Rhode Island College

M.Ed. In TESL Program Country Informational Reports

Produced by Graduate Students in the M.Ed. In TESL Program In the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development

Country: Author: Lauren Paolino

Program Contact Person: Nancy Cloud ([email protected])

Lauren Paolino TESL 539 Fall 2012 Background Information

 Venezuela is the 7th largest country in South America (352,144 square miles)  Caracas is the capital  Varied landscapes – mountains, coast, lowlands, plains, highlands  Tropical climate  There are many floods and landslides (that left civilians homeless in 1999, 2010) Map of Venezuela - South American Countries, Venezuela Information Maps History - World Atlas The People of Venezuela  Population: 28,047,938 (2012)

Venezuela Flag Map - Venezuela  Official Language: Spanish maps.  Ethnic Groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous  Literacy Rates: 94% of adult population (2010)  The literacy rate has increased greatly over the years. In the 1950s it was just over 50%, and by the 1970s it had reached 82%. Political Information  Life in Venezuela changed for many when Hugo Chavez came to power as president in 1999. The country divided between Chavez’s supporters and his opponents. Some programs were beneficial (reduce poverty, free health care, etc.), however, others did not like how he reached out to socialist and communist countries. • By reaching out to other countries, many immigrants arrived in Venezuela to work (Cubans, Haitians, Chinese, Arabic, Colombians). This caused educated to leave the country to find work in the US. [Untitled photograph of Hugo Chavez]. Education in Venezuela

 Today, public education is free for all citizens from kindergarten through university.  However, children in remote areas may only have a one room schoolhouse with poorly trained teachers or they may have no school.  About 3.7% of the GDP is for educational purposes.  Venezuela has the second highest number of people enrolled in higher education in Latin America at 83% (2009)  Elementary (Basic) education lacks a general national governing program outside of the math curriculum Schools and Curriculum School Level Ages/Grades Compulsory? Subjects taught Pre-school Education Age3-6 No n/a

Basic Education Age 6-11 Yes Reading, writing, arithmetic, Grades 1-6 natural science, history, geography, civics , English

Middle Education Age 11-14 Yes Sciences, Algebra, Grades 7-9 Humanities, Ethics or Catholic Religion, English

Diversified Age 14-17 No Humanities vs. Sciences /Professional Grades 10-11 Education

High Level Education 17 and older No Specific Topics (College/University) Students Teachers

 93% of Venezuelan  Teachers are usually from children attend school the middle class  Nine years of education are  Teachers are respected required  88% trained  School year = Sept. to June  Basic education in public schools is in shifts  Early in the morning until 1:30pm OR Early afternoon until 6:00 pm.  All children wear uniforms  English is taught in basic/middle education

Values Without Borders. Schools and Classrooms  Not all schools are the same. Depending on where you live and what your socioeconomic status is, schools are different. School and class size vary, along with teacher qualifications, and materials/resources available.  The student teacher ratio in Venezuela has decreased over the past 50 years. In the 1970s, there was 30-35 students per teacher. In 2012, there was only 12 students per teacher.

Teachers should…  Embrace Venezuelans body language and maintain eye contact (Venezuelans usually stand very close to person speaking, often touch each other by shaking hands, hugging, kissing, and maintain eye contact)  Respect Venezuelans relaxed attitude towards tardiness (New students may arrive late to class, not realizing why students in the US are not allowed to do that).

Place of Education  Family plays the central role in their society. Close contact is maintained (especially with those who moved to the US) and families visit each other as often as possible.  Education was not valued until after Romulo Betancourt took office in 1959. Materials were provided, teacher trainings were implemented, and new schools/universities were built.  For example, in 1936, the illiteracy rate was 71% and only 20% of children attended school. In 1990s, the illiteracy rate was 11% and 97% of children attended school.

VS.

