A Little Teacher With Big Dreams 👩‍🏫🌎

 
 

 


                                                                                                                                        

In Sri Lanka , English is taught as Second Language .       

In urban areas, many people use English in their day-to-day life  at work, in schools, while shopping, or when communicating with others. This happens for several reasons:

1. 🏫 More educational and professional opportunities –  Many jobs in cities require English, so people become more familiar with the language.


2. 💻 Greater exposure to technology and media – Urban people have more access to English content such as TV, the internet, and social media.


3. 🗣 Need for communication – City life brings people from different backgrounds together, so English becomes a common medium for interaction.



In contrast, in rural areas:

1. 🚫 There are fewer chances to use English in daily life.


2. 🏫 Schools often have limited resources, such as qualified English teachers and learning materials.


3. 🌾 Daily life is mostly centered around practical activities like farming and household work, where English is rarely needed.      


       So Teaching English as a foreign Language has become a serious Problem, Especially in rural areas. Since Schools in villages often don't have good classroom , furniture , electricity or teaching equipment , it becomes big and continuing problem for English teachers who teach there.

 
     I am not a school teacher, but as a tuition teacher in a rural area, I have personally faced this challenge. When teaching a subject like English, using technology is extremely important. It helps students stay engaged and provides access to better learning materials.

    However, in areas like Udamaliboda, where I teach, technology is not always reliable. Sometimes there is not even a proper phone signal, which makes it very difficult to use online resources or connect with students through digital platforms. 


     The second difficulty of English teaching in rural area is the student' s lack of motivation.  Udamaliboda area in Deraniyagala is a region where most people earn their living from tea cultivation. Many families depend on the daily income they get from plucking tea leaves or cleaning the tea estates. When parents go to work in the estates, they often don’t have enough time to look after their children’s studies.

     As a result, many children tend to miss regular practice in their studies. For students who learn English as a second language, continuous practice is essential. However, most of them use English only during class hours, which limits their exposure to the language. Because of this, their interest in learning English sometimes decreases.

     Still, within my classes, I always try to develop their abilities through various creative and interesting teaching methods. I believe that this is at least a small step toward solving this problem.

 

🌿 Behind the Scene

This piece was written from my own experiences as a tuition teacher in the rural area of Udamaliboda, Deraniyagala. Every day, I see both the beauty and the struggles of village life — the mist-covered mountains, the tea estates, and the hardworking parents who do everything they can for their families.

Teaching English in such an environment is both rewarding and challenging. There are days when I have to teach without a stable internet connection, and moments when students lose motivation because of their difficult circumstances. But seeing their small improvements, their smiles, and their growing confidence reminds me why I continue this journey.

Through this writing, I wanted to share the reality of rural education and the strength it takes to keep moving forward  with hope, patience, and love for teaching.