laos to spend my semester holidays working as part of this meaningful project, this time in a new place and with a new partner!
(Editor’s note: The VEDI will be introduced in a separate post soon – the preparational 2-day visit by the project leader only just ended.)
My tasks will include working with my Lao tandem-partner Ms Vangkham Sisoulath, co-teaching and co-designing classes, and teaching English to students during “Activity Time”. Each of us three will also prepare and conduct a special workshop on a topic which is relevant to the institution or staff at that time.
Because I arrive later than my team-mates, my “Special Task” has not been decided yet – I will simply do whatever needs special attention at the VEDI then. I am really looking forward to being in Laos again soon enough and sharing this new experience with my new team!
You will hear from us again before too long!
Text by L. Jakob, A. Kosalla, Y.-J. Muss, P.H. Nguyen & D. Trendl
Photos by Y.-J. Muss, I. Martin, A. Kosalla & L. Jakob
Notes
The “Technical Dictionary” is an Excel document with many technical terms, e.g. terms for machines and tools that are used at the LGTC. BHS students worked on it to construct an overview of items they use for their work. The “Technical Dictionary” consists of the English term, the Lao term, the German term, a picture of the item, and an example sentence of how the item can be used.
“Language education and global citizenship” (3) – A comparison of (travel) guides to Laos (by L. Koch)
Editor’s note: “A comparison of (travel) guides to Laos” by Ms Lena Koch is the third research article in the new series “Language education and global citizenship” edited by I. Martin (University of Education Karlsruhe).
Ms Koch’s article is based on her research on both travel guides and culture guides to Laos, which she conducted as a participant of my “Global English(es)” seminar at the University of Education Karlsruhe in 2018. She is also planning to apply to the Laos project after she finishes her Master’s degree.
Mr Siegfried Hadatsch, her first editor for this post, participated in the same seminar and is my student helper and a tutor for my classes on culture and literature. After the seminar he applied to the Laos project and then worked in Team VIII at the Lao-German Technical College in spring 2019. On his return, he offered to (pre-)edit the contributions to this series which originate(d) in the “Global English(es)” 2018 class. For this, many thanks – and an extra thank you for extra effort to secure the publishers’ permissions to use their illustrations for this post!
We also thank the authors and publishers of the books introduced here, for their permission to reprint extracts.
Introduction
When planning to go abroad, travellers tend to inform themselves about their destination of travel, be it a short trip for recreational purposes or a prolonged stay for several weeks, months, or even years. Here, in the age of Internet, Facebook and Instagram, printed travel guides can offer a more deeper insight into the destination of travel. It turns out, however, that looking for the right guide might prove more difficult than expected. The question is: How does one find the right guide for one’s individual trip? Does one want to go where everyone else already went, based on some pictures you saw on the Internet? Or what kind of different trip is this supposed to be?
Naturally it helps to realise what exact kind of trip or stay is planned and what kinds of guides are available. If you are actually considering going to Laos, five guides (books) are introduced to you here. These guides drastically differ in terms of focus, meaning labelling all of them “travel guides” would do some of them no justice. Instead, there are guides focussing on travel tips and experiences, and those focussing on Laos and its different aspects from a non-touristic angle – simply put, a distinction between “travel guides” and “cultural guides”.
Travel guides are primarily meant to help inform the reader about what to expect when travelling, as opposed to a rather lenghty stay that may or may not be of touristic or recreational nature. They provide an approach to the country with which readers are able to plan and take vacations there more easily and better informed, all the while not really delving into the background of Lao culture, history, and society.
Culture guides, on the other hand, emphasise history, people, ways of life, and different cultural aspects of Laos over travel recommendations and tips about where to stay and what restaurants to eat at. Those books do not focus on how to experience Laos by the thrill of adventure and entertainment, but on what Lao society and culture are today. Those guides show what living in Laos permanently – or at least for a significant amount of time – would mean and how this could be approached coming from a Western background.
Each book will be introduced in short before taking a closer look at the table of contents, because this helps to understand its structure and content. The table of contents gives an overview of the topics in the book and shows how much information will be provided (by the page numbers). This way, you see at a glance which topic is treated and much much attention is given to it.
After analysing the five guides, a comparison will be drawn in the conclusion regarding the similarities and differences regarding the respective travelling goals, information, and focus presented. Hereafter, you should be able to choose the right book(s) for you if you ever intend to travel to Laos.
Lonely Planet Laos
Front cover of “Lonely Planet Laos” – excerpt from “Lonely Planet Laos”, © 2007 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
Back cover of “Lonely Planet Laos” – excerpt from “Lonely Planet Laos”, © 2007 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
The first travel guide is Lonely Planet Laos, written by Nick Ray in 2007.1 It is written in German and part of the Lonely Planet series of travel guides. This is a series which features travel guides to locations that could be considered “foreign” or “unknown” by western standards. Other entries in this series include, for example, Guatemala, Indonesia, or Panama, making Laos one of many entries to the “Lonely Planet”.
To get an overview of this kind of book, it helps to take a closer look at the table of contents first. For Lonely Planet Laos, it looks as follows:
Table of contents – excerpt from “Lonely Planet Laos”, © 2007 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
- Plan your trip (p. 4-31)
- Travel destinations (p. 34-255)
- Understand Laos (p. 264-296)
- Practical information (p. 306-346)
- Specials (in between)
Going by the page count, the biggest part of this travel guide to Laos is the second part, travel destinations. With roughly two thirds of the guide consisting of this second part, it becomes clear that the main focus here is to explore the country, or simply put, travelling. Several headlines indicate a sense of adventure, like rivers, activities, adventure or adventure ship tours history (p. 31/32).
Activities that are described are almost exclusively recreational (from a western point of view): Hiking, climbing tours with motorbikes or kayaks. This coincides with a new trend in (western) travel-culture, that of an “adventure-style” holiday full of excitement. Looking at the recommended activities and the colourful and active imagery used within the guide, one quickly gets the impression that everything there is to do in Laos is akin to an adventure. Or rather, this is what this guide makes it out to be.
Section talking about “outdoor adventures” – excerpt from “Lonely Planet Laos”, © 2007 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
The subsections of travel destinations are always structured in the same way. First, different regions are described separately. First general information about one region is given, like climate, points and cities of interest, and recommended restaurants and accommodations. Included is also a map of the region showing all cities and sights that might be of interest to the reader.
A rather big part of each subsection is then dedicated to the multitude of different possible activities and biking or kayaking tours in the region. Another part of each of these chapters is some more general information about the region, for example what to keep in mind when traversing this region or where to go and not to go during which part of the year.
These subsections of travel destinations read like they are aimed towards people who want to explore the country by themselves. While they provide a rough outline of each region rather than an in-depth description and can serve as pointers for interested travellers who are looking where to go next.
Section about Lao lifestyle along the Mekong river – excerpt from “Lonely Planet Laos”, © 2007 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
Map of Laos to be found in the guide – excerpt from “Lonely Planet Laos”, © 2007 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
The later section of the guide contains basic facts about Laos – history, economy, culture, people, and nature are described in a concise way. This short passage gives the reader a simple overview of the country and its people. While not sufficient enough for a longer stay, it gives some basic advice about what to expect as a westerner going to Laos, how to behave and what to avoid, and thus fits perfectly with the tone of the rest of the guide: That of a travel guide for the adventure and awe-seeking traveller.
Subsection four, general information, contains lots of tips for what a would-be traveller would know before their trip to Laos. For example, it is mentioned what kind of electric adapter is needed to charge one’s electrical devices. A second example is what to do and who to contact in case of a sickness, among many other day-to-day tips.
This travel guide would be a good choice for young travellers or backpackers who want to explore the country on their own and feel a sense of adventure while doing so. The information provided is sufficient enough for a short stay in the country, but fails to grasp and go into detail about what is underneath “the surface” of this country and culture. This guide caters to the style of travel it aligns itself with, that of a thrill-seeking backpacker.
Laos – Travel Handbücher
Cover of “Laos – Travel Handbücher” (handbooks) – excerpt from “Laos – Travel Handbücher”, © 2015 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
The next travel guide Laos – Travel Handbücher was published in 2015 by the “Stefan Loose Travel Handbücher” publishing house and is written by Jan Dueker.2 Like the aforementioned Lonely Planet Laos, it is written in German.
One of the first things to note is that the table of contents is prefaced by twelve colourful pictures of Laos, visually engangig the reader even before they can take a closer look at the structure of the guide. Here, the table of contents is structured as follows:
Preface of the table of contents – excerpt from “Laos – Travel Handbücher”, © 2015 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
Table of contents with tipps for travel – excerpt from “Laos – Travel Handbücher”, © 2015 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
table of contents with locations in Laos – excerpt from “Laos – Travel Handbücher”, © 2015 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
- Travel tips from A to Z (p. 33-84)
- Country and people (p. 85-128)
- The region of Vientiane (p. 135-207)
- Luang Prabang (p. 207-269)
- The North (p. 269-368)
- Central Laos (p. 369-414)
- The South (p. 415-480)
- Appendix (p.481-512)
- Travelatlas (p. 513)
There are similarities between the indexes of Laos – Travel Handbücher and Lonely Planet Laos. Again, Laos is introduced by way of approaching its different geographical areas, although with a somewhat different structure than in the other guide. Information about cities and regions, however, are structured in the same way. At first, the reader is introduced to the history and local culture of a certain location, which gives an overview. This introductory information is complemented by a map and recommended places of accommodation, restaurants, and activities. While the activities mentioned are sometimes described in adventurous and active ways, the focus of these recommendations is to get the reader to experience local festivals, exploring nature, or visiting museums and monuments: In short, to help the reader get to know Laos better.
Part of the “travel tips” section – excerpt from “Laos – Travel Handbücher”, © 2015 MAIRDUMONT GmbH & Co. KG
Overall, compared to Lonely Planet Laos, Loose’s Laos – Travel Handbücher contains more information about the people, history, and culture of Laos. This is helpful for travellers who want to go around the country and explore, but also bring with them interest to learn about Laos, its cultures and its peoples.
Both Lonely Planet Laos and Laos – Travel Handbuecher fall into the spectrum of traditional travel guides. They provide sufficient information for those interested in traveling to Laos for recreational purposes and for a limited amount of time. However, there are also guides to Laos which are not aimed towards travellers and people on vacation. This is why the following books are to be considered cultural guides rather than travel guides.
KulturSchock Laos
Front cover of “Kulturschock Laos” – excerpt from “KulturSchock Laos”, © 2005 Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump GmbH
The first of these cultural guides is KulturSchock Laos by Michael Schultze, who wrote this guide in German in 2005.3 Schultze has lived permanently in Laos since 1993 and has worked with both local and international organisations on many development projects. Looking at the table of contents of the book, it becomes apparent that this book differs greatly compared to the first two guides. To begin with, nothing about accommodation or restaurants can be found in here:
Table of contents with various topics – excerpt from “KulturSchock Laos”, © 2005 Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump GmbH
Table of contents with sections on being a foreigner in Laos and addendum – excerpt from “KulturSchock Laos”, © 2005 Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump GmbH
- The historical roots (p. 11-21)
- The cultural frame (p. 23-81)
- The society today – country, politics and economy (p. 83-113)
- Families and gender roles (p. 115-143)
- Everyday life from A to Z (p. 145-185)
- As foreigner in Laos (p. 187-223)
- Appendix (p. 225-240)
Instead of providing travel information, the guide delves deeply into culture-specific fields, such as how the current society of Laos is shaped, what kind of family or gender roles exist, or many other topics one would not find in a conventional travel guide. Schultze instead aims to describe and explore Laos how it is and works, rather than how it can be recreationally experienced.
KulturSchock Laos provides an approach to the country that is not of touristic intention – especially compared to the first two entries – and gives deep and excellently researched insider insights into many areas that might interest readers who have taken an interest in Laos for other-than-tourist-adventure reasons. Knowing about history, religious practices and festivals, appropriate behaviour, ethnic groups, political systems amongst many other things can help to understand locals and their ways of life better and to also possibly adapt to the circumstances in Laos better if one instends to stay there for a longer time (or not simply travel for “adventure”). For travellers who believe that respecting local culture, its habits and traditions should be welcomed by travellers all around the globe, and if you are hoping to do this in Laos, KulturSchock Laos provides you with your basis.
Section about the “cultural frame” of the country – excerpt from “KulturSchock Laos”, © 2005 Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump GmbH
Section describing various cultural practices – excerpt from “KulturSchock Laos”, © 2005 Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump GmbH
The Lao, Laos… and you
Front cover of “The Lao, Laos… and You” – excerpt from “The Lao, Laos… and You”, © 2008 Robert Cooper
Back cover of “The Lao, Laos… and You” – excerpt from “The Lao, Laos… and You”, © 2008 Robert Cooper
The Lao, Laos… and you is a book written in English in 2008 by Robert Cooper, an English economic anthropologist and writer. Having lieved in the Laotian capital city of Vientiane for many decades, where he also opened a bookshop, Cooper, like Schultze, is an expert in local customs.
The book explores a large variety of topics which are important to get a sense of what kind of country Laos is. Compared to KulturSchock Laos, the indexes of both books are quite similar. The biggest difference here is that Cooper includes a chapter called Testing time in his book. It is framed as situations to set your thinking: From page 243 to 253 several situations that could happen in Laos are described. The reader has to think about their own reaction to these situations, best done after reading the book. There is no “right or wrong” here, but rather explanations are given how these situations might be approached and resolved.
Generally, great emphasis is put on everyday life in Laos, as can also be seen in the index:
Preface and table of contents – excerpt from “The Lao, Laos… and You”, © 2008 Robert Cooper
Table of contents – excerpt from “The Lao, Laos… and You”, © 2008 Robert Cooper
- First Impression (p. 11-16)
- Land, History, Religion, Economy (p. 16-53)
- People (p. 53-67)
- Culture (p. 67-117)
- The Lao and You (p. 117-150)
- The Practicalities (p. 150-183)
- Eating in Laos (p. 183-197)
- Ceremonies and Festivals (p. 197-213)
- Learning Lao (p. 213-222)
- Lao Business (p. 222-237)
- Fast Facts and Fingertips (p. 237-243)
- Testing Time (p. 243-253)
- Do’s and Don’ts
- Further reading
- Resources Guide
- Glossary/useful terms
- About the author
Reading the book, one quickly comes to the conclusion that it goes way deeper into detail about life in Laos than the three other books before. People who intend to stay for a longer period of time in Laos thus might find this book very helpful for their preparation and time in Laos, as there is a lot of information about behaviour and etiquette, enriched by a closer insight into the Lao culture. Additionally, The Lao Laos … and you is a book which is suitable for research about the country, as political and economic topics are also explained and analysed in thorough detail.
Section detailing the history of Laos – excerpt from “The Lao, Laos… and You”, © 2008 Robert Cooper
Laos – Work in Progress
A sobering thought from the author: When the average Lao was my age he had already been dead for six years. (R. Cooper)
Another book by Robert Cooper that warrants a closer look is Laos – Work in Progress, which was published in 2014. Reading this book as someone who has yet to visit Laos it quickly becomes apparent that this is a guide written for people who are quite familiar with the country, or best, have already been there. The book’s index lists aspects of sociocultural relevance, such as infrastructure, international affairs, or ethnicity. Those aspects are reported on and analysed in much more details than would be necessary for private touristic interests – which means they benefit another (academic) readership. Additionally, they require pre-knowledge of the situation in Laos, as the guide is written in such a way that readers could not follow if they did not possess previous knowledge about the country.
Cover of “Laos – Work in Progress” © 2008 Robert Cooper
Again, taking a closer look at the table of contents of the book helps to grasp the exact nature of the contents of the book. The preface outlines the country and its history, and the book is structured as follows:
- Measuring Laos (p. 39-72)
- Ethnicity (p. 72-96)
- Religion (p. 96-124)
- Geography and Environment (p. 124-142)
- Resources (p. 142-162)
- Infrastructure (p. 162-175)
- Economy (p. 175-240)
- International Affairs (p. 240-260)
- Security (p. 260-278)
- External Affairs (p. 278-293)
- Conclusion (p. 293-311)
In Laos – Work in Progress Cooper mainly outlines how the government of Laos envisions its future economic development, specifically drawing attention to concrete plans for the way the country wants to develop in the next five to ten years. In addition to the information given in the book, the reader should also know about the current economic and political situation in Laos to fully understand its development goals, the motivation behind them, and how they are influenced by other sociocultural factors.
Laos – Work in Progress can thus be described as a book aimed at providing its readers with in-depth knowledge about current developments in Laos – the reasons behind and the challenges in front of its people. While it is not aimed at people planning a short trip to Laos, people who are already well-informed about the country – e.g. expatriates, business partners. NGOs, our project participants, or locals involved in politics and education – will find it a very informative and analytical reference guide about Laos from a semi-detached perspcetive. However, now, five years after its initial release, comparing Laos – Working in Progress with the actual progress that has been made in the last years offers even more thorough insights into the country.
This is further elaborated in Cooper’s latest book, Laos: Economy, Society, Vulnerability, released earlier in 2019, which updates and expands upon Laos – Work in Progress. It also expands its analysis of change within Laos to take social and international consequences into consideration. Since Both Laos – Work in Progress and Laos: Economy, Society, Vulnerability are only available in Laos itself, either at Mr Cooper’s bookstore in Vientiane or at the airport book shops in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, it was not yet possible to obtain a copy of the book to thoroughly review in this post.4
Conclusion
There is no “right” guide to a country. This always depends on the kind of trip or stay one has in mind, as has become clear after the analysis of the five different books introduced here. They are all good for their respective (different) readerships.
Lonely Planet Laos and Laos – Travel Handbücher are “classic” travel guides, albeit written with a different readership in mind. While the first one puts great emphasis on “wild, adventurous” Laos and all the thrills the traveller might there, the second guide takes a more grounded approach. In regard to the aspect of cultural information, Laos – Travel Handbücher is the better choice.
This guide provides more cultural aspects that can be important for tourists. Lonely Planet Laos, on the other hand, contains more information on recreational activities. Looking for cultural information in this specific book, however, is difficult – there a small bits and pieces here and there, but nothing too substantial.
In contrast to those two travel guides, the three cultural guides contain a lot of information about Laos, its different culture,s and many more diverse aspects of the country. Different concepts are explored in those guides, issues such as gender roles, the socioeconomic situation of the Laotian people, political systems, and many more. How deep the information goes varies from book to book.
KulturSchock Laos and The Lao Laos … and you are great aids for travellers who want to stay for a longer time in Laos and have an interest in getting to know Lao everyday life (if they can read German, English, or both). Both books address aspects of interset regarding cultural events in Laos. Readers who want to get a deeper understanding of the culture need one of those two books.
Laos – Work in Progress, however, is different from the other books introduced here. It is definitely not written as a handy guide for tourists, even if they are very interested in Laos. Before reading this book, a deep understanding and knowledge about the country is required, but – if you have it – it provides fascinating and first-hand impressions of current and future developments (among other insights).
It turns out that selecting a suitable guide to Laos not only depends on the length of your trip, but also on your personal interests. As someone who has never been to Laos (like me, Lena), reading all these guides made Laos seem like a most fascinating country to want to get to know. Getting to “know” Laos by way of researching different written guides has definitely sparked my interest – to the point where I can not help myself and want to experience “The Laos Experience” myself.
Text by L. Koch, edited by S. Hadatsch, with editor’s notes by I. Martin
Photos reprinted by the kind permission of the publishers (cf. references)
Notes
1 Nick Ray is an author, producer and film director from the UK, currently based in the UK, whose bibliography includes travel guides for most Southeast Asian countries.
2 Jan Dueker is a German author specialized in writing travel guides for countries all over the world, although his main focus of work lies within the Southeast Asian sphere.
3 Editor’s note: Schultze is also the co-author of a travel guide “Laos” to Laos. It is written in German and was published by Reise-Know-How in 2018 (co-author Vanessa Leppert).
4 Editor’s note: We will do so when as soon as we get a copy of this – no doubt – highly interesting new guide.
Sources
Cooper, Robert (2008). The Lao Laos…and You. Lao Insight Books: Vientiane.
Cooper, Robert (2014). Laos Work in Progress. Lao Insight Books: Vientiane.
Loose, Stefan (2015). Laos. Stefan Loose Travel Handbücher: Berlin.
Ray, Nick (2017). Laos. Lonely Planet: Stuttgart.
Schulze, Michael (22013 [2005]). KulturschockLaos. ReiseKnow-How: Fenwald.
References
All copyrighted material is used with permission from the respective copyright holders. Should we have overlooked something regarding the copyright of some of the used material, please do not hesitate to contact us.
A visit to Kuang Si Butterfly Park – an approach to nature preservation in Laos
When we, Team VIII, went to Luang Prabang for our holidays in March 2019, we visited the Kuang Si Butterfly Park, located about 300 meters next to the Kuang Si waterfalls about 30 kilometers outside of Luang Prabang.
After we visited the waterfalls we spontaneously decided to also pay the Butterfly Park a visit. We had recently heard about it and saw that it had received reviews praising its fauna and flora, especially the different kinds of colourful and rare butterflies. The park, we found, is open to any visitor who enjoys nature and butterflies. When we first entered, we did not exactly know what to expect – but then we saw beautiful butterflies just everywhere!
Entrance to the Kuang Si Butterfly Park
Main path inside the park
We were welcomed by a very lovely lady who turned out to be one of the founders and owners of the Butterfly Park. She handed us a map so we could find our way around. The property was very beautiful and well maintained. There were lots of plants and little paths all around.
After a while, we came to a small butterfly house where one of the volunteers working at the farm showed us some of the caterpillars of the butterflies. We were all stunned by the beauty and the colours of those caterpillars! Some dazzling golden – they almost looked like they were painted. On narrow pathways, we treaded more deeply into the butterfly house to find more butterflies and were surprised by the great variety of different butterflies surrounding us.1 At the end of the walk, we came to a little café with delicious food and beverages, ran by the owners of the park with help of local staff. I jumped at the chance to ask them all sort of questions.
One of the many caterpillars at the park…
…some in plain sight…
…others trying to camouflage themselves
Cocoons on a specially designed wooden frame
The cocoons come in a variety of colours
The idea of the project was initiated by a Dutch couple in January 2014. Their vision was to create a learning center to make people aware of the importance of preserving nature and its inhabitants on this planet – and their choice fell on Laos. An idea was born, and following their passion to make this dream come true, the couple sold everything they owned back home in the Netherlands.
They had visited Laos a few times prior to moving there entirely. After their move, it took them eleven months, a lot of strength and volition to build the park, but they received overwhelming support from the local community. In the beginning, the property they rented was full of wild plants and weeds, because no one had put a step onto it for years, but month after month, it became more and more structured and shaped until every plant had its own place. Most of the trees and bushes were integrated in the park, because it was also their wish to leave as many plants and trees in their original places.
A section of the café at the park…
… seating area at the café…
… and the main buildings
Part of the project was also to create a research center in Laos, where they themselves and teachers, scientists, and anyone else with interest would be able to learn about and explore Laos’ plants, nature and insects, especially butterflies. I was also very impressed by the couple’s fluency in Lao. For them it was obvious from the very beginning that they had to properly learn Lao to successfully communicate with the locals and to further their vision of the Butterfly Park.
Raising butterflies involves a lot of work, so the owners are always looking for entomologists,2 biologists, and botanists to help and develop the center and to train their local staff. The couple also offers the possibility for volunteers and travelers from all over the world to come and work there for food and accommodation, guiding visitors and promoting the park, which I think is a great way of enhancing nature, education for environmental issues in Laos, and protecting butterflies.
One of the long-term goals of the Butterfly Park is to publish research results and to raise awareness of environmental issues primarily concerning Laos. Another long-term goal is to also get in contact with the local community, especially children, to establish co-operations with different schools to make pupils aware of the beautiful but also vulnerable nature in Laos.
Initially, the couple only wanted to do research about the plant- and wildlife in Laos. However, the more of nature in Laos they studied, the more they felt the need to protect it and raise local awareness about nature. The park provides students and school classes who come to visit with different materials (such as leaflets and booklets) to teach them about the eco-system and their local nature to draw their attention to the necessity to protect nature for a healthy future. Yet another important goal of the center is to draw attention to sustainability, which the couple wants to further integrate into the project in the coming years. This is also why they kindly shared their story with me on my visit.
View of the butterfly house from the outside…
…and the inside
Relaxation area inside the butterfly house
School classes who visit the park learn about the evolution of butterflies, the diversity of insects in Laos, and the importance and impact of nature on the human body. The center wants to illustrate the beauty their own local nature to the pupils, also why it should not be taken for granted, and why it is important to protect it:
- Nature is not an endless resource and should be treated cautiously;
- A healthy and clean ecosystem supports human health and well-being;
- Animal wildlife profits from a healthy environment.
Butterflies are a good approach to see the beauty and wonders of nature at its greatest, because one can observe the development of a butterfly from the egg to the caterpillar, to the cocoon and the butterfly at the end.3
White butterfly feeding on a melon
A butterfly disguised as a dead leaf
Butterfly feeding on nectar
One of the butterflies with more complex colour patterns
Plain orange butterfly
The Dutch owners of the park made it their vision to inform and enlighten students about the unique beauty of Lao nature, to actively pay attention to the environment and to become aware of its influence on health, both physical and mental. They try to make students aware of the connection between nature and the handling of plastic and waste, which has a severe impact on Lao nature.
Speaking from my own experience, Laos seems to have difficulties with pollution, especially with plastic waste. There seems to be no system of how to dispose and recycle the waste – most cities lack public wastebins. People often throw their rubbish outside or burn it on the side of the street or their backyards. This is harmful both to human health and the environment, as these burnings can lead to burning eyes, headaches, nausea, and increased risks of lung cancer.4 The smoke itself negatively impacts and poisons wildlife and vegetation, because of contains toxic chemicals which are set free during the buring.5 Microparticles of plastic waste also pollute soil and water, and, in turn, the wildlife itself. Another danger occurs during the rainy season, when rivers rise and plastic waste congests drains, which can cause flooding.
Trash left on the side of the street
Trash is burnt outside our bungalow in Vientiane.
At the same time , more and more people and restaurants try to avoid plastic by using bamboo straws and recyclable containers for takeaways, made from sugarcane.
Curiously, plastic bags were only introduced to Laos some ten years ago: Before that, people used banana leaves for packaging goods. After those leaves had served their purpose, people would throw them outside and the leaves would “recycle themselves”. With the change to plastic bags, which are often even used when there is no need (for example, we once received a plastic bag after buying one jug of milk which even came with a handle6), the habit of throwing away the packaging stayed the same, but plastic bags of course need over thousands of years to decompose instead of a few weeks. Even though plastic bags are more convenient and “modern” in the eyes of Lao people, using banana leaves is certainly more sustainable. 7
The “Butterfly Park” is one approach to call for attention and to raise awareness of general conservation of nature in Laos by explaining this to young adults and students in a comprehensible way. Because the younger generation will shape the future of Laos, it is of the highest importance that they take responsibility for the flora and fauna in their country.
Text by A.-S. ten Brink
Photos by A.-S. ten Brink, S. Hadatsch & M. Dimtsiou
Notes
1 Species found in Laos include the chequered swallowtail, the dead leaf, and the Blue Tiger butterfly.
2 Entomology is the scientific study of insects.
3 A picturebook that perfectly captures this development in a comprehensible way is The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle (1969).
