Profile

G2K has been open for nearly 4 months and it has been quite a journey! After a lot of research we started to put the curriculum together. We recruited our teachers through workshops and were fortunate to take on some Khmer literature graduates. We spent 3 months last year training the teachers. The methodology here is based on teaching English as a foreign language. So, we’ve taken the techniques that have been working for years in teaching English and adopted them to teaching Khmer as a second language. It works, the teachers had practice classes initially and have been learning as they go with constant observation from our trainers. The school is growing in numbers as we add classes and the feedback is great.

At G2K you receive:

• A quality purpose written curriculum based on the ACTFL scale and incorporating linguistic analysis of Khmer grammar
  
• Emphasis on pronunciation using a unique phonetic system
  
• Highly trained teachers with ongoing performance assessment and professional development
  
• Small classes with individual support
  
• Regular homework tasks and sound files for practice
  
• Highly experienced director of studies
  
• Culture component embedded in the programme
  
• Expert linguistic support from SIL
  

G2K is a "full package" of learning - teaching, homework, assessments, pronunciation sound files, and for many students there is no need for extra money spent on tutors.

The course focuses on speaking, listening, reading and writing in Khmer. There will be new grammar or vocabulary input every day followed by skills work. The programme is based on proficiency goals and will be assessment driven. The course is sequenced in such a way as to progress your language from survival level to advanced.

The course content relies heavily on Khmer contexts and situations. The teachers develop their own materials as well as use authentic reading and listening texts. We believe language and culture are inextricably linked and so we will have a cultural component as part of the the programme. The culture units begin in level 3 where students are guided in ways to learn culture for themselves. We see culture learning as a life-long process but there are frameworks to help with this. In levels 3 and 4 we will teach you one framework. In levels 5 – 8 we will use texts and outside speakers to explore culture further.

There is not one methodology that is the secret to language teaching, instead we believe there are many ways to teach a language. Our teachers have been trained in modern English Language Teaching techniques which have their roots in many different traditions: grammar translation, audio lingual, total physical response, natural approach etc. We also believe that it is not necessary to use English to teach Khmer and our teachers do not use English in the classroom. We welcome non-English speakers to study with us. We will endeavor to provide quality, well planned, thoughtful and enjoyable lessons taught by our wonderful staff of young Khmer teachers.

The learning part is up to you and requires hard work. Learning Khmer is not easy and requires enormous effort and patience. We hope, working together, we will enable you to reach your language goals where you can form deep cross cultural relationships with Khmer people and have effective jobs and ministries.