2004.08.04: August 4, 2004: Headlines: COS - Mongolia: TEFL: Wilmington Morning Star: Matthew Bigham writes: Greetings from Mongolia, a country that you probably know as much about as I did before I came here last year to begin a two-year stint with the Peace Corps
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2004.08.04: August 4, 2004: Headlines: COS - Mongolia: TEFL: Wilmington Morning Star: Matthew Bigham writes: Greetings from Mongolia, a country that you probably know as much about as I did before I came here last year to begin a two-year stint with the Peace Corps
Matthew Bigham writes: Greetings from Mongolia, a country that you probably know as much about as I did before I came here last year to begin a two-year stint with the Peace Corps
I live in the eastern city of Baruun-Urt, which serves as the economic and political center of Sukhbaatar Aimag. I teach English at a high school and am lucky to have my own classroom. While my co-workers have varying degrees of language proficiency, I am able to carry on a decent conversation with all of them. More important, they are motivated to make their lives better, as well as the lives of their students.
Knowing English allows Mongolians greater career and cultural opportunities and is a ticket out of poverty. You can move up the ladder more easily at your job or you can get a good job, such as a translator, that would be not be available to you if you weren't bilingual. For example, one of my co-workers was recently tapped to translate for the Indian Ambassador as he visited my town, and now she may get the chance to go to India on a cultural exchange.
Matthew Bigham writes: Greetings from Mongolia, a country that you probably know as much about as I did before I came here last year to begin a two-year stint with the Peace Corps
I'm teaching, but I'm learning, too
By Matthew Bigham
Foreigners are very rare around these parts, so I'm a 'star' around town.
Baruun-urt, Mongolia
Greetings from Mongolia, a country that you probably know as much about as I did before I came here last year to begin a two-year stint with the Peace Corps.
As a program of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps sends Americans to developing countries to assist in development efforts, as well as to exchange ideas across the cultural divide.
In an age when the United States is seen in an increasingly negative light around the world, Mongolians, on the whole, like Americans. They are appreciative that Peace Corps volunteers are here helping to teach them English so that they may begin to benefit from the global economy in the same way that their Asian neighbors have.
Sandwiched between Russia and China, Mongolia has only two and a half million people, giving it the lowest population density of any country on the planet. The landscape is mostly barren steppe that is broken up only by the occasional herds of sheep, horses and camels that roam free.
Known as the "land of the eternal blue sky," Mongolia has a dry climate - precipitation is rare, and the sun shines all winter long. The downside is that Mongolia is also one of the coldest places on Earth, with highs in the winters lucky to reach into the teens and lows regularly dipping down to 30 below zero.
After almost 70 years of communist rule, Mongolia has emerged as a democracy that is struggling to develop its economy to better suit the 21st century. The country has a high unemployment rate, especially in rural areas, as well as aging and inadequate infrastructure. Paved roads in Mongolia are few and far between, making travel difficult and sometimes treacherous.
On the bright side, development is slowly making its way through the country. In the past year alone, my town has seen streetlights go up, a road get paved and a second internet cafe open. In addition, many rural communities now have cell phone access, making it easier for them to communicate and conduct business.
I live in the eastern city of Baruun-Urt, which serves as the economic and political center of Sukhbaatar Aimag. I teach English at a high school and am lucky to have my own classroom. While my co-workers have varying degrees of language proficiency, I am able to carry on a decent conversation with all of them. More important, they are motivated to make their lives better, as well as the lives of their students.
Knowing English allows Mongolians greater career and cultural opportunities and is a ticket out of poverty. You can move up the ladder more easily at your job or you can get a good job, such as a translator, that would be not be available to you if you weren't bilingual. For example, one of my co-workers was recently tapped to translate for the Indian Ambassador as he visited my town, and now she may get the chance to go to India on a cultural exchange.
My students are OK when it comes to English grammar but cannot speak very well. They have little, if any, access to hearing English spoken, so it sometimes feels as though I'm a novelty act. I try to boost their confidence by telling them that my Mongolian isn't very good, but I still try to speak the language whether I know what I'm saying or not.
Foreigners are very rare around these parts, so I'm a "star" around town. Whether I am walking the hallways of my school or strolling down the street to the markets, I constantly get stared at.
Some locals, especially children, are so in awe at the sight of me that they follow me around and mimic what I say. In addition, shouts of "hello" and "I'm hungry" seem to greet me wherever I go. While this can try my nerves from time to time, I have learned to live with it.
Mongolians are extremely hospitable people who will gladly welcome you into their homes. In most homes, you could walk right in and be served milk tea, as well as the traditional dishes Buuz (steamed meat dumplings) and Hooshur (fried meat foldovers) - no questions asked. Mongolians appear to be adapting to the 21st century by developing and modernizing their country the best that they can. Yet at the same time, they are maintaining their strong cultural traditions that have been the fabric of their society for centuries.
It is exciting for me to watch as the past and the future merge here in Mongolia. Every day I awake from my slumber and am grateful that I am able to be here sharing my skills with some amazing people.
I'm even more grateful for what they are teaching me - that there is more than one way in which to approach life.
Matthew Bigham is a graduate of UNCW.
When this story was posted in August 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Wilmington Morning Star
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Mongolia; TEFL
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