4 Cf. https://www.vitalstrategies.org/breathing-smoke-city-air-pollution-lung-cancer/ or http://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/garbage-burning-bangalore-health-effects-7180
5 Cf. https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/OpenBurning/Impacts.html
6 We even received a second plastic bag wrapped around the first one, in case the first one would break.
7 It is twisted how we in the “modern” world now newly try to avoid plastic now, and a whole new movement of “Unverpackt Läden” (“no-wrapping shops”), reusable fruit bags, glas waterbottles, hair soap, wooden toothbrushes conquer the market, because people become more and more aware of the severe impact plastic and microplastic has on health and environment, whereas so-called “developing” countries try to keep up with and copy the “modern” world and are themselves now at the (interim?) stage of using plastic all the time, which we (in the western world) did until recently. Hopefully it will not take too long until all countries go “back” to using sustainable packaging, because this is the only way to secure the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 for this planet. There is no plan(et) B.
Houaphan Province – exploring the hometown of Ms Khamsee Thanbounheuang
It’s not necessary to go far and wide. I mean you can really find exciting things within your hometown. (Daryl Hannah)
Tandem-teachers and friends Jasmin and Khamsee on their first day together in Houaphan Province
This quote by the American actress Daryl Hannah is very true for my tandem-teacher Ms Khamsee Thanbounheuang and her hometown. She was born and raised in Sam Neua (sometimes transliterated as Samneua or Xam Neua), the capital of Houaphan Province. It is situated in the northeast of Laos, close to the Vietnamese border.
Khamsee had to leave her hometown in 2015 for her studies. She always wanted to return, but could not find a job as a teacher there. In her opinion, this is due to the fact that Sam Neua does not have many inhabitants (about 46,800) and therefore does not need many teachers. When it came to conversation practice in our English lessons, she often started to tell me about the beautiful sights in and around Sam Neua. The more photos she showed me, the more I wanted to go there myself. When Khamsee asked me one day if I would join her for her trip during our holidays, I did not hesitate to say yes!
I wrote everything down in my travel diary so as not to forget any of my experiences. I would like to share with you the following extracts.
Monday, 28 January 2019
I took the overnight bus from Luang Prabang ( A province in the North of Laos, which I visited just before my trip to Sam Neua) around midday and the journey took about 16h. It was pretty tiring, as I was not able to fall a sleep, sitting upright in the tight seat and with the windows open as well. The temperature sank very fast the further we got into the mountany area of Laos.I got to Sam Neua bus station at approximately five in the morning, where Mr Bounphay Inthipseng, Khamsee’s boyfriend, awaited me. I jumped on the motorbike and we rode to the house of Khamsee’s aunt. Although it was dark, I instantly noticed the biggest difference to Vientiane: Sam Neua is freezing cold! It must have been around eight degrees and even with my pullover and the long trousers, I was shivering! However, when Bounphay and I got to the house, we were warmed by Khamsee’s welcome as she stood waiting at the door to greet us.
The house had two levels. Entering the front door, I would have expected to get into the actual part of the house. However, I found myself standing in an anteroom, which was not much different to the outside area: The floors where still made of concrete and the temperature did not change a bit. The room contained a little kitchen, which consisted of a fridge, a little storage space, and a hotplate. The next door was already open and led into the house. There were three couches, all used for the luggage Khamsee and Bounphay had brought. Three steps into this room I almost stumbled over Ms Naphatsone Phetmeesay, Khamsee’s cousin. She slept on a thin mattress on the floor in front of the TV. Khamsee led me into the last room of the downstairs area, which was not actually a room but rather a little cave with a mattress, about two to two meters square. It looked very cozy and Khamsee invited me to rest there for the upcoming adventure.
On our way to Ms Khamsee’s accomodation in Houaphan Province…
… and arriving at the entrance to her aunt’s house!
After two hours, I got up again and looked for Khamsee. She was not in the house, so I decided to go outside and check the yard in front of the house. There I found her, Bounphay, and Ms Thay Alounthong, Khamsee’s aunt, cooking breakfast. I realised that they used the fireplace in the yard and not the hotplates in the kitchen (as most Westerners would). Open fire for cooking is the obvious choice for most Lao people, as I should have known at that moment, after having spent about five months in Laos already. Ms Thay Alounthong greeted me very warmly and invited me for breakfast. There was some fish, some meat, and lots of spicy food.
I am a vegan, which does not make it easy for me to find food when I am invited. Lao dishes often seem vegan/vegetarian, but most of the time the seasoning contains fish- or oystersauce. One can simply replace these by soysauce and thus turn traditional dishes into plant- based ones (cf. “Vegan in Laos“). Khamsee already knew about my diet, therefore she could show me what I could have: Sticky rice and bamboo shoots, and I also got stuffed with bananas by her aunt.
After everyone was sated and we had cleaned up, we – Khamsee, Bounphay, and I – jumped into the car with Khamsee’s cousin Mr Somchit Thanbounhueang and his girlfriend Ms Minta Phoutsavanh. The plan was to go to Vieng Xai to see the caves, but our first stop, after driving about 30 minutes, was somewhere in the mountains. Somchit wanted to go for a little hike, therefore everybody hopped out of the car. We did not have to go far, as Somchit had driven us far up the mountain already. The view was stunning – there were high green mountains everywhere around us, and in the distance you could see a herd of cows next to a little lake. As everybody got hungry – excepting me, still stuffed from the bananas – we soon went back to the car and drove further to find some noodle soup.
Khamsee Thanbounheuang and Bounphay Inthipseng enjoy themselves on their way back down the mountain.
Photoshooting on top of the mountain, Minta gets photographed by her boyfriend Somchit (on the left), Khamsee (in the middle) and Bounphay (on the right).
Jasmin, Khamsee, Bounphay, Somchit and Minta enjoy the view from the top of the mountain.
Now we were energised to climb the next mountain close to the caves. Mount Phat Nang Mone was not too high and there were stairs, but in the midday heat (approx. 30°C) it was still very exhausting to get to the top.
On the top we could see the mountains with the Viengxay caves and a small lake in front of them.
The little mountain Pha Nang Mone….
…Khamsee and Bounphay climb up the stairs to the top…
…Khamsee and Jasmin on the platform of Pha Nang Mone
Subsequently, we finally made it to the caves. Khamsee booked a guided tour for the first cave we wanted to discover. The guide told us that throughout the “Secret War” (1959-75) the caves had served as the base of the Communist party Pathet Lao, to protect them from the incessant heavy bombardment. The tour was held in Lao, and even though Bounphay tried to translate some parts, I did not receive as much information as I would have hoped to get, I guess most got “lost in translation”.1
However, I still saw the place where the members of the Pathet Lao had rested, where they had prepared their meals, and where they had held their meetings, as well as a bunker for emergencies and some more small “rooms”. Somchit and Minta had been to the caves several times already and decided to stay in the car and wait for us, so after discovering the second cave we did not want to make them wait much longer and went back to the car to return “home”.
Bounphay and Khamsee explore the caves of Viengxay.
Photoshoot in front of the caves. Every great activity throughout the week needed to be captured for our friends to see. As they live all around the world, the photos were, of course, shared on Facebook.
A former meeting-room of the Phatet Lao in the caves of Vieng Xai…
… dripstones in the caves of Vienxay
After approximately one hour on the curvy road through the mountains we got back. Khamsee’s aunt seemed shocked as she found out that I was supposed to sleep in a guesthouse for the next few days. She talked to Khamsee and Bounphay in Lao and then turned to me and kept on talking. I was a little bit overwhelmed as I had no idea what they were saying and if they might be angry with me for some reason. But then Bounphay clarified the situation: He said that Ms Thay Alounthong (I call her Aunt Thay) wanted me to stay in the house with Khamsee, Bounphay, Naphatsone, and Khamsee’s brother Bounpeng Phetmeesay. I could sleep on the mattress in front of the TV, while Namphatsone would sleep upstairs with her brother Bounpeng. I looked helplessly to Khamsee as I was not sure if she would want that. But she smiled and asked me to stay if I wanted, but left it up to me as she knew I was not used to the Lao way of living (sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor, squat toilet, Lao food etc.). I did not hesitate – I wanted to experience Lao life and therefore stay with Khamsee.
Khamsee takes Jasmin to the markets in Sam Neua to buy food for her and for tonight’s dinner.
Soon it was time to prepare some dinner. Naphatsone, Bounphay, Khamsee and I went over to the house of Khamsee’s aunt, were she and a few more family members were sitting around a small table in the court. While we prepared the noodle soup, I was already wondering “who is going to eat all that food, the pot is huge!?” when all of a sudden Naphatsone yelled something in Lao and about 15 people from the neighborhood showed up in our court. Some were family members, others friends of the family. We put up two more tables and everyone took a seat around them. Then we brought out the soups and some seasoning sauces. It was delicious!
I am not used to spontaneous dinner parties such as this one. Whenever I have people over for dinner in Germany, it takes at least a week for me to plan in advance. I hope to take some of this spontaneity back to Germany as it seems to lower the stress level a lot.
After I finished my soup, I sat down at the table with Aunt Thay and some other women. Then they started to ask many questions about me and my life, which Bounphay had to translate. Most questions seemed to be about my family and when I would get married to have my own family. I was released by Naphatsone, who asked me if I would like to join her, Khamsee, and Bounphay for going home to find some rest for the next day. Yes, this was a good idea! I had felt a little bit uncomfortable answering Aunt Thay’s questions, as they appeared to touch on very private information about me, but a few days later, Somchit explained to me that these questions are the normal ones to start a conversation with in Laos – it just means you get to know another person very quickly.
Khamsee prepares the spring onions, which are used as a topping for the soup.
Aunt Thay’s kitchen…
… family and friends enjoy their dinner together in aunt Thay’s yard.
Tuesday, 29 January 2019
After breakfast Khamsee, Bounphay, Khamsee’s six-year-old cousin Ms Natxa Sayatham and I went on a walk around town to meet Khamsee’s relatives and friends. They were all very welcoming and offered us some fruits, sugarcane, or tea. I got stuffed with bananas again as Khamsee told everyone that I do not eat meat or fish, and consequently they thought I must be hungry all the time. This is how I found out that there are more types of bananas than I could have ever imagined. One of the many that I tried stood out significantly, as that one had the soft texture of a banana but tasted sour like a lemon. As a westerner I am mostly aquainted with the soft and very sweet banana types like the giant-cavendish, therefore this was an extraordinary taste of banana for me.
Pickled tamarind and little nuts that taste similar to chestnuts, offered by one of Khamsee’s many friends in Sam Neua
Khamsee peels off the bark of some sugarcane.
One of Khamsee’s friends and his two sons work on their firewood.
Bounphay decides on the right fabric for his pants that one of Khamsee’s friends will make for him in her little tailor’s shed at her home.
Our next stop was Khamsee’s old house up on a little hill by a small slope. Since her parents moved to Vientiane in 2018, no one lives there anymore, but Khamsee is sure that one day she will renovate it and move back here.
Natxa plays on an old ladder at Khamsee’s house.
Khamsee helps Natxay up the slope to her old house, Bounphay leads the way.
Natxa takes a nap with her grandma Thay and her little brother after the big walk around Sam Neua.
After lunch at aunt Thay’s house, Khamsee’s friend Ms Phonechit Siyotha came to pick us up with her motorbike so we could go to Wat Ong Teu, a temple on a hill in Sam Neua. She did not speak much English, but one does not always need many words to connect. Bounphay took Khamsee on the back of his scooter, whilst Phonechit and I shared hers, and off we went. The temple was beautiful, decorated with Buddhist ornaments and covered in red and golden paint. Even more stunning was the view of the city, for which we had to turn away from Wat Ong Teu and take the few steps down to a little plateau. After taking plenty of photos, we went back to the motorbikes.
Khamsee and Bounphay in front of Wat On Teu…
… Jasmin and Khamsee on the plateau in front of Wat Ong Teu
View from the plateau onto Sam Neua
Phonechit, Khamsee, and Jasmin take the stairs back up to Wat On Teu.
Our next stop was Nuay-keo, a famous abstract sculpture on a roundabout. We took a ride around it and went back to the center of Sam Neua, which we had already passed with the motorbikes before. There, we saw the remake of the landmark of Sam Neua, Hin-tang, nine tall square rocks. Across the road of the park was a small football stadium, and in front of it people started to build up a little night market. We decided to have dinner there before heading back home to get some rest for the next day.
Nuay-keo
Sam Neua city center with the remake of Hin-tang and the statues of different ethnical groups of Houaphan Province
“Jasmin, Jasmin…PUSH!” a word Khamsee learnt a few weeks ago in our English lessons applied to a real-life situation!
Football stadium in the city center
Phonechit, Khamsee, and Bounphay stroll along the night market stands.
Hot-pot dinner at the night market
Khamsee and Phonechit at a night market stand, where you use dart pins to burst the balloons in order to win.
Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Today we – this is Naphatsone, Khampeng, Bounphay, Khamsee and I – went to mount Pha Thi. We had to get up a little bit earlier, as it is about two hours away and we did not want to hike up there in the midday heat. Khamsee’s uncle Mr Sengkeo Alounthong drove us there. It was a difficult but beautiful road. We had to go up and down the mountains, through a shallow lake, past some small villages and a military station. At the military station, we stopped briefly to drop off some food for another cousin of Khamsee’s, who is a soldier.
Finally, we arrived at the foot of mount Pha Thee, where we could already see the many, many stairs that lead up to its summit. I felt exhausted already by only looking at them, but I was very excited at the same time in anticipation of the nice views we would get from up there, and so I could not wait to climb the stairs. Uncle Sengkeo was not as eager and decided to stay in the car. It took us only about thirty minutes to get up the stairs, but this was not it – we also had to hike through the forest, which was already very beautiful. We saw many exotic – at least for me – plants, goats jumping around, and a few war relicts that I could not identify. As this mountain is the highest peak in the area, it was used as a military installation during the Second Indochina War.2 Before we started the hike, we were told not to touch any unexploded bombs (UXOs),3 which scared me a little. Luckily we did not see any, or better to say, luckily we did not step on the ones we did not see.
