Thursday November 22 was the culmination of months of environmental English club at Ketentang, an all-boys seminary on the outskirts of Labuan Bajo where ETA Andrew Shifren has been helping the boys to study English on Thursday nights. Every Thursday since early September the 80 boys, in groups of eight, have measured a single plant’s growth over time. They recorded the number, lengths, and widths of leaves, number and lengths of stems, and the height of the plants. On Thursday, November 22, the boys graphed different data over time and then presented to the class.

After the presentations Andrew sparked English discussion by asking why some plants grew differently than others. The boys enthusiastically shared their ideas in English. Andrew hopes that next semester each group might be responsible for a multiple plants and explore how different variables like sunlight affect growth. Using environmental science as a medium to learn English has clearly engaged the students; their comfort with English is growing almost as fast as their plants!

Andrew Shifren is currently teaching at SMK Stella Maris Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara