All posts filed under: Language

AHHA Education: Teaching English is a Community Recycling Endeavor

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela When was the last time you thought to yourself, “I’m so grateful to be able to use and understand English.” If like me, probably never. Well, as Rocket Raccoon put it, not everyone “know talking good like me and you.” The inability to use English severely limits a person’s prospects in many areas of life. Imagine all the great stuff you’d miss out on: something as simple as googling an answer to a vapid question, at worse, and a pressing matter, at best. Forget writing that convoluted love letter to the cute host working at the Thai restaurant at National Harbor. Too specific? Anyhow, life would just be a little bit harder, don’t you think? So yes, English proficiency is an essential skill required to function in our modern world. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to learn and develop their English skills. Coming from Laos, growing up around the education business with my father owning and operating …

The SEAD Project: Spring Language Courses Open for Registration!

Do you know what the best part of a diaspora is? Rough question, maybe. Never fear—I’ve got a great answer. At least, enough to be forgiven for asking such a crazy question, I think. It’s when the displaced try to reconnect with their roots! There’s lots of avenues this can take. Let’s discuss a very direct one—the gift of communication. In a world that relies more and more on not just being able to communicate—but to do it well, it’s time we figured out a way to do this with our own family members, right?! Say it with me, “Sabaidee Pa-ta! Kanoi sih pah Pa-ta bpai gin khao!” Cause, food. What’s a better example than our national favorite topic? Unofficial, but I dare the person to correct me on this. Never mind all the reasons your Lao is iffy. Some of us didn’t have the opportunity to use it—so we lost a lot of it. Some of us never learned to read/write because, gosh darnit, why didn’t our parents bring the Lao language learning books with …