The stairs of Mount Pha Thi…
… a little break on the way to the top…
… a war relict in the forest on Mount Pha Thi…
… another war relict…
… and Namphatsone, Jasmin, Khampeng, Khamsee, and Bounphay stop for a photo on the stairs of Mount Pha Thi.
The view from the highest point of the mountain was breathtaking and absolutely worth climbing up all the way, even if I looked like a sweaty tomato up there. I could see far and wide: I saw green mountains, blue lakes, and a helicopter landing field. 360° of pure beautiful nature, stunning!
I did not want to leave this place, but unfortunately all our stomachs started to announce themselves and demanded we make our way back through the forest and down the stairs as fast as possible. Uncle Sengkeo awaited us at the car to start the way back.
View on the mountains of Houaphan Province on the way to Mount Pha Thi
Bounphay rests on a little rock up on Mount Pha Thi, while his girlfriend Khamsee tries to find the right spot to take a nice photo.
View from Mount Pha Thi on the parking lot, where Khamsee’s uncle is waiting.
Another view from Mount Pha Thi
We took a different way this time and stopped in a little mountain village. The villagers told us that the little river that leads through their village is a hot spring. We wanted to find out for ourselves and left the car to touch the water. I thought it would be slightly warm, but the water was surpringly very hot. This must be great for the cold nights in the mountains of Houaphan Province, to take a hot bath, as hot water is rather unusual in a houshold in this area of Laos.
Soon after this, we found a nice spot next to a tiny lake, where we took our lunch. Bounpeng went to cut off some banana leaves to lay on the ground as a mat for the food. We perched around it and gobbled our lunch. As we finished, we packed everything together, except for the disposable “tablecloth”, this we left behind and hopped back into the car. Soon, we were back “home” and I went to rest on “my” mattress.
Khampeng, Naphatsone, Mr Sengkeo Alounthong, Bounphay, and Khamsee squat around the banana leaf to eat their lunch.
Mr Sengkeo Alounthong waits on the other side of the little lake while Khampheng gets a banana leaf as a mat for our lunch.
Khampheng, Bounphay, Napathsone, and Mr Sengkeo Alounthong inspect the hot spring in the little mountain village of Houaphan Province.
In the evening, we were invited to another cousin’s of Khamsee’s, Ms Maikham Thanbounheuang, for dinner with her family and freinds. Her daughter Beola had a Baci earlier that day – apparently it is a Lao tradition to receive a Baci ceremony at this age – and the celebration was still going on in the evening, family and friends had dinner together. I enjoyed the company of Khamsee’s very welcoming family a lot!
Beola right before her Baci with her favorite stuffed animal.
Thursday, 31 January 2019
Our program for that Thursday? “Tat Nam Neua”, a waterfall not too far away from “our” home. (“Tat” and “nam” mean “water” and “fall”, so “Nam Neua” is a compound noun referring to the place the waterfall is situated in, Sam Neua.) Right after breakfast, we got onto the motorbikes and started our journey. Unfortunately, the tyre of Bounphay’s and my motorbike went flat soon after we left Sam Neua, and we could not find a shop nearby in which we could have had it repaired. This is why we had to go very slowly until we reached Khamsee’s grandaunt’s house, which had a motorbike shop right next to it. While the tyre got fixed, we enjoyed sugarcane, tea, and bananas in her court, together with her daughter Mone Vonxay and her two children. It took quite long, but when the bike was ready, Mone, her son, and Khamsee sat on one and Bounphay and I on the other motorbike and we drove only a few minutes to Nam Neua waterfall. When we got off the bikes, I could already get a glimpse of the waterfall through the bushes – then we hiked through the forest and a bit up the waterfall. From there the view was even more amazing!
I had seen some waterfalls in Laos before and they were much bigger than this one, but they were in very touristic and therefore quite noisy areas. At Tat Nam Neua, the only noises we could hear were the sound of the water flowing and the different animal noises – this turned the waterfall and its surroundings into a rather magical place and thus became one of my favourite places in Laos. However, after a while, we got hungry again and we had to head back to Aunt Thay’s cousin’s to have lunch. Thence we made our way back to Sam Neua.
First glimpse of Tat Nam Neua…
… Jasmin and Khamsee admire Tat Nam Neua after their short hike through the rainforest.
Bounphay, Mone, her son, and Khamsee in front of Tat Nam Neua
Sam Neua is famous for its bamboo shoots. They mostly get collected in the forest and are sold by children, teenagers, and their mothers on the side of the roads. That is were we stopped, as Khamsee wanted to bring many bamboo shoots back to Vientiane as presents for her family and friends there. If I say “many”, I really mean many – I had no idea how we were supposed to bring four big sacks of bamboo shoots to Sam Neua on only two motorbikes? For a second, I was worried that they would have to leave me in the middle of the mountains to bring home the bamboo shoots, but somehow they made me fit somewhere in the middle between them.
Khamsee and Bounphay bargain with the girls and women on the side of the street to get the best price for the bamboo shoots.
In the evening Aunt Thay invited us to a Hot Pot dinner at a small restaurant. Bounpheng, Naphatsone, and a few more family members were invited, too. Afterwards Naphatsone, Khamsee, Bounphay and I went to a bar and enjoyed our last evening together over a few pints of Beer Lao!
Khamsee, Bounphay, Ms Toun Alounthong, Aunt Thay, Ms Line Xayatham, Natxay, Naphatsone, and Jasmin at the Hot Pot restaurant
Friday, 1 February 2019
On my last day in Sam Neua Naphatsone, Khamsee and I helped Aunt Thay to prepare Khao Tom, a typical Lao dish made of stcicky rice, rice leaves, meat, and herbs. We first burned the rice leaves until they turned black. Aunt Thay used the ash to mix it together with uncooked sticky rice in a big mortar. Then we emptied the mortar onto a big flat bamboo bowl. She took the bowl and moved it in such a way that the rice got thrown into the air again and again. The ash from the leaves fell through the tiny holes of the bamboo bowl and what remained was now black-colored sticky rice grains. These needed to be steamed next. Therefore we collected wood and made a fire. Over the fire we placed a big saucepan, which we filled up to a third with water. We stuffed the sticky rice with the chicken, beans and herbs and wrapped it into banana leaves. These packages were then placed in the saucepan. Unfortunately, we could not see or taste the result for ourselves as we had to pack and get ready for our bus back to Vientiane.
Aunt Thay mixes the ash of the rice leaves with the uncooked sticky rice in the mortar while Khamsee burns more rice leaves.
Aunt Thay moves the flat bamboo bowl with the sticky rice.
Aunt Thay prepares the banana leaves for Khao Tom.
Naphatsone and Aunt Thay fill the banana leaves.
Khao Thom ready to be boiled.
Vegetarian Khao Tom with a bean fillling. Aunt Thay gave the little delicious package to Jasmin to try on her first day in Sam Neua.
It was hard to say goodbye, as aunt Thay and I had grown quite close during this short time. But what I did not know was that I would see her again only a few weeks later in Vientiane, as the family celebrated two Bacis for two family members there.
I feel very fortunate to have made such an amazing experience during my stay in Laos. It deepened my friendship with Khamsee, brought me closer to Lao culture, and left me with memories I will never forget.
Tandem-teachers Jasmin and Khamsee in front of the famous statue Nuay-keo…
… Aunt Thay and Jasmin two weeks after Jasmin’s trip to Houaphan Province, at the Baci of Khamsee’s cousin
Thank you for everything, Khamsee, you made my time in Laos very special and I am sure our paths will cross again some time in the future!
Text by J. Unterweger
Photos by K. Thanbounheuang, B. Inthipseng, P. Siyotha, J. Unterweger
Notes
1 Cf. Education in Laos (Part II) for further information on the Lao Secret War and the educational system throughout this time. Also find out how the caves helped keeping an important tradition undamaged in Traditional Lao weaving – an interview with Ms Khamsee Thabounheuang.
The reference “Lost in translation” refers to a movie about a Westerner’s culture-shock in Tokyo.
2 The “Second Indochina War” is called “Vietnam War” in the Western World, “American War” in Vietnam, and “Secret War” in Laos.
3 During the Second Indochina War, the US dropped more than two million tons of bombs on Laos, which makes it the most heavily-bombed country in history relative to its population. There are still unexploded bombs to be found, which make some areas in Laos especially dangerous. Laos has an extra Sustainable Development Goal to reduce the impact of remaining landmines (UXOs) in the country.
US air raids between 1965 and 1975 in Laos. Source: https://pslarson2.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/laos.png
“Language education and global citizenship” (2) – Intercultural barriers in “international” English course books (by R. Dengler)
Editor’s note: “Intercultural barriers in ‘international’ English course books” (or: “‘What is Mozart’?”) by Rebecca Dengler (Team IV and Team V) is the second research article in the new series “Language education and global citizenship” edited by I. Martin (University of Education Karlsruhe). The first article by L. Malchow dealt with the topic “Reentry shock – an explanation of an underrated phenomenon“.
Ms Dengler’s article is based on her State Exam thesis “Teaching English to Lao adult Beginners: Intercultural barriers to language learning in Western General English course books by the example of ‘Straightforward Beginner’” (71 pp.) submitted in summer 2017 (which corresponds to a Master thesis). Her previous findings were posted on this blog when she helped set up work in the new science lab at Phang Heng Secondary School or created new “English Clubs“.
Ms Dengler then decided to make her thesis the basis of a larger (doctoral) study, and her first paper was delivered at the International Conference “Focus on Language: Global Justice and Language Education” at the University of Education Freiburg in March 2018 (where the editor also delivered a paper about “Teaching English in Laos”). The papers are published in the conference proceedings (2019).1
Ms Dengler getting ready to present her first paper…
… at the FOL Conference in Freiburg in March 2018.
Ms Dengler was accepted as a doctoral candidate at the PH Karlsruhe in July 2019 and won a 2-year scholarship for doctoral candidates from the “Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft“, a German foundation. She is now about to start her “Erasmus+ Student Mobility” at Savannakhet University on 23 September 2019 to do research for her doctoral dissertation for the next 8 months (… and she is on the plane as I write this). The working title is “Intercultural barriers to language learning in Western English course books – A case study at Savannakhet University“.
The following article spotlights some of Ms Dengler’s findings so far.
Congratulations from all of us to our first doctoral candidate in “TheLaosExperience” project!
“All of us” (names by I. Martin, word cloud by F. Stober)
“What is Mozart?”
Teaching and learning English as a foreign language can never be separated from the context it is taught in. It is influenced by the learners’ culture, the local context, the proficiency level of the teachers and pre-knowledge of the learners, but it also depends on other variables like the course book that is used.
In many English course books produced for the “international” market, British and American cultural content still dominates, and native-speaker norms are still assumed as the underlying goal. Since it seemed to offer slow progression and “simple” content for beginners (and because we obtained the book as a donation from the publisher when the project started in 2015), the “General English” course book Straightforward Beginner (Clandfield 2013) was used to teach English to teachers in Laos in the project “Teaching English in Laos”.
The book Straightforward Beginner was produced for the “international” market, but it contains mostly British and American cultural content and it is quite European-centred. The cultural content and the topics are supposed to help the learners to understand and study the foreign language. The course book is set in a Western context and relies on the learner’s knowledge of Western concepts and culture.
However, Lao learners are not familiar with most Western concepts and therefore many intercultural barriers became obvious while I was teaching English teachers at a school in Laos as part of Team IV. The learners do not only have to learn the new language content but also get to know and understand a very unfamiliar cultural context without explicit explanations. Not only the casual mentioning of famous Western artists (e.g. “Mozart” or “Madonna”), but also illustrations, topics, icons, symbols, and less obvious Western concepts such as English names posed barriers to the Lao adults’ language-learning.
The following article first points out several reasons why it is important to adapt course books for the Lao context. Later examples of intercultural barriers for Lao learners in the course book Straightforward Beginner are described and explained.
Reasons to adapt course books for the Lao context
A study conducted with students at a Lao university shows that almost “90% of them rated their English proficiency as poor to fair” (Xaypanay et al. 2017, p. 365). The findings of this study point out that many students show demotivation of EFL learning due to their “difficulty to achieve linguistic accuracy, negative attitudes toward English, curriculum issues, lack of supports and resources, and foreign language anxiety” (ibid., p. 361). Especially more advanced learners of English are affected by the lack of resources and support and are unhappy with the activities and content their course books offer. Xaypanay et al. (2017) strongly advise that the available resources and necessary support should be improved to increase the students’ motivation for learning English and also to enhance their English language skills.
Bouangeune et al. (2008) confirm that Lao students have difficulties in achieving language-learning goals. They also see the design of the course books used, the curriculum, and the teaching methods as fundamental factors contributing to the Lao students’ great difficulties in learning English.
Many course books focus on presenting the target cultures, and when they include other cultures the focus is mainly on European, also Western, cultures (Böcüa & Razı 2016). Like Alptekin (2002) argues, material should reflect the learner’s local context as well as the international context and prepare the learners to be local but also global speakers of English. Texts should not exclusively present discourse between native speakers but also between native speakers and non-native speakers, and between purely non-native speakers.
Souriyavongsa et al. see another one of the reasons for poor performance of Lao learners in English language learning as the mismatch of the students’ learning styles and the teachers’ teaching. Poor performance can arise if the “English course does not relate to the students’ needs and interests” (Souriyavongsa et al. 2013, 183).
They postulate as well that the curriculum and course books should take the students’ needs and interests into account when they are being designed. The language teaching should encourage the students to study English and to develop their language skills. It should not, as Xaypanay et al. (2017) show, be the source of demotivation.