FAMILY EDUCATION Immigration to the  Many Venezuelans come to the US for higher education or higher salaries in the work force.  Venezuelan have settled in:  (12, 362)  (5,559)  (4,575)  (3, 295)  (2,130)  (1,403) Map of Venezuela - South American Countries, Venezuela Information Maps  (1, 257) History - World Atlas *Urban areas such as , , , Washington D.C. have the greatest number. (1990 Census)

Views and Attitudes towards

English Speakers Crossed Flag Pins USA-Venezuela.  The US and Venezuela have been close in the past due to trade and investment relations. However, tensions increased when Hugo Chavez took office and after US president, Bush, was accused of supporting failed attempts to get Chavez out of office.  Diplomatic relations were broke off in 2008 and reestablished under Obama in 2009.  Today, there is a sense of mutual respect but tensions are still high. Although there is tension, many Venezuelans (56%) still think favorably of the US because they are unsure of Chavez’s intentions.  Venezuelans are open to English speakers because they are use to a diverse population in Venezuela (people who immigrated from Europe, South America, Caribbean, Africa)

Works Cited Internet: At a glance: Venezuela, The Bolivarian Republic of. (2010). UNICEF. Retrieved September 7, 2012, from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/venezuela.html (slide 3-8) Central Intelligence Agency. (2012, September 10). CIA - The World Factbook. Retrieved September 15, 2012, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/ve.html (slide 3-4, 6-8) Encyclopedia of the Nations. (2012). Education - Venezuela. Retrieved September 8, 2012, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Venezuela-EDUCATION.html (slide 6-8) Fact sheet: Education and literacy in Venezuela. (2009). Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the UK and Ireland. Retrieved September 6, 2012, from http://www.embavenez-uk.org/pdf/Education.pdf (slide 6) Misreading Venezuela. (2007, August 15). Conservative News, Views & Books. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.humanevents.com/2007/08/15/misreading- venezuela/ (slide 13) Statistics on Venezuela. facts and figures, stats and information on Venezuelan economy, crime, people, government, health and education. 7 maps and 429 flags. (n.d.). NationMaster.com. Retrieved September 7, 2012, from http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ve-venezuela (slide 2-7)

Works Cited Internet Continued: Venezuela. (2006). In A global guide to management education (pp. 277-283). Retrieved September 8, 2012, from http://www.gfme.org/global_guide/pdf/277- 284%20Venezuela.pdf (slide 6-8) Walker, D. (n.d.). Countries and Their Cultures. . Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Venezuelan- Americans.html (slide 12)

Books: Dinneen, M. (2001). Culture and customs of Venezuela. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. (slide 10, 11) McCaffrey, P. (2007). Hispanic Americans. Bronx, NY: H.W. Wilson. (slide 10) Tarver, D. H., & Frederick, J. C. (2005). The history of Venezuela. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. (slide 3-5) Willis, T. (2003). Venezuela. New York: Children's Press. (slide 6-8) Winter, J. K., & Baguley, K. (2012). Venezuela. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark Books. (slide 3-8)

Works Cited Images: Crossed Flag Pins USA-Venezuela. Retrieved September 15, 2012, from: http://www.crossed-flag-pins.com/Friendship-Pins/USA/Flag-Pins-USA- Venezuela.html (slide 13)

Map of Venezuela - South American Countries, Venezuela Information Maps History - World Atlas. Retrieved September 8, 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/samerica/ve.htm (slide 3, 12)

[Untitled photograph of Hugo Chavez]. Retrieved September 17, 2012, from: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/omar-al-bashir (slide 5)

Values Without Borders. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from: http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/values_ without_borders (slide 8)

Venezuela Flag Map - Venezuela maps. Retrieved September 15, 2012, from: http://mapsof.net/map/venezuela-flag-map (slide 2, 4)

M.Ed. in TESL Program Nancy Cloud, Director Educational Studies Department Rhode Island College, HBS 206 #5 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue Providence, RI 02908 Phone (401) 456-8789 Fax (401) 456-8284 [email protected]

The M.Ed. in TESL Program at Rhode Island College is Nationally Recognized by TESOL and NCATE