Desafíos del aprendizaje del idioma inglés en entornos rurales de Colombia

Abstract

This study presents an experience in teaching English as a foreign language in a rural Colombian context. The experience involved six months of teaching primary school students in a school and its multi grade classrooms. Using a qualitative and reflective approach, the process encompassed stages of diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation, allowing for the identification of the main conditions that characterize rural education. Initial findings revealed limitations in access to technological resources, infrastructure deficiencies, and low levels of literacy and prior English proficiency, factors that presented significant learning challenges. To address these needs, pedagogical strategies adapted to the context were designed, employing low-cost materials and participatory methodologies based on games, songs, drawings, and collaborative activities. These actions fostered student motivation, increased classroom participation, and strengthened the acquisition and use of basic English vocabulary. Furthermore, the experience highlighted the structural inequalities affecting rural communities and the need to implement educational practices sensitive to local realities. Overall, the internships constituted a valuable training experience, strengthening teaching skills and reaffirming the importance of contextualized, creative teaching committed to the integral development of rural students