McGrath’s four reasons to adapt course books
To fit the particular needs of the students, a course book and its contents must be adapted. McGrath (2002) sums up four reasons why course book adaptations should be considered. The first is to localise the learning content by substituting Western concepts and settings with regional ones. This helps to keep the focus on the language and does not use up the efforts of the students to understand the cultural setting. The language objectives have first priority. In a later step, also new cultural information can be presented when it has been made sure that the language objectives have been achieved. This helps to not overwhelm the students with new language and new cultural content at the same time.
A second reason to adapt course books is to personalise them so that the activities and the content directly relate to the students’ interests. Chea, Klein and Middlecamp (2012) bring in the example to first let the students come up with an English menu containing local dishes before they study a Western menu with Western food.
Another reason why course books sometimes need to be adapted is when its content is outdated. In this case, the outdated content needs to be substituted by more up-to-date content. When topics like technology or media are included this must happen very often because technology and media are changing and developing constantly and rapidly.
The last and fourth reason McGrath (2002) points out is adaptation to simplify the learning content. A teacher is supposed to know her or his students and their knowledge and learning level. According to this knowledge, the teacher decides whether exercises are too difficult, too easy, or not adequate for the students and, on this basis, adapts the exercises.
Examples of intercultural barriers in Straightforward Beginner
As the course book Straightforward Beginner is not adapted for the Lao or Southeast Asian context, many intercultural barriers were encountered. Western cultural and conceptual knowledge is assumed, and this causes problems that hinder the learning process of the Lao learners.
English names and the distinction betwen “she” and “he”
“Douangdeuane, Houava, Khamphong, Souvankham, Sevinay, Xok, Sihn, Thongloun”.
When one tries to read out these names (or the ones in our word cloud), which are typical Lao names transliterated from Lao letters to English letters, one will not be sure from the written form alone how to pronounce these names.
In the first unit of Straightforward Beginner, the Lao learners of English are confronted with various English or Western names. The book does not limit the names to a few recurring ones but a vast number are mentioned on the first pages. The learners are confronted with names like Jack, Orion, Emily, Willy, Ben, Emma, Thomas, or Jessica. At first, from the written form alone, the Lao teachers find it difficult to read out the names and pronounce them correctly (ditto for ours in the word cloud).
The Lao names are not only hard to pronounce for Western people, but we can also not tell if the name is a name for a woman or a man. How can you tell whether “Houava” is a female or male name? Or if the name is even bound to a certain gender? For the Lao learners it is grammatically difficult the other way around, as in the Lao language, there is no distinction between the pronouns “she” and “he”. Therefore, exercises in which Lao learners are to replace nouns with the personal pronouns “she” or “he” are a challenge.
However, once the concept is explained, it is not very hard to understand. In my teaching, I experienced that the students could explain when to use “she” and when to use “he”, but they still had trouble using the right forms. It took a while until it was clear that the distinction between “she” and “he” was not the problem – but instead, differentiating the male and female names caused the problem.
Over-representation of Western people, countries and cities
The English names in the book were not the only difficulties. This became clear when the question “What is Mozart?” came up. In total, a huge overrepresentation of European or Western people and also cities and countries was noticed. Often the learners did not know where the city or country is located. The intention of the course book writers was most likely to include well known cities, like Rome, Frankfurt, or New York, but, for the Lao teachers, most of these cities were unknown. There were only a few Asian cities mentioned in the book. Therefore, activities like matching cities and countries could only be done by guessing, or with a lot of help and input from the teacher.
Underlying concepts
Sometimes underlying concepts formed the intercultural barriers. The units of our book are based on the concept of being a tourist or at least a consumer. The Lao teachers who have tandem-worked with us German volunteers in this project, however, have never been to an English-speaking country before and most of them are poor. Most of them have never been outside Laos, and the ones who have have been to Thailand, which is just across the river from Vientiane or Savannakhet. They have never stayed at a hotel nor got to know what Westerners link with the idea of travelling. They have never seen (m)any Wester consumer goods and would not have the money to buy any anyway. So, this concept, which should have supported the learning process, imposed additional topics to learn about for the Lao learners.
An entire unit in the course book does not only deal with famous Hollywood actresses like Jennifer Aniston and Glenn Close, but also with famous Hollywood movies and TV series. At the beginning of the unit, posters of the movies M:i:III, James Bond- Dr.No and The Dark Knight are presented, and the students are asked to talk to their partner about which of these movies they know. The Lao adult learners did not know any of these movies. Therefore, the exercise was not suitable to use in the Lao setting.
Visual “aids”
The cultural differences became especially clear when my tandem-teacher tried to figure out signs in the book. With the sign which is supposed to represent a beach he had the most trouble. The sign shows a pile with a shovel and a bucket. I asked what he thought the sign stood for, and he answered that it must stand for work or a construction area. Laos is a landlocked country, and the Laotians who have never been outside Laos have never been to the sea. They have never seen a beach at the coast, only in pictures or videos. For my tandem-partner, a shovel and a bucket stand for work or construction, whereas Western people would associate that children on holiday with their parents play at the beach with shovels and buckets to build sandcastles.
Bucket and shovel for sandcastles or construction work?
A Lao breakfast – fish, rice, and vegetables
Food
A last example of the many intercultural differences and barriers experienced occurred with the topic of food. The course book introduces breakfast vocabulary such as “orange and apple juice, a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, a glass of mineral water, a croissant, an omelette, a cheese sandwich”. These are food and drink items that many Western people have for breakfast. However, the typical Lao breakfast consists of noodle soup, fish, rice, or other salty dishes. All this vocabulary will not be used by the Lao adults when they talk about their eating habits, but it might help them to understand what people from Western countries eat. (Editor’s note: The question which words are (to be) chosen for vocabulary-building in “international” course books is not a trivial one.)
Further research
To confirm the intercultural barriers that were experienced during the former teaching periods in Laos, scientific studies should be conducted that focus on the intercultural barriers to the English language-learning processes in Laos and the local interests and needs with regards to the English language.
This is what my dissertation will aim for in the context of Savannakhet University (SKU). Research will proceed in the form of a case study with the central question of how intercultural barriers to English language-learning of Lao adult learners presented in teaching material and teacher interaction can be overcome.
Text by R. Dengler
Photos by I. Martin & R. Dengler
Word cloud by I. Martin & F. Stober
Editor’s note
1 Mentz, Olivier & Papaja, Kasia (eds.) (2019). Focus on Language: Challenging Language Learning and Language Teaching in Peace and Global Education. Muenster: LIT Verlag, vol. 10 of the book series Europa lernen. Perspektiven für eine Didaktik europäischer Kulturstudien.
References
Alptekin, C. (2002). “Towards Intercultural Communicative Competence.” ELT Journal, 56(1), 57-64.
Böcüa, A. B. & Razı, S. (2016). “Evaluation of textbook series ‘Life’ in terms of cultural components.” ‘Life’ ders kitapları serisinin kültürel bileşenleri açısından değerlendirilmesi, 12(2), 221-237.
Chea, K., Klein, A. & Middlecamp, J. (2012). “Adapting Textbooks to Reflect Student Needs in Cambodia and the ASEAN Region.” Language Education in Asia, 3(2), 218-229. Online: https://doi.org/10.5746/LEiA/12/V3/I2/A10/Chea_Klein_Middlecamp.
Clandfield, L. (2013). Straightforward. Oxford: Macmillan Education.
McGrath, I. (2002). Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh University Press Series: Edinburgh University Press. Online: https://books.google.de/books?id=PiqLQgAACAAJ
Souriyavongsa, T., Rany, S., Abidin, M. J. Z. & Mei, L. L. (2013). Factors Causes Students Low English Language Learning: A Case Study in the National University of Laos. International Journal of English Language Education, 1(1), 179-192. Online: http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijele/article/download/3100/2631
Xaypanay, Vanhnaly, Shaik Abdul Malik Mohamed Ismail & Hui Min Low (2017). “Demotivation Experienced by English as Foreign Language (EFL) Learners in the Lao PDR.” Asia-Pacific Edu Res 26, no. 6: 361-68.
My life’s journey – by Mr Napha Khothphouthone
My name is Napha Khothphouthone. I was born and grew up with a peasant family in small village in the middle part of Laos. At that time, I was very happy with my livelihood – went to school on weekday and helped family to work on the weekend – and I believed that my village is the best place in the world. Swimming in the rivers, riding on my buffalo’s back and playing with my close friends was simply fantastic.
Harvest rice in 2016
I had never thought I would like to leave my village until I graduated from high school. In October 2009, I went to Savannakhet University (in Savannakhet Province southward from my village 2 hours by car), it was the first time for me to leave my family – everything was very strange for me, the distance seems very far, the city seems very big, the traffic seems very crowed. In 2014, I graduated in “Bachelor of Animal Husbandry and Healthcare” and I work in the same university where I studied, Savannakhet became my new home.
“The hero’s journey” is an ancient concept popularised by Joseph Campbell. It is basically what occurs to every lead character in every story ever told. “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”1
I read this in the book named 51 Weapons of the Wise (A Young Person’s Guide to Life, Spirituality and Success) written by Sean Buranahiran. This applied to my life because this is my story.
Stage 1 Home
Stage 2 Call to the adventure
Stage 3 Refusing or Accepting the call
Stage 4 Meeting the mentor
Stage 5 Crossing the adventure
Stage 6 Struggle / Meeting enemies and allies
Stage 7 Death / Rebirth (you become a new person)
Stage 8 Slay The Dragon / Reward
Stage 9 Journey Home
Stage 10 Sharing Treasure (Uplifting your community/friends/family)
The concept is concerning to my life, some stages take days, months and even years. Laos is my comfort zone where I was born, grew up and live, it is called “Home”.
I was selected as a nominee in the Erasmus+ academic exchange program for six months in Karlsruhe University of Education, Germany. Of course, I accepted the call.
in Karlsruhe in spring 2019
Again it is first time for me being in abroad, during living and studying in Germany I have met Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin and Dr. Martin Remmele who teach and tell me everything, both of them are my “Mentor”. According to my background I am from a small and developing country, so being here is like a living in the new world and I would say crossing every step it means “Crossing the adventure”.
I and my colleague Mr Thaithanawanh Keokaisone are picked up by Dr. Isabel
After one semester passed, I’ve learnt so many things and gained many experiences that I have never known before, this is my “Rebirth”.
Visit to Speyer (Germany)…
…Strassburg stadium (France)…
Germany is a very big and high technology; it is the land of idea. There are so many people around the world want to come hence I’ve met a lot of international and local people.
“Das Fest” (music festival) in Karlsruhe
Some people give me food, some give me help, some give ideas, some give experiences, some give knowledge, some give happiness and some give memorable. These things I call “Meeting Allies”.
Moreover, after “Journey Home” I will share, knowledge and experience that I accepted with my community, friends and family.
… and Zurich (Switzerland)!
Thank you for the great concept that makes me feel safe in every step that I take. Thank you every one who support my Life’s Journey. Now I am looking forward to the next mountains.
… the “Black Forest” near Karlsruhe
Text by N. Khothphouthone, editor’s note by I. Martin
Photos by S. Khothphouthone, T. Keokaisone & I. Martin
Editor’s note
1 Campbell, Joseph (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: Princeton University Press, p. 23.
Illustration (source: Wikipedia) is “public domain (
References
Buranahiran, Sean (1 June 2018). 51 Weapons of the Wise. N.p.: Thought Leaders, 99 pp. Kindle edition and paperback.
Campbell, Joseph (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: Princeton University Press
SKU-PH KA research cooperation – Ms Phetsavanh Somsivilay reports
Research Project Team Meeting SKU – 10th May 2019
Dear readers,
My name is Phetsavanh Somsivilay, an English teacher and International Relations Staff at Savannakhet University (SKU). I am proud and happy to be involved in joint research between Savannakhet University and the University of Education Karlsruhe.
Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin and Phetsavanh Somsivilay
This is my first blog post, which I would like to write about our joint research project. On 19 May 2019, we resumed meetings after Prof. Martin’s Erasmus+ visit and held our first meeting of researchers from Savannakhet University led by Dr. Phetsamone Khattiyavong, Acting Dean of Linguistics and Humanities Faculty. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss and update the Symposium plans and individual research. At the same time, the bibliography which will be used on our research was handed to all participants.
Erasmus+ nominees and research group from the departments of English, physics, and economics with Dr Phetsamone: Ms Phetsavanh Somsivilay, Ms To Em Vilaysouk, Mr Phongsavang Xaikhongkham, Mr Sitsanou Phouthavong, Dr. Phetsamone Kattiyavong, Mr Sompasong Khemmarath
Three main fields of our studies are English, economics, and biology. Currently, most researchers are on literature review section but some are on gathering data from participants. As a new researcher, I consider working at the national level, in particular with the professor from the University of Education Karlsruhe is such a great opportunity to gain both theoretical and practical knowledge from our partners while they can gain a lot of data and insights here. This is only the beginning of our long journey, which I am sure there will be lots of challenges waiting ahead, and I am ready to learn from them.
During the meeting, all participants had brought interesting issues regarding the methodology to the discussion. As young and inexperienced researchers, training on a particular area such as literature review, citation, applied statistics and draft on preliminary research report is required.
The nominees discuss their research methodology.
As far as I am concerned, experiencing new methods of conducting researchers in linguistics and humanities with our university partner, University of Education Karlsruhe, in particular, Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin, is valuable. It is an opportunity for me to learn about my specific topic area. So far, I have leaned proper technique to do literature review and be able to approach the information resources.
Me (Ms Phetsavanh) at my workplace
During the meeting, Mr Sitsanou Phouthavong, one of our research team members (Physics Department) presented the progress of his research on “Investigating of Lao Preservice Science Teachers’ perception toward using computer Simulation in Science Education of Savannakhet University, Lao PDR”.
Mr Sitsanou was collecting data from freshman students of physic and mathematics instructions. As he is familiar with the method of data collection used, the evidence he gained was pretty consistent.
