ESL. Educational Technology

Like many people, I use messenger; and like many people I have several contacts from around the world.

Everytime I talk to them ,specially people from Europe, I realize they have such a good level of English, not only writing, I mean, when we use the microphone I can really notice how fluent they are and how good their pronounciation is.

However, why is it so tough for us to speak English?, it doesn't matter if we are in an English teaching program, it is still very hard to speak fluently,naturally and with a good pronounciation.

According to my european friends, they say they "have been living the English language for a long time", since they were very little; their tv programs were and are all in English; the typical hollywood movies are not dubbed , but subtittled to their native language; and of course the goverment's influence on people to learn a foreign language(majority of these countries where my friends are from have made big efforts to improve their education in all known aspects).

So, it's a fact they speak English not only due to the kind of education they acquire, but also it's something that happens in their culture, the need to learn a foreign language,but also because people seem to ENJOY watching, reading in their target language.

But why is'nt it the same in Colombia? For my money, I think Colombian people don't feel English is important (except English Teaching students),they want to live with a conformist salary, they think they know everything about their lives and the worst part: they dont want to get out of this S H I T T Y country (like I do), they just want to spend the rest of their lives thinking that this language is only for those who listen to "rock music".

I'd dare to say , that the level of illiteracy that we have ,not only in colombia but throughout latinamerica is very high, people who don't know how to read or write, what about them? Well, appareantly there exists this certain need to translate and DUB all the tv programs that are spoken in English. What would happen if ,for example, the international programs, movies, documentaries spoken in English were suddenly subtitled into Spanish; and the voices we are used to listen, were now in English? Poor them! the illiterate people would be shocked, and I guess they would BEG on their knees to bring back the dubbed tv.

Another reason for this lack of English among latinamericans is the lazyness which makes people feel tired ,bored when reading. Is it a coicidence that the lowest rates in reading are found in Latinamerica? No friends, it's true, this culture is about lazyness, about getting things by the easy way, and that's why we don't want to read on our tvs(we'd rather prefer the freacking mexican accents) the number of english spoken channels in our region are many, though.

So , i hope this ive just wrote down , makes u think and also think about creative ways to improve that lazyness with reading and also to keep on fightin against the illiteracy..

thanks for your attention
Jose "Satan" Lozada.