Mr Sitsanou Phouthavong explains science…
… to his class…
… with a computer simulation.
Presently, everyone at SKU are getting their own tasks ready for our university’s 10 years anniversary and we look forward to our German partners Dr Isabel and Dr Martin’s next mobilities in September/October and doing the International Symposium at SKU together on 11 October!
We Erasmus+ nominees are even more excited about going to Karlsruhe next year on our first mobilities. As for myself, I am going to share my experience on pragmatics and cross-culture which will be useful for both inbound and outbound students in the following years.
Good-bye for now – I’ll keep you posted about SKU developments in the future!
Text by P. Somsivilay
Photos by C. Thummalungsy, V. Xaythavanh, P. Chansena & S. Phoutavong
Erasmus+ research week English Departments PH KA and SKU (March 2019)
First cooperation research visit between Savannakhet University and University of Education Karlsruhe (English Departments) Report in Erasmus+ Mobility Programme 2018-2020
My name is Dr. Phetsamone KHATTIYAVONG and I work at Savannakhet University (SKU), Lao PDR. I am the Acting Dean of the “Linguistics and Humanities Faculty”, responsible for the administrative work of this faculty. I am also working as the Academic Contact of the Erasmus+ Mobility programme of SKU and working together with PH Karlsruhe University of Education (PH KA), namely Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin, the Academic Contact of Erasmus + Mobility programme, and the PH KA International Office.
I enjoyed my work to prepare the cooperation for the exchange students and exchange staff in the context of the Erasmus+ years 2018 to 2020 between SKU and PH Karlsruhe University of Education and working with the SKU Erasmus team. Our first contact started in March 2017 at our university when Dr. Isabel came to visit us on her “Fact-Finding Mission” (DAAD). Our leaders then returned the visit in October and our respective presidents signed a cooperation agreement in March 2018. Our first “Inter-Institutional Agreement” – a requirement for an Erasmus+ application – was then signed late in 2018.
Over the last few years all of us worked very closely between SKU and PH KA, we conducted meetings a few times a year at SKU to manage our staff mobility for teaching, studying, and training and to get prepared for SKU’s first own Erasmus+ cooperation programme.
Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sitha Khemmarath (Vice-President)…
… and Dr. Phetsamone Khattiyavong (Dean of the Faculty of Linguistics)…
… and Ms Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath (first SKU staff on training mobility)
At the end of February 2019, we sent 2 SKU staff on a “student training mobility” for 5 months to the Department of English, PH Karlsruhe University of Education, Germany, and in May (2019) we sent 1 staff to participate in a (PhD) “staff training mobility” for 2 months at the Faculty of Natural Sciences (PH KA), Germany, to study, work, and do research at PH KA in Germany and then to return to SKU as a permanent employee after graduation from the university.
Moreover. In the year 2020, we will send 2 English staff to participate in the next “student mobility” for 5 months, 3 staff to participate in a “staff teaching mobility” for 2 months and 2 staff to participate in a “staff training mobility” for 2 months at PH Karlsruhe University of Education, Germany (cf. announcements on “Current developments“).
Earlier in March 2019, Dr. Martin Remmele from the “Institute of Biology and School Gardening” (PH KA) came to work with us for 10 days for collaborative research with 1 of our staff who participate in a training mobility for 2 months at Faculty of Natural Sciences, (PH KA), Germany in May-June 2019, Ms Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath.
Dr Martin Remmele with Dr Phetsamone…
… and Assoc.Prof. Dr. Sitha…
… and the Erasmus+ administration team
Prof. Dr. Isabel Martin from the English Department (PH KA) came at the same time to work with our English staff on the subjects of international cooperation & communication, global citizenship education, and English language and methodology. She held several workshops, did interviews and counselling for the future Erasmus+ participants, found partners for research, and we also started planning for our joint International Symposium (October 2019) together.
Dr. Isabel with the 5 nominees for 2020…
… in the “Communication” workshop…
… planning research…
… and with the next nominees plus Dr. Phetsamone
One extra appointment she asked for was an informal meeting with the “Teacher Training College” in Savannakhet, which she had also visited on her “Fact-Finding Mission”. I was glad to organise it:
Dr Isabel and Dr Martin…
… somewhat surprised…
… at the turnout!
Last, but not least, we continued work on our separate other university cooperation programme between our universities, which at this stage involves sending volunteers over to each other’s institutions to forge closer ties at the teaching and research levels.
We, the Erasmus + Mobility programme of SKU and PH KA, will continue to work together to reach our goals in the year 2020 and ever.
Text by P. Katthiyavong
Photos by P. Katthiyavong, H. Chompisith & P. Somsivilay
Laos – “The Land of a Million Faces”
When you have heard it you must see it; when you have seen it make a judgement with your heart. (Lao proverb)
“Laos”, or the “Lao People’s Democratic Republic”, used to call itself “Lan Xang“, the Land of a Million Elephants (and White Parasols), when it was a unified kingdom (1354 to 1707). After having been able to live and work closely together with Lao inhabitants for four months in Team VII one thing became clear: It is not the elephants that I keep in mind when I think back to Laos. In my mind, it is the people and their stories that make the country so remarkable – a million different stories told by a million different faces.
Editor’s note: The narratives below are collated from the author’s informal chats1 with Lao people or from her personal observations.
We are sellers
Some of us have shops. During daytime, we sell self-made as well as imported products such as groceries, fabrics, baskets, and souvenirs. During nighttime, we live and sleep on our premises.
Others have stalls along the street or at several markets in town. The ones who sell at the morning market usually get up at sunrise to harvest fields and patches. Then they head to Vientiane city center and sell their crop to many Lao people. They do their shopping early in the morning to get fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood, or meat for their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Particularly restaurant and soup kitchen owners visit the market every day. Right after they finished their shopping, they start cooking to be able to serve Lao noodle soup, sticky rice, morning glory, and lots of other Lao delicacies at noon.
The ones who sell at the night market start setting up their stalls in the early afternoon. From 5 to 10 p.m., they sell paintings, electronics, jewelry, clothes, and food. Especially the falang2 like strolling across the market to buy souvenirs for their friends and family at home.
The majority of us work from Monday to Monday. We do not have vacations or holidays. People depend upon us and we depend upon them. It is a give-and-take from both sides.
Soup kitchen owner
Street seller next to the Lao-German Technical College, Vientiane
Shop owner at the Northern Bus Station, Vientiane
Street seller, Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Street seller, Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Street seller near Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang
Market seller, Ban Sikeud
Street seller at That Luang Temple, Vientiane
Street seller, Vientiane
Street seller, Vientiane
Street seller, Vientiane
Street seller, Vientiane
Market seller, Vientiane
Street seller, Vientiane Province
We are drivers
The majority of us call their TukTuk a second home. As a TukTuk driver, you spend your day on the streets, always on the lookout for new passengers. In Europe, one would probably call us taxi drivers. Usually, we build our vehicles ourselves by equipping a motorbike or scooter with an attachment on which our customers can sit while their ride from one place to another. As we are many drivers in Vientiane, which is the capital of Laos, we do not have passengers continuously. In such cases, we chat with our colleagues while waiting for the next fare. Our custom consists of locals and tourists. The size of a TukTuk varies, depending on the number of people we want to carry. For two or three volunteers of the Lao-German-Technical College, a small TukTuk is sufficient. A bigger one is needed when seven young ladies, e.g. the AfC-volunteers who live out of town, want to head back home. Still, whatever the case, we do our best to accommodate the passengers – even if that means driving down a bumpy and muddy road in the Lao countryside.
If we do not drive TukTuks, we work as bus drivers for travel agencies. This means: Driving back and forth between the northern, southern, eastern, and western parts of Laos. Passengers can either take our mini-vans or the usual coaches. They commute on a daily basis and carry between 15 and 70 people from place A to place B. A heavily travelled route is the eight to twelve-hour-ride from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, for example. The passengers’ luggage gets transported on the roof. During the ride, there can sometimes be hazardous driving conditions especially when it rains cats and dogs in the mountains. We are used to those situations, but our customers – the tourists in particular – oftentimes struggle with the givens.
If we do not drive a bus, we offer transportation on the water. As a boater in Luang Prabang, we bring people from one riverside of the Mekong to the other. One can compare us to a TukTuk driver: Our customers are either Lao nationals or tourists from all over the world. Also, we build the boats on our own and alienate several objects to equip our means of transportation: Side-mirrors from cars serve as mirrors for steering the boat; car seats provide the passengers with comfortable seating arrangements. In the south of Laos, near the border to Cambodia, the Mekong river stretches out for miles in width, and Lao inhabitants as well as foreigners are even more dependent on barge traffic here than in the north. Around Don Det, one of the 4,000 islands in the riverine archipelago Si Phan Don you can visit down there, many of us boaters bring tourists from the mainland onto the many different islands.
TukTuk driver, Vientiane
TukTuk driver, Vientiane
TukTuk drivers, Vientiane
Bus driver at Northern Bus Station, Vientiane
Boater, Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Boater, Don Det, Southern Laos
We are teachers
At the Lao-German Technical College, we teach the subjects we majored in during our studies. Those can range from the “usual” subjects like English, mathematics, and physics to more specific ones that go with a certain technical training offered by the college. Our school days are not very different from those of other teachers in other countries: We start early in the morning, between seven and eight o’clock and finish our lessons in the afternoon. Some of us also teach in the evenings in our second jobs. At noon, we all have lunch together. There are plenty of possibilities to get food: On campus, we have our own little “canteen”, which is outdoors. Down the street, only a few minutes away from college, there are a few families who cook and sell delicious noodle-soup and other Lao meals in front of their house. That is where most of us spend their one-hour lunch break. Afterwards, we continue teaching our students who are between 14 and 25 years old. From time to time, there are meetings at very short notice and we have to cancel our classes. A thing you might notice when looking at the photos: When we are on duty, we have to wear uniforms. Their style and colors vary depending on the day of the week.
What we appreciate the most: We are not just colleagues who meet each other in school. We are also friends who spend their free time together, who celebrate festivities like the international Teachers’ Day and who have a friendly connection to their students. Why is that so? The answer is easy: As many of us come from villages far away from Vientiane and can therefore not live with their families, we have the possibility to reside next to the college in a teachers’ dormitory. So, for the ones who are not united with their parents and step-parents, brothers and sisters, cousins, ants and uncles, we are happy to serve as their Vientiane-family.
English teacher at the LGTC, Vientiane
Teachers on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
English teacher, LGTC, Vientiane
English teacher, LGTC, Vientiane
Teacher for Electronics, LGTC, Vientiane
Teacher for Heavy Machinery, LGTC, Vientiane
Politics teacher, LGTC, Vientiane
Physics teacher, LGTC, Vientiane
Teacher for Welding and Plumbing, LGTC, Vientiane
Teacher for Heavy Machinery, LGTC, Vientiane
We are children
…and we are many! Like all children, we love to play. If our parents have enough money and there is a market nearby our home, they can afford toys. If not, we take what we find in our environment and make them ourselves. This can be fun!
Usually, we are outdoors because of the numerous things to discover. Still, some of our friends prefer to be inside watching TV or videos on their parents’ cell phones. It always depends on where you grow up. In the countryside, being outside is the biggest part of our lives. Since our parents and grand-parents (who look after us) give us space and are not too strict, they let us make our own experiences. So we learn from our mistakes and become autonomous quite fast. Nevertheless, we help our family members with their work when needed and sell various products in the streets. What we like about our life here in Laos: The scooter rides! Sometimes, our whole family sits on one single motor scooter. Imagine – five persons on one vehicle! Another enjoyable part of our Lao everyday life is school. We are happy having the chance to learn calculating, reading, and writing. Above all, we are able to meet our friends there.
Boy and his mother on a scooter, Vientiane
Girls in traditional Lao clothes, Vientiane
Children and their mothers playing in front of a hotel, Vientiane
Toddler with mother, Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Boy near Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Girls near Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang, Northern Laos
Boys watching a boat race, Luang Prabang
Angry toddler, Luang Prabang
Creative children, Ban Sikeud
Toddler on empty market stall, Ban Sikeud
Boy wearing Hmong traditional clothes, Vientiane Province
Boys at That Luang Festival, Vientiane
Children with their mother and grandmother at That Luang Festival, Vientiane
Sleepy girl on the way to Don Det, Southern Laos
Playful girl, Don Det, Southern Laos
We are students
If we do not live too far away from civilization, we become students around the age of six. In primary school, we learn how to read, write, and calculate. Unfortunately, not all of us are able to attend class. We also live in rural or mounainous areas with only a few inhabitants and no existing school. If we do not get taught by our parents or other people, we remain illiterate. In bigger villages and towns the situation is different. Even though many schools are poorly equipped, we have access to education, and that is worth a lot. Certainly, there are also model schools which serve as beacons of orientation for other institutional facilities.
At Sikeud Primary School, for example, we have lunch at school and Activity Time in the afternoon. We can choose from diverse activities such as “Hula Hoop”, dancing, singing, and chanting. All of us wear school uniforms. We even have a library with many interesting picture books! Some we even wrote and drew ourselves!
After five years at Primary School, we attend Lower Secondary School. A few of us move on to Higher Secondary School, which is comparable to High School. At the age of 14, we graduate and then either start to work or – if possible – continue our school career at a higher institution of education to get trained in a specific field of expertise. We older students in the photos below attend the Lao-German Technical College at Vientiane. We complete a two- to three-year apprenticeship which combines lots of practical training with classes that teach the theoretical framework. At the college, we also have access to a library, a canteen, and useful tools and appliances.
Student in English class, LGTC, Vientiane
Classmates, LGTC, Vientiane
Student in English class, LGTC, Vientiane
Students on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
Students on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
Student on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
Students on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
Students on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
Student on Teachers’ Day, LGTC, Vientiane
Students carrying offerings at That Luang Festival, Vientiane
Primary pupils during recreation time at Ban Sikeud Primary School, Ban Sikeud
Primary pupils during activity time at Ban Sikeud Primary School, Ban Sikeud
Primary pupil during Activity Time at Ban Sikeud Primary School, Ban Sikeud
We are workers
… and we represent a variety of services Lao people offer, be it construction, hairdressing, or gardening.
As a construction worker, we work on construction sites that can be fairly dangerous due to the climbing on the scaffolds made of bamboo. Especially in the summer, the weather conditions can be tough, which makes the job strenuous. Gardeners, agricultural workers, and fishermen share the same fate – 40 degrees, a humidity of over 60 %, and scattered heavy rain. Nonetheless, we withstand the hardships and keep smiling true our the motto of muan.
Construction worker, Vientiane
Gardener, Pheuksa Garden, Vientiane Province
Woodworker, Pheuksa Garden, Vientiane Province
Fisherman, Pheuksa Garden, Vientiane Province
Agricultural worker, Pheuksa Garden, Vientiane Province
Agricultural worker, Pheuksa Garden, Vientiane Province
Gardener, Pheuksa Garden, Vientiane Province
We are Hmongs3
… and amongst others one of the multitudinous Lao ethnic groups. In the photos below, you can see us celebrating Hmong New Year, which takes place at the end of the twelfth lunar calendar month. As indicated below, many of our people wear traditional clothes at this special time of the year. The Hmong who live in the city put them on when they go to the New Year festival itself, but not for work. Others who live in remote mountain villages wear their costumes throughout the year. We spend hours, days, months sewing those garments. In the end, the colorful outcome can definitely be shown as much as possible.
During Hmong New Year, several customs are practised. When strolling around the festival, you can listen to our traditional music. Moreover, the older girls and boys play the famous Hmong game “pov pob“. We line up, face each other, and throw a ball back and forth. As we do not know our counterpart, we chat while throwing the ball hoping to find our life companion eventually.
Hmong couple
Hmong woman texting
Watching a soccer game
Girls’ group chatting
Women taking a break
Spectator
Man in traditional Hmong costume
Riding a horse in traditional clothing
Traditional Hmong hats
Girls playing “pov pob”
Man in traditional Hmong vest
Girls in traditional Hmong dresses
Girls in traditional Hmong clothes
Children, students, teachers, gardeners, woodworkers, construction workers, Hmong people, drivers, sellers … Laos has a million faces. This article only showed a few of them, so there are still plenty to discover. Now that you have “heard” it, go and see to make your own judgement – with your heart.
Text & photos by P. Hopp
Notes
1 Getting into conversation with Lao people happens quite fast – and be it with hands and feet as only a few speak and understand English. In my experience, most Lao people are very interested when encountering a foreigner, so chatting to them is a matter of course. Chatting itself is a prominent feature of social cohesion and friendliness in Laos and belongs to the Lao mentality.
2 “Farang“ (colloquially [falàŋ]) is an informal Thai and Lao expression that denotes a (white) “foreigner”.
3 This ethnic group has been chosen due to my frequent contact with Hmong people: Not only did I teach several Hmong students, I also lived next-door to a Hmong family with whom we had close contact throughout our stay in Laos.
(Note by the editor: “Hmong history I-III”, a 3-part article by the author’s fellow-volunteer Dilara Erdogan will be published on this blog later this summer.) (more…)
PH-SKU partnership: The first English class by German volunteer Mr David Schrep
Editor’s note: In the university cooperation between the University of Education Karlsruhe (PH KA), Germany, and Savannakhet University (SKU), Laos, Mr David Schrep was our first German volunteer to spend the academic year 2018/19 at Savannekhet University, together with his fiancée Ms Veronika Kissel, who did volunteer work at a local kindergarten.
In the post “A new partnership: Lao university delegation visits University of Education Karlsruhe – the German perspective” (20 March 2019), I introduced the goals of this cooperation:
“This programme has three goals and is piloted in the academic year 2018/19:
- It provides the linguistic and organisational basis of our joint grant applications and research projects in English, natural sciences, and food science;
- it gives the German returnee-volunteers the opportunity to go back to Laos when they are fully qualified teachers to tandem-work at a higher level and for longer together with Lao SKU staff;
- it supports Lao SKU staff in teaching methodology and general professionalisation and thus helps to improve the quality of education in Laos.
1-2 volunteers are invited by SKU to spend an academic year at the university, receive a Lao intensive language course, and are also subsequently supported. In return, the volunteer(s) teach 20 hours in English (5 English, 2×5 tandem, 5 for students or special purposes).”
David had been a member of Team III in Ban Sikeud back in 2016/17 and went back for another “Laos Experience” as a fully qualified teacher after having completed his studies at the PH as an English and sports teacher for secondary schools as well as the ensuing 18-month practical pre-service training phase in the summer of 2018.
Besides assisting the Lao-German partners in the administration of their second cooperation, the Erasmus+ Mobility programme, David taught his own “English & teaching methodology” class to 30 SKU staff and also worked with four tandem-partners, two in each term. Our thanks go to David for his pioneering work – no easy job by any means. Here come two appraisals of his work by two of the staff who took his class, Mr Napha Khothphouthone (who was also his tandem-partner) and Ms Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath. They both also since participated in the Erasmus+ Mobility programme and already published several articles about their “German Experience” on this blog.
One good thing leads to another.
David Schrep, Thaithanawanh Keokaisone, Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath, Napha Khotphoutone in September 2018 after the Erasmus interviews at SKU
Napha Khothphoutone: “Learning English With David”
I am very proud and honor that I was a part of English intensive with Mr. David Schrep, the great teacher from Germany and he is my first foreigner teacher. His class was very exciting I learned a lot of English teaching skills from him, while I was studying in the class I always expected for the surprise teaching method and I was not disappointed. I wonder he is from Germany but he speaks English like his own native language. I was very impressive with his way of speaking. Moreover, I was very lucky that I was in the group of Tandem teacher that more value with my job. He observed my classes and reflected after the classes. To be honest, in the first class of mine that foreigner sat at the back of class watching I taught is very nerves and I lost control, but my feeling was better class by class. At the end of class, before we started the reflection I said “David please be honest with me I would not get mad, your honesty will help me a lot please tell me what you saw that I need to improve on, I really want to develop” and he was always honest with me. He is like my mirror.
Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath: “First meet Erasmus+ Mobility Programme and German volunteer”
Hello, I am Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath, or you can call me” Vieng”. I have been working as a lecturer for almost 4 years at the Faculty of Food Science, Savannakhet University (SKU). I am 26 years old. In the middle of September 2018, SKU had an announcement on English skill level testing for teachers who are interested in upgrading their English skills. This project is called University cooperation between SKU and University of Education at Karlsruhe, Germany, volunteer teacher David Schrep and Dr. Martin, Professor at the English Department of the University of Education at Karlsruhe, took on the academic side of the project and its development. Dr. Phetsamone KHATTIYAVONG, the Dean of Faculty of Linguistics and liberal arts at Savannakhat University, who is the leader of the project from Laos side in this project.
Actually, I applied to test my English level, to attend the English course. Unfortunately, the day of examination conflicted with the day of my examination for training in the Indian Embassy for a different stay abroad, so I could not join this examination. At the time, I thought that there was no chance for me at all, and to be honest, I felt a bit sad. However, I am thankful that Dr. Martin and David still give me a chance to have an interview regarding selection for exchange of staff and doctoral candidates under the project of Erasmus+ Mobility Programme on Dr. Martin’s last day at SKU. I was really excited and nervous during the first 5 minutes of the interview, since it was the first time for me to meet Dr. Martin and David. The interview took almost 15 minutes, and Dr. Martin commented, “Ms Vieng, I truly appreciate your commitment”. Her words and warm smiling face really attracted and impressed me. She is the kind of woman I must try to emulate in my career. Near the end of the interview, there was a question from David, “Ms Vieng, would you like to refresh your English?” I didn’t hesitate to response him, “Yes!” It will be an honor to learn with such experts and have the chance to be a part of this English language intensive course training.
David trains participants on IELTLs lessons (International English Language Testing System)
Refreshing English from David’s intensive course to new training experience in India
On October, 24th 2018 at 9:00 am, with sunshine and nice weather. It was the first time and the first day of my training in the Center Institution Fisheries Technology, Cochi, Kerala, India, India, in which the courses were conducted in English. Now it was time for me to apply the English that I had learned from David’s course. There were only 4 participants in this training course, one representative each from Buthan, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, and Laos. I felt honored to join the training. I felt really excited to meet those participants, since it was the first time for me to meet Mr Jigdrel Dorji, Mr Hafttom, and Dr. Soffo Valentine from Buthan , Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, respectively. The English accents from Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire and of the Indian lecturers from Southern India were a bit unfamiliar for me. At the beginning, I did not understand clearly what they were saying during the discussions in the class. However, after a few days passed, I could adapt to pronunciation. I was truly thankful to David’s course, it really helped me feel more confident and more relaxed to talk with them.
Group photo with the Director and staffs. Visiting seafood industry. Having lectures in the class and doing experiments in the laboratory
Text by N. Khotphouthone & V. Botthoulath, with editor’s notes by I Martin
Photos by I. Martin & V. Botthoulath
Workshop on 28 March 2019 – “How to create and structure worksheets”
On 28 March 2019 we – Rebekka and Vanessa (Team VIII) – invited all the teachers at Lower Secondary School Ban Phang Heng to our workshop “How to create and structure worksheets”. We knew that previous volunteers had offered workshops on “Creating and using teaching material” and “Assessing and enriching teaching material” before, but actually working with our tandem-partners ourselves made us understand how they use or do not use teaching material in their classrooms. We observed that the material included flashcards or a projector, but that the use of worksheets was uncommon. Especially during our observation hours at Ban Phang Heng Lower Secondary School we thought that sometimes a worksheet would be quite helpful to support the teaching goal(s) while varying the style of teaching at the same time.
In Laos, all teachers are required to follow one mandatory coursebook in each subject. The exercises in the course book usually focus on filling out gaps and do not include tasks or activities. Sometimes, more exercises would be helpful, as there is no separate workbook. More open tasks and activities would also give a communicative turn to the more reproductive basics.
Additional exercises can be individualised on a self-made worksheet as “ideal learning aid” (Kai-Uwe Oesterhelweg, Goethe Institut, 2018).1 In Germany, we also use worksheets to get more variety into our teaching and to secure the learning goals. As we are encouraged by our mentors to implement a variety of different teaching techniques and methods,2 in secondary school we also create worksheets for this purpose.
The previous workshop by Team V on creating and using teaching material was mainly targeted at primary English teaching methodology and therefore did not include the topic “worksheets”, as the (Western) focus in primary school is listening and speaking, not reading and writing. This time, our goal was to support the Lao teachers by showing them how to implement worksheets in the secondary classroom to enrich the coursebook.
According to our tandem-partner Ms Khamsee Thanbounhueang, some teachers would like to integrate worksheets into their lessons, but simply do not know how to get started on creating them.3 Ms Nalee Vonkhamsay pointed out that the teachers are familiar with using the “Word” programme. Considering this and the fact that there were prior workshops on lesson planning, creating and using teaching material, and assessing and enriching teaching material, which had also been documented in blog reports, we developed the idea to take up on this previous work, to consolidate it, and to extend the present range of teaching material and techniques by the usage of worksheets.
Preparation
Very soon after we designed a poster for our upcoming workshop and handed out invitation cards to as many teachers as possible. During the preparation of our workshop we focused on the following aspects:
- Why use worksheets – “Advantages”
- The function of worksheets – “Functions”
- How to construct a worksheet – “Step by step”
- A checklist for creating a useful worksheet – “Checklist”
The day of the workshop
On Thursday, 28 March 2019, after school at 4 o’clock, the teachers Ms Khamsee Thanbounhueang (chemistry), Mr Sackbong Boulapan (chemistry), Ms Saysamone Singhalath (history), Ms Nalee Vonkhamsay (computer science), Mr Noy Sibounheuang (maths), and Mr Vienglakhone Keopaseud (maths) assembled in the Computer Room.
Mr Noy Sibounheuang, Mr Sackbong Boulapan, Vanessa, Ms Khamsee Thanbounhueang, Ms Saysamone Singhalath, Rebekka, Ms Nalee Vonkhamsay
I. Theory
Advantages
Worksheets are a good way to practise and review topics in any subject. They are used as a tool for pupils to use and enhance their learning (cf. Kai-Uwe Oesterhelweg, Goethe Institut, 2018). Worksheets can also guide one’s pupils through one’s lessons. (Other forms of guidance are group instructions, games, and homework assignments, for example.) The pupils can also return to the worksheet for reviewing their understanding of the topic at a later stage (cf. Wikipedia,”Worksheet“, 2019).
Summary of the advantages:
- It is a good way to practise and review a certain topic.
- They guide one’s pupils through one’s lessons.
- They can be used as a tool for pupils to use and enhance their learning.
Functions
Different ways of implementing worksheets in the classroom were discussed: A worksheet might function as an introduction to a new topic, as a source of information, repetition, or practice, or as a quiz4 to check if the teaching goal has been achieved (cf. Kai-Uwe Oesterhelweg, Goethe Institut, 2018).5
Specific questions on the worksheet can motivate pupils to develop an understanding of the topic. Information can be selected in a way that it deepens an understanding of new content. Additionally, worksheets “are useful for assessment of learning and […] progress” (cf. teflnet, “Guide to ESL Worksheets, 2019). The teacher is meant to address questions and difficulties, which means that the worksheet is completed in the classroom rather than at home.
It was also important to us to expound that worksheets can be supportive, but they can also easily be replaced by a more interactive task – “an effective and intentionally planned format of instruction that makes learning a shared social experience” (cf. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, “Interactive Tasks – Teacher Story and Compiled by Sharon M. Look”, p. 4, 2011), which involves spoken interactions between the teacher and pupils or in groups. Worksheets should be replaced when an interactive task would more effective for reaching a certain goal than the exercises on the worksheet.
Summary of the functions:
- A worksheet can be an introduction to a new topic
- A worksheet can be used as a source of information
- A worksheet can function as a quiz to check if the teaching goal has been achieved
Rebekka and Vanessa explain the functions of worksheets
II. Practice
After activating our tandem-partners’ prior knowledge on how to work with Microsoft Office, we presented step-by-step instructions on how to create a worksheet. For the practice part, we then involved the participants actively in the workshop by suggesting that teachers create their own worksheet for their next class or upcoming topic with our support.
A worksheet has three parts: The head of the worksheet contains general information (cf. Kai-Uwe Oesterhelweg, Goethe Institut, 2018). The main part in the middle includes an introduction of the topic, a characteristic question answered at the end of the worksheet,6 additional material (e.g. photos or illustrations), and the exercise itself, and then also work instructions.
At the bottom of the worksheet the learners can find an explanation or a conclusion. Additionally, extra exercises with different aims may be included here for more practice.
Rebekka gives instructions on how to create a worksheet.
Ms Nalee Vongkhamsay constructs a worksheet for her next class.
Mr Sackbong Boulapan and Mr Noy Sibounheuang work on their worksheets.
Rebekka works with Ms Khamsee Thanbounhueang on her worksheet.
Mr Noy Sibonheuang works with Vanessa on a math worksheet.
We also brought along some other examples of worksheets to show to the group:
Examplary worksheet for an English lesson created by Rebekka and Vanessa
In this example, the headline consists of the pupil’s name, the topic, and the date.
A characteristic question at the top of the main part activates the pupils’ thinking and is a motivating introduction . The example shows a variety of exercises and tasks:7 Task 1 and exercise 2 are gap-filling exercises whilst exercise 3 introduces a new topic. The last exercise (here at the bottom of the worksheet) is a good way to practise information that has recently been learned. The exercises increase in level of difficulty to challenge the pupils gradually.
To give the teachers as much personal guidance as possible, some time was planned in for creating the worksheets. It made us very glad to see that our group was able to relate very quickly to what we had wanted to get across. This way, the teachers also experienced that creating a worksheet is actually time-saving because the worksheet is created once and then copied for many pupils, and it can be adapted to other groups’ or pupils’ needs.
Mr Vienglakhone Keopaseud creates a worksheet about vectors.
Ms Khamsee Thanbounheuang constructs a worksheet for her next biology class.
Rebekka explains to Ms Khamsee Thanbounheuang how a science worksheet is structured.
To conclude our workshop, we prepared a checklist on how to create a useful worksheet according to the following criteria: Content, didactics, form, and lay-out (cf. Kai-Uwe Oesterhelweg, 2018).
Checklist for creating a useful worksheet
We are very grateful and would like to thank our Lao partners for working with us and showing so much motivation. We think both parties learned a lot through this workshop. It showed for one thing that our tandem-partners are really creative in adapting worksheets to their needs, which made it very pleasant and easy to work with them. It also made us understand once more that there is a variety of teaching in both our countries, and that we, as future teachers, need to be open-minded when it comes to teaching methods – there are many different ways of successful teaching.
We are glad that we could apply our theoretical knowledge about intercultural communicative competence to one specific learning experience which helped us, as future teachers, to open up more ourselves, and to develop this very important competence further. We became more understanding in the process of appreciating different ways of thinking and communication and more aware and responsive to other people’s ways of behavior and thinking.
We also learned that adapting communication is very important in order to communicate with a partner from a completely different cultural background. The more we learned about the Lao culture, the more our communicative skills improved. We needed to understand their way of thinking in order to respond in an appropriate way. We realized that essentially intercultural competence develops throughout one’s lifetime.
We have not received any newly created worksheets yet or feedback, nor do we know if any of the teachers has used a worksheet in their class since.8 This, too, is part of the subject of communication and intercultural learning in “The Laos Experience”.
Text by R .Vogt & V. Wecker, with notes by I. Martin
Photos & videos by E. Heinz
Notes
1 Editor’s note: It is expensive and impractical to make copies for so many children in one classroom. There is no school budget for worksheets and teachers normally do not have free access to a printer anyway. We suggested creating a “Didactics Room“, which AfC kindly agreed to finance, and Team III organised and opened it in spring 2017, complete with PC, printer, photocopier, and laminating machine. We subsequently discovered that when teams ran out of ink, it sometimes took a very long time until the cartridge could be replaced. It took even longer for us to understand why: The computer shops within reach do not keep cartridges in store, but order them on demand from Bangkok.
2 Method: “A method is a practical implementation of an approach” (My English Pages, 2019, “Approach, method, procedure, and technique”). Most recently: Grammar-translation method, audio-lingual method, communicative method.
Technique: “The actual implementation in the language classroom” (My English Pages, 2019, “Approach, method, procedure, and technique”). “For instance, when using videos, teachers often use a technique called “silent viewing” which consists of playing the video without sound and asking students to figure out what the characters were saying” (ibid).
3 “How to start?” is a frequently asked question in (further) teacher education. Understanding a new field of knowledge or method or technique is one thing, implementing it into one’s own daily routine quite another, because it means changing this routine. In this light, workshops are good, but tandem-work is better.
4 A quiz is an informal test of knowledge to find out if new content has been internalized.
5 Lao teachers test their pupils monthly orally. Pupils come up front and answer the teacher’s questions in front of the whole class. Another way of testing pupils is letting them answer questions on the blackboard in written form.
6 A characteristic question should be answered at the end of the worksheet. Therefore, the solution to the question should not be given before, as pupils would read the solution. The answer to the characteristic question should be given and written down by the pupils.
7 Exercise: “An exercise is a teaching procedure that involves controlled, guided, or open-ended practice of some aspect of language. A drill, a cloze activity, a reading comprehension passage can all be regarded as exercises” (J. Richards, 2016, “Difference Between Task, Exercise, Activity”).
Task: “A task is normally defined as […] something that learners do, or carry out, using their existing language resources or those that have been provided in pre-task work. It has an outcome which is not simply linked to learning language, though language acquisition may occur as the learner carries out the task” (ibid).
8 Many teachers have other duties in second jobs, at home, and in subsistence agriculture after their teaching hours.
Online sources
Oesterhelweg, Kai-Uwe (2018). “Designing Effective Worksheets for the Classroom”. Goethe-Institut Munich, https://www.goethe.de/en/spr/mag/20577548.html (last accessed 9 June 2019).
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (2011). “Interactive Tasks – Teacher Story and Compiled by Sharon M. Look”, p. 4. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjVm7vHkZ_jAhXDfXAKHYHyBuMQFjABegQIAhAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprel.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F06%2FInteractive_EIS.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0dlTfeVvXmtVFNNLUOsjeD (last accessed 6 July 2019).
Rhalmi, M. (2018). “Approach, method, procedure, and technique”. “My English Pages”. https://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/approach-method-procedure-and-technique/ (last accessed 20 June 2019).
Teflnet (2019). “Guide to ESL Worksheets”. https://www.tefl.net/esl-worksheets/guide.htm (last accessed 20 June 2019).
Wikipedia (2019). “Worksheet”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worksheet (last accessed 20 June 2019).
Workshop on 21 March 2019 – “How to use Excel, E-Mail and PDF”
While we had opportunity to do volunteer work at Sikeud lower secondary school (Ban Phang Heng), we realized communication is key, be it face-to-face communication or through electronic devices. Nowadays, most people have access to electronic media and use them on a regular basis. This is most helpful in our programme “Teaching English in Laos“, as we need to communicate across the globe between Europe and Asia.
We experienced that Lao people actively use social media such as Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram, but not “business” tools such as E-Mail for communication.1 For data protection and work organization reasons, however, we need to use E-Mail (and not WhatsApp) as our communication medium for business: In official cooperations no other channels are acceptable.
Perceptions of privacy can differ greatly between different cultures. Germans are more cautious about sharing data on the Internet and Lao people feel more comfortable with it. Also, while all our tandem-teachers in Sikeud and Phang Heng have mobile phones, only a few own a notebook or computer. We therefore decided to create a workshop about this topic to simplify the communication process between the foundation, our Lao project-partners, and us.
We also decided to expand our workshop by at least one other “computer topic” which would be relevant to teachers, e.g. the “Word” program. We asked the computer science teacher, Ms Nalee Vonkhamsay, for a meeting and advice, and she pointed out that there was no need to introduce this program as every teacher knows how to use it. However, she told us that a lot of teachers still list and calculate their students’ grades by hand,2 which is very time-consuming . Since “Excel” can be helpful for these processes, we came to the conclusion that this was the right topic to complement our workshop.
Preparation
Step 1: We asked Ms Nalee to show us how she scores her students with Excel. She presented her file to us and explained the different sheets and functions. Since the three of us had not used Excel for a long time, we decided to get some help from our team-colleague Thomas Pelka, who is more computer-literate. He kindly offered to give us a little introduction to the most important functions of Excel. After we had remembered and understood all of them, we worked our way through Ms Nalee’s file again to make sure that we were now using the functions just the same way she did.
Step 2: Working with PDF (portable document format) and writing an E-mail was nothing we needed help with, so we now created a handout for our workshop. On this, we listed every step of every topic that we were going to explain and inserted matching pictures to make sure that everything was understandable and easy to follow. Furthermore, we prepared invitations, which we got signed by the director, hung up in the school, and handed out to the teachers.
First page…
… and second page of our handout
Our last two steps of preparation were to make sure that we could connect our laptop to the beamer of the computer room at Sikeud lower secondary school (Ban Phang Heng) and to ask Ms Saysamone Singhalath if she could attend our workshop in order to translate what we were saying into Lao if needed.3 This would ensure that the teachers from all subjects would be able to understand everything.
On the day of the workshop the following teachers arrived at the computer room at 4 p.m:4
Ms Bounthanh Nanhthavong, Ms Amphaivone Chandavong, Mr Vienglakhone Keopaseud, Ms Donekeo Keositthivong, Ms Souksakhone Sindavan, Ms Khamsee Thanbounhueang, Ms Saysamone Singhalath.
We distributed our handouts and gave a short overview of the workshop’s agenda:
- How to use Excel for scoring your students
- How to save an Excel file as a PDF
- How to create a “Google Mail” account
- How to send a PDF file via mail
- How to download a PDF reader
- Questions
Then we moved on to the first topic.
- How to use Excel for scoring students
Mariana gave a short introduction of some terms and tools of Excel, e.g. how to enlarge the columns, how to mark the cells, how to edit the cells, and how to add new sheets to the file.
As we still had Ms Nalee Vonkamsay‘s template for scoring students, we showed it to the teachers now, to give them a rough idea of what the finished file could look like. Then we explained the three most important functions: “SUM”, “AVERAGE” and “RANK”. These are used to summate each pupil’s grades, to calculate their average grade, and to rank them within their classes.
Since Ms Nalee’s Excel file has a simple structure and cells named in Lao (see picture), it was easy for everyone to follow our explanation of the functions and terms. It was all about understanding which cells to connect in order to get the wanted result.
One page of Ms Nalee’s Excel file (names are erased)
Step by step: How to insert a function in Excel
How to insert rank funtion in Excel
- How to save a file as pdf
The next point on our agenda was to show the teachers how to save an Excel file as a PDF. This is done by saving it the regular way, but selecting the file type “PDF” when doing so. Downloading a PDF Reader in advance would make this possible.
- How to create a “google mail” account
As we knew that some teachers did not have an E-mail account yet or had forgotten their login data, we showed them how to create a new one. We had previously found out that “gmail.com” was most commonly used by the teachers. Luckily, we had teacher Ms Donekeo Keositvong at our workshop, who wanted to create a new E-mail account anyway. We suggested she come to the front so that we could create one together on the laptop that was connected to the beamer so that everyone could follow each step. As new users sometimes do not remember their login data, we pointed out the importance of memorizing it, for example by writing it down and keeping it in a safe place.
- How to write an e-mail and attach a file
After having created an E-mail account, the next step was to show how to compose an E-mail and attach a file. We explained the “g-mail” page functions “inbox”, “sent”, “drafts”, “deleted”, and “compose”. Then we exemplarily sent an e-mail with an attached document and a subject line from Ms Donekeo’s newly-created account to Elisabeth.
At the end of our workshop we gave the teachers the opportunity to ask questions about Excel, E-mail and PDF. After answering and discussing all of the questions, we thanked them for attending our workshop and took some pictures.
The day after our workshop, some of the teachers came to thank us for the workshop and gave us a little feedback about it. They told us how helpful they found the topics of the workshop and that they liked how simple and understandable our handout was. It made us very happy to have helped to make the teachers’ scoring duties easier in the future, and we also hope that communication between the foundation and the Lao project partners may be a little smoother and more efficient henceforward.
In conclusion, we – Elisabeth, Cornelia, and Mariana – found that we were not only glad about having been able to help our partners, but also to have had the possibility to freshen up our own Excel skills, which we surely can use in our own future teacher-lives.
“Teacher Elisabeth” helps another teacher…
… they listen…
… to Elisabeth explaining the topic on the board.
The participants …
… and German volunteers
Text by C. Proels, M. Dimtsiou, E.Heinz & I. Martin
Photos by V. Wecker
Notes
1 The most commonly used form of communication among the teachers is Facebook or WhatsApp Messenger. In any cooperation, the lack of tools or know-how for saving and storing files (to be able to relocate them later) means that the same information has to be repeated informally many times until a new communication system is established and also well-rehearsed.
2 For each subject in a school year, the pupils take four tests and one last “big” test. The final average grade results from those tests. Oral performance and the completion of homework over the academic year are not factored into the grade.
3 Not all the invited teachers were English teachers. Hence, a translation into Lao would be helpful.
4 This is the time when school lessons finish at Ban Phang Heng Secondary